Research and Expertise

At the heart of our mission is a commitment to improving global understanding of donkey welfare. We continually contribute to veterinary science and behavior change through peer-reviewed research and pioneering studies.

Equally important is our collaboration with communities that possess deep, generational knowledge of working with donkeys. By combining scientific research with lived experiences, we create and share knowledge that brings significant impact to donkey welfare worldwide.

At El Refugio del Burrito, we firmly believe in education and knowledge-sharing as the most effective tools for preventing welfare issues and improving animal well-being. Guided by this philosophy, a large part of our work is dedicated to promoting education on donkey welfare and basic care.

Currently, in Spain, we are leading two pioneering projects focused on spreading expert knowledge. On one hand, we are working on the expansion of a network of donkey specialists, called Proyecto Platero, aimed at training equine veterinarians with specialized clinical knowledge on donkeys. On the other hand, we organize an Equine Welfare Forum annually, bringing together authorities, institutions, and experts to share knowledge and collaborate in advancing equine welfare.