Working donkeys in low- and middle-income countries carry enormous loads, face inadequate veterinary care, and work until death, representing one of the world's most neglected animal welfare problems.
Working donkeys in poverty-affected contexts suffer chronic pain from wounds, overloading, and inadequate nutrition that owners may not recognise or have the resources to address. The economic dependence of families on their working donkey creates complex welfare situations: the owner's livelihood depends on the animal working, yet rest and treatment are both expensive. Effective welfare improvement combines owner education on welfare indicators, accessible veterinary services, and economic interventions that reduce dependency on individual animals. Training owners to recognise pain saves animals from working while severely compromised.