Donkeys working in South Asian brick kiln industries face extreme welfare challenges from overloading, heat, and lack of veterinary care.
Brick kiln donkeys experience some of the most severe sustained welfare harms of any working animal population: extreme heat, constant heavy loading, chronic harness wounds, and virtually no veterinary care. The families who depend on these animals typically live in severe poverty and lack resources to improve conditions. Mobile veterinary programs that treat harness wounds, provide hoof care, and educate handlers demonstrate that welfare improvements can be achieved within the economic constraints of kiln work, benefiting both animals and the families who depend on their productivity.