Donkeys are among the world's most used working animals, with approximately 44 million individuals serving as draft animals in low-income countries where welfare conditions vary enormously.
Donkeys endure welfare conditions that would be illegal in high-income countries because they are rural working animals in regions with limited veterinary infrastructure and welfare awareness. Individual donkeys with harness sores, lameness, and nutritional deficiency work daily under loads in pain. Community-based programs that train owners in basic donkey welfare and provide access to simple equipment like better harnesses achieve dramatic welfare improvements at low cost. The economic argument for welfare - healthier donkeys work more productively and longer - resonates with owners focused on livelihood.