Brooke USA is intensifying its efforts to combat the donkey hide crisis with recent advocacy efforts focused on advancing the Ejiao Act (H.R. 6021) among Members of the United States 118th Congress.
Donkey grazing in a pasture.
The donkey hide crisis poses a significant threat to global donkey populations and the livelihoods of communities dependent on these animals for transportation, water sustenance, agriculture, and more.
© 2018 by kc bligbi
Jim Hamilton, DVM, Board Chair of Brooke USA, embarked on a highly effective visit to Washington, D.C., where he dedicated a day to advocating among Senators and Representatives for increased support of the Ejiao Act. Hamilton’s meetings with elected officials yielded promising outcomes, with members expressing strong commitment to addressing the urgent need for legislative action.
Key meetings were held with the following offices of elected officials:
– Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA)
– Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-FL)
– Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ)
– Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
– Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA)
– Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL)
– Sen. Michael Bennett (D-CO)
– Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA)
– Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM)
“It is imperative that our nation’s policymakers learn how the shock of losing a donkey can destroy a person’s livelihood and push them further into poverty,” said Hamilton. “Thousands of donkeys in developing countries are being killed and their skins sold to China to produce ejiao. Ejiao remains largely unknown to most American consumers, yet the United States is the third-largest importer of products containing ejiao, after Hong Kong and Japan, with approximately $12 million in annual imports each year. China remains the leading consumer of ejiao in the world,” added Hamilton.
Brooke USA’s Advocacy Team will continue to build upon this momentum by conducting follow-up calls over the coming weeks. Additionally, the organization plans to introduce a Letter to the Administration, endorsed by current sponsors of the Ejiao Act to further emphasize the urgency of addressing this critical issue.
The donkey hide crisis poses a significant threat to global donkey populations and the livelihoods of countless communities dependent on these animals for transportation, water sustenance, agriculture, and more. “We must continue the momentum in the fight against the global donkey hide trade and the devastation caused by the production of ejiao. We are calling on Members of Congress to leverage their influence and help enact the Ejiao Act,” stated Emily Dulin, CEO of Brooke USA.
Brooke USA remains steadfast in its dedication to advocating for policies that safeguard the well-being of working animals and combat the exploitation of donkeys for ejiao production. The only way to pass the Ejiao Act is to encourage friends and supporters everywhere to act by addressing legislators in their district and ask for a ban on the import and sale of ejiao. For more information about Brooke USA’s advocacy efforts and the Ejiao Act, please visit www.brookeusa.org/advocacy.
About Brooke USA Foundation (Brooke USA): The mission of Brooke USA is to significantly improve the health, welfare and productivity of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people who depend on them for survival worldwide. We are committed to sustainable economic development by reducing poverty, increasing food security, ensuring access to water, providing a means to education, and raising basic standards of living through improved equine health and welfare. We accomplish this by raising funds and responsibly directing them to the areas of greatest need.
Brooke USA strives to alleviate the suffering and vulnerability of developing communities by funding and implementing programs that improve the quality of life and health of working equines and thereby positively impacting their economic sustainability, protecting the planet, ensuring gender equality, and guaranteeing life on land resilience. We want to see healthy, happy people and equines that work in partnership to achieve sustainable local economies.
Press release by Emily Dulin