Mules and donkeys are working animals for over half a billion people in developing countries, providing essential agricultural labor under conditions that often cause significant welfare suffering from overwork and inadequate care.
Working donkeys and mules in low-income countries face severe welfare challenges from heavy workloads, inadequate nutrition, inappropriate harnesses, and limited veterinary access. Lameness and harness wounds cause chronic pain that, if untreated, impairs the animal's ability to work, creating a poverty trap where welfare decline and livelihood loss reinforce each other. Welfare improvement programs that provide veterinary care, owner training in wound prevention, and appropriate equipment create both welfare benefits and livelihood improvements for dependent families.