Gallop for Good: Pioneering Nepal Project Boosts Mule Welfare, Livelihoods and the Environment
By Animals Correspondent
The Donkey Sanctuary is part of a consortium behind a pioneering project in Nepal to improve mule welfare while fostering environmental sustainability and strengthening remote communities.
Implementing a One Welfare approach, the Gallop for Good project aims to create positive and sustainable change across a wide range of intrinsically linked areas, including animal welfare, human wellbeing and environmental conservation.
The Donkey Sanctuary has a long history of working with partners in Nepal, however Gallop for Good is a first for the international animal welfare charity because of its focus on creating a replicable model of holistic and sustainable change.
Led by Aasaman Nepal, the consortium comprises several local partners, Animal Health Training and Consultancy Service (AHTCS), Preservation of Environment and Social Welfare Association of Nepal (PESWAN) and Health Concern (HC), bringing together expertise in a number of specialist fields.
The project aims to demonstrate how improving the welfare of mules will not only enhance their health and working conditions, it will also strengthen the livelihoods and wellbeing of the people who rely on them.
Recent natural disasters have increased pressure on mule owners, reducing their ability to care for their animals.
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Disaster risk reduction is therefore central to the project, including growing fodder plants that support mule nutrition and help prevent landslides, creating a more resilient ecosystem for both people and animals.
The project also explores diversifying mule owners’ livelihoods to improve incomes, reduce reliance on mules, and enhance animal welfare.
Launched in November in Nalgad, Jajarkot, with key stakeholders including The Donkey Sanctuary’s CEO Marianne Steele, the project began with veterinary camps, school visits and community workshops. At a veterinary camp in Tallubagar, more than 100 equines received free treatment, advice and training, supported by partner vets and local authorities, and covered by national broadcaster Kantipur TV.
In Dalli, project partners delivered school sessions on animal health, zoonotic disease prevention, disaster awareness, hygiene and handwashing.
Marianne Steele said the launch showed immediate benefits for mules and owners. The project aims to strengthen livelihoods, improve mule welfare and support environmental conservation through a one welfare approach.
