Improving welfare for the world's working donkeys in low-resource agricultural settings.
Working donkey welfare is inextricably linked with poverty alleviation, as these animals are the primary capital asset and productive resource for millions of subsistence farmers globally. Welfare improvements require approaches that work within resource constraints, build local knowledge, and recognize that animal welfare and owner livelihoods are interdependent rather than competing objectives. Community-based animal health worker programs, harness design improvements, and basic hoof care training have delivered measurable welfare improvements at low cost. The challenge of scale - millions of individual animals in remote communities - requires sustained organizational commitment over decades.