Donkey Welfare: Working Animals and Global Welfare Gaps

Understanding the welfare challenges facing the estimated 40+ million donkeys worldwide, many serving as critical working animals in low-income countries with inadequate welfare protection.

Key Facts

There are approximately 40-45 million donkeys globally, with 95% in developing countries where they serve as critical working animals
Working donkeys typically carry 25-35% of their body weight for 8-12 hours daily — loads that frequently exceed welfare-appropriate limits
The Brooke and The Donkey Sanctuary estimate that approximately 80% of working equines globally show signs of health problems attributable to poor management
Donkeys have distinct behavioral and physiological characteristics from horses — they are more stoic in pain expression and have different nutritional requirements
The donkey skin trade, driven by demand for ejiao (a gelatin product used in traditional Chinese medicine), has caused dramatic population collapses in several African countries
Donkeys provide critical livelihood support for hundreds of millions of people — welfare improvements must address owner livelihoods, not only animal welfare

Welfare Considerations

Donkey welfare occupies a unique position in the animal welfare landscape: these animals provide critical economic support to some of the world's most vulnerable human communities while experiencing significant welfare deficits that are inseparable from poverty and limited access to veterinary care. Welfare interventions that are effective in this context must address working conditions, farriery, nutrition, and veterinary care in ways that are accessible and affordable to owners who depend on donkeys for survival. The ejiao trade represents an additional threat — demand in China is driving unsustainable slaughter of donkeys in Africa and Asia, threatening both the animals and the livelihoods of the communities that depend on them.

What You Can Do

Support The Brooke and The Donkey Sanctuary, which work with veterinary training programs and owner education in donkey-dependent communities
Avoid products containing ejiao and engage with consumers of traditional medicine about the donkey population crisis this demand is creating
Donate to programs providing affordable veterinary care and farriery training in communities dependent on working donkeys
Advocate for donkey welfare inclusion in international development programs addressing rural livelihoods
Learn about the donkey skin trade and support policy advocacy for restrictions on international ejiao trade