While donkeys are not commonly farmed for food in the UK, thousands are kept for breeding, work, tourism, and the growing ejiao trade. Their welfare needs are frequently misunderstood.
The quiet, stoic nature of donkeys is a welfare trap: owners often interpret their lack of obvious distress as contentment when in reality the animal may be in significant pain. Dental checks, appropriate low-calorie forage, and companionship are non-negotiable for good donkey welfare. The global ejiao trade has created welfare emergencies in Africa and Asia where donkeys are stolen, starved, and slaughtered in unregulated conditions.