Donkeys are crucial working animals for millions of families in low-income countries, but face severe welfare challenges from overwork, harnessing problems and lack of veterinary care.
Working donkey welfare sits at the intersection of animal welfare and human poverty - the suffering of donkeys is inseparable from the poverty and lack of resources of the families who depend on them. Effective intervention requires more than veterinary treatment; it needs community education, affordable access to harnesses that fit correctly, community-level care knowledge and sustainable economic support for families to make welfare-positive choices. The Donkey Sanctuary model of community-based veterinary support with owner education has demonstrated that welfare improvement is achievable alongside supporting the livelihoods of dependent families. This is a case where animal welfare and human welfare are deeply interconnected.