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Advocacy and policy

Our advocacy work

Advocacy plays a key role in ensuring that animals, including donkeys, get the care and protection they deserve. It’s about encouraging governments and authorities to step up by creating better policies, enforcing laws, and investing in education, research, and training. By working together with key allies and decision-makers, we can drive big, lasting changes that improve the lives of countless donkeys - far more than we could on our own.

We are proud to collaborate with influential organizations like the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the World Bank, the United Nations (UN), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), and the European Union. Together, we’re building a brighter future for donkeys and the communities that depend on them.

Recently, we collaborated with other members of Eurogroup for Animals to launch the White Paper on Good Welfare for Equids. This document outlines our key demands to ensure that all equids in Europe can enjoy a “good life”. 

With over 7 million horses, donkeys, and mules across the continent, these animals play vital roles in agriculture, tourism, sports, and leisure. However, how they are classified - whether as working or companion animals - affects the level of protection they receive, often creating legal gaps that leave their welfare unprotected at various stages of their lives.

Since we have an ethical duty to ensure their welfare, it is important that specific laws for equids are in place and properly enforced to protect them.

Download our collaborative document with members of Eurogroup for Animals