The Impact of Animal Neglect on Human Welfare

Over centuries, horses, donkeys, and mules have played a critical role in human welfare and the evolution of civilization. Equids carry humans, pull wagons and plows, herd livestock, and more. In many impoverished regions of the world, an equid remains the main source of transportation for people, food, water, and materials which a family relies upon to live. Even partial loss of the equid’s contribution to a family’s income and daily work can be devastating to their welfare. Viewed through the lens of One Health, many neglect issues of working equids closely parallel those of the families that rely upon them and share common causes.

Human perception of the needs of working equids is far from uniform and varies across cultures, gender and age. Animal neglect can be the result of many factors including ignorance of its needs, lack of time or money to deliver care, paucity of essential resources such as feed, water, hoof care, functional harness, and health care. Common examples of neglect are malnutrition, excessive work without rest or water, poor hoof care and harness wounds. Diseases and parasitism might not be recognized and hence not treated. Neglect can also be intentional.

The greater the economic reliance of a family on its equid, the greater the impact of any reduction in its ability to work due to neglect. Children are most directly affected, physically and mentally. Reduction in family income leads to less food, poorer health, and too often, dropping out of school because of loss of transportation or inability to pay school fees. Too often, a malnourished donkey comes to an equid health clinic in the care of a malnourished child. If a child recognizes that the animal is suffering, especially if preventable, this is very stressful, even more so if the child perceives the equid as a friend. Families that have lost their “horsepower” in water-poor regions, require women and children to bear the heavy daily burden of fetching water for the household from distant wells. Loss of the working equid has also been shown to limit a family’s ability to travel to medical care facilities.

Visible neglect or signs of abuse of an equid should trigger a concern for vulnerable family members. For example, pervasive alcoholism may lead to physical abuse directed at the equid and family members. Partnering with a human welfare organization in the community may enable social and medical services for otherwise invisible family members.

Uplifting working equid health through sustainable interventions will improve the welfare of the families that rely upon them.