Animal Welfare in Low-Income Countries: Challenges and Opportunities

Animal welfare challenges in lower-income countries are immense in scale, often involving working animals, livestock systems, and wildlife under pressure from poverty and weak regulatory infrastructure.

Key Facts

An estimated 600 million working animals — horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, and camels — support the livelihoods of millions of people in low-income countries, often in harsh conditions
In many low-income settings, veterinary services are sparse, anaesthesia is unavailable for routine procedures, and humane slaughter infrastructure does not exist
Street dog and cat populations are large in many low- and middle-income countries, leading to mass culling campaigns that cause enormous welfare harm
Bushmeat hunting in Africa and Southeast Asia involves both welfare harms to individuals and threatens the populations of slow-reproducing species
International welfare organisations including Brooke, SPANA, and World Animal Protection work in low-income settings with evidence-based welfare programmes

Welfare Considerations

Animal welfare in low-income countries cannot be separated from human welfare and development. Working animals are often the primary capital of poor farming families; improving their welfare also improves livelihoods. Approaches that impose welfare standards without addressing the economic constraints that drive poor welfare are counterproductive. The most effective interventions combine welfare improvement with economic benefit, veterinary access, community engagement, and respect for local knowledge and cultural contexts.

What You Can Do

Support international animal welfare organisations working in low-income countries such as Brooke, SPANA, and World Animal Protection
Advocate for animal welfare to be included in international development goals and financing frameworks
Donate to effective international welfare organisations evaluated by cost-effectiveness frameworks
Engage with welfare tourism critically — ensure volunteer programmes genuinely improve welfare rather than creating dependency
Push for debt-relief and development policies that reduce poverty-driven wildlife poaching and harmful animal use