An estimated 40 million donkeys provide essential transport, agriculture, and livelihoods across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, but they receive minimal veterinary care and frequently endure chronic welfare problems that are preventable with basic interventions.
Working donkey welfare is a development issue as much as an animal welfare issue — a healthy, well-maintained donkey is more productive, has a longer working life, and better supports the family depending on it. Interventions including basic veterinary care, appropriate harness fitting, and load management education create co-benefits for both donkey welfare and human livelihoods. The Donkey Sanctuary, Brooke, and SPANA are the primary organisations working on global working donkey welfare.