Over 40 million donkeys work in developing countries under conditions that cause significant suffering — addressing their welfare requires culturally sensitive approaches.
Working donkeys are essential to agricultural economies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, yet they remain among the most overlooked working animals in global welfare discussions. Their stoic nature — masking pain with behavioral silence — makes suffering invisible to owners who may genuinely not recognize that their animal is in distress. The Donkey Sanctuary and Brooke Animal Hospital operate community-based welfare programs demonstrating that simple interventions including harness fitting, hoof trimming, wound treatment, and water provision dramatically improve welfare outcomes at minimal cost. The emerging ejiao trade represents a catastrophic new threat, with donkey populations collapsing in Africa due to skin demand from China.