Protecting our world’s most helpless isn’t just a moral and ethical issue. It’s a public policy issue. That’s why Brooke USA, from time to time, engages with elected and appointed officials and policymakers to ensure that the needs of people and animals across the globe and right here in the United States remain a national priority. At present, Brooke USA is focused on advocating for a ban on the importation and sale ejiao, a gelatin used in traditional Chinese medicine, cosmetics and luxury products that is made by boiling donkey hides.

Millions of donkeys are slaughtered annually for their hides to produce ejiao. The domestic Chinese and international demand for donkey hides is approximately 8–10 million hides per year but the annual supply in China is less than 1.8 million. This demand has led to the slaughter of massive numbers of donkeys across the globe, decimating donkey populations, most notably in Africa and Latin America.  This has had devastating effects on the families who depend on donkeys for survival.

Donkeys are regularly killed illegally and often slaughtered in the bush or street just outside their owners’ property. Moreover, these donkeys are often stolen from families who depend on them for their livelihoods – families already struggling and living below the poverty line. 

To support Brooke USA’s efforts and help us have a greater impact, you can do the following:

 Effective Lobbying for Brooke USA Activists

 Despite what you might think - lobbying your Members of Congress or State Legislators is easy. It is fun and almost always exceptionally rewarding. And, most importantly, it is usually the most effective way to advance an idea, policy, or initiative towards becoming a law – and truly changing society for the better.  You’d be surprised how often folks think that engaging with their elected leaders is not appropriate or “for them” or an option. Nothing can be further from the truth. Engaging with your elected leaders is your privilege and your right. They are public servants whose job it is to work for their constituents. Any elected official worth their salt is anxious to learn from and engage with the people they represent. So, don’t ever be intimidated by the marble halls of Congress or gold leaf conference rooms in a State Capitol or even county board rooms. Those are YOUR places – filled with public servants (elected officials and staffers) who work for YOU. 

 It is YOUR job – and OUR job collectively – to convince those public servants that the policy agenda/initiative that we care about – should be something that they care about, act on, and advance. 

The most effective way to advance an agenda is to build a relationship with your elected officials and their staff. A very good way to do that is by setting up short, in-person meetings with their district offices or Capitol Hill offices at least once or twice each year.

One thing to keep in mind – these meetings can be especially effective because legislators know that engaged constituents are more likely to vote. 

Your ability to vote (and mobilize other voters) is your superpower in the lawmaking arena

• The number and strength of the equine/donkey protection laws we’re able to pass is directly proportionate to the strength of the voting bloc for out issues.

• Make sure that you are registered to vote and show up for all elections: federal, state and local. Please urge your family and friends to register as well!

• Voter turnout numbers are often abysmally low. In some jurisdictions, less than 10% of registered voters show up to vote in off-year elections, so those who do vote have a huge impact in those elections!

• How one votes is private, but whether one votes is publicly available information and you can be sure that your elected officials know whether you vote or not—it’s a matter of their political survival. If you neither vote nor are perceived to influence other voters, legislators will not care nearly as much about what you think.

Most of all! Thank you for advocating on behalf of Brooke USA and the Donkey Hide Crisis. To learn more, please visit the project page for a full briefing.