Welfare challenges for working donkeys globally, the specific needs of this often-overlooked species, and organisations improving donkey welfare worldwide.
Working donkeys are among the most invisible and overlooked populations of working animals globally. They support the livelihoods of millions of families in low-income countries but receive minimal veterinary care, are frequently overworked, and suffer from preventable conditions including harness wounds, lameness, and malnutrition. Their stoic nature — more pronounced than in horses — means severe suffering can go undetected by owners who misread absence of complaint as absence of pain. Community-based welfare programs that train owners and provide accessible veterinary care have demonstrated significant welfare improvements while supporting livelihoods.