Millions of working donkeys in lower-income countries experience severe welfare deficits from overwork, inadequate veterinary care, harness sores, and poor nutrition. Practical interventions make meaningful differences.
Working donkey welfare is inseparable from the livelihoods of the world's poorest communities. Donkeys are working tools for families dependent on them for water collection, agricultural work, and market transport. Their welfare suffers not from indifference but from poverty — owners who cannot afford veterinary care or replacement harnesses inflict welfare harm they would avoid if resources permitted. Effective welfare improvement requires community-based interventions: training in harness fitting and wound care, accessible mobile veterinary services, and community donkey welfare monitoring. The welfare and economic interests align — healthy donkeys work more effectively and live longer, directly benefiting the families who depend on them.