An estimated 40 million donkeys work globally in agricultural and transport roles often in low-income contexts where welfare resources are severely limited.
Working donkey welfare involves structural problems rooted in poverty rather than indifference. Owners who depend on donkeys generally want healthy animals but lack access to veterinary care, equipment, and welfare knowledge. Harness sores, overloading, dehydration, and untreated lameness are common but addressable through practical intervention programs. The growing donkey skin trade threatens working animals from communities that depend on them.