Donkeys are vital working animals for millions of people in low-income countries, and face growing welfare threats from the global skin trade for traditional Chinese medicine.
Donkeys are hardworking animals whose welfare is often overlooked in discussions of animal welfare that focus on companion or farmed animals. In low-income countries, working donkeys are often overloaded, given inadequate water and rest, and denied veterinary treatment for painful conditions like harness sores and lameness. The growing global demand for donkey skin for ejiao — a traditional Chinese medicine product — has created a parallel crisis: criminal networks steal and slaughter donkeys, devastating communities that depend on them while causing significant welfare harms. International pressure and national bans on skin exports are responses to this escalating problem.