Donkey sanctuaries provide refuge for working, abused, and neglected donkeys globally, and the best facilities have developed evidence-based care protocols that serve as models for improved donkey welfare worldwide.
Donkeys are the most neglected of the common domestic equids in terms of welfare research, regulatory protection, and public awareness. Their stoic nature means that suffering is frequently invisible, and their traditional role as burden-bearers has created cultural acceptance of conditions that would be unacceptable for horses. Sanctuaries like The Donkey Sanctuary have transformed knowledge of donkey needs by systematically studying their health, behavior, and welfare in controlled rescue environments. The behavioral research on donkey grief — particularly the documented distress when bonded pairs are separated by death or relocation — has been influential in establishing welfare management practices. Sanctuary models of regular dental care, appropriate nutrition, social housing of bonded pairs, and pain assessment are being translated into community outreach programs for working donkey populations.