How working donkeys in low-income countries experience welfare challenges and what organisations are doing to improve their lives.
Working donkey welfare in low-income countries represents one of the most tractable large-scale animal welfare problems — the animals are numerous, their welfare harms are well-characterised, and interventions have been demonstrated to work at community scale. The welfare improvements most needed are not expensive: correctly fitted harnesses, trained wound care, adequate rest and water during working hours, and appropriate nutrition. The barrier is knowledge and access rather than cost. Organisations that train and equip local animal health workers to provide basic donkey care in rural communities create lasting welfare improvement that continues after the organisation moves on. This is a welfare intervention model with strong evidence for effectiveness and cost-efficiency.