In a powerful move, Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) has reintroduced the Ejiao Act, groundbreaking legislation that seeks to end the United States’ role in the brutal global donkey skin trade.
Every year, an estimated 4 to 6 million donkeys are slaughtered worldwide to produce ejiao, a gelatin derived from donkey hides used in some traditional Chinese medicines and beauty products. The demand for ejiao has decimated donkey populations, destabilized rural communities, and driven heartbreaking levels of cruelty across Africa, Asia, and South America.
“The donkey skin trade is a humanitarian and animal welfare crisis,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of American Wild Horse Conservation. “At the same time, America’s wild burros are already at risk of entering the slaughter pipeline. This legislation is a critical step to ensure that both domestic donkeys and wild burros worldwide are spared from this cruel and senseless fate.”
“The trade and production of ejiao is an inhumane and dangerous business that is leading to the mass slaughter of donkeys and causing widespread harm to impoverished communities around the world,” said Rep. Beyer. “More and more people in poorer countries are seeing animals upon which they depend stolen and killed to meet demand from the ejiao trade. Our bill would ensure the United States does not engage in the ejiao trade in any capacity and instead supports safer, more cost-effective, and humane alternatives.”
Despite growing international concern, the United States remains one of the largest importers of ejiao-based products, inadvertently fueling the suffering and environmental degradation tied to this trade.
If passed, the bill would prohibit the import, export, sale, and transport of ejiao and donkey skins within the United States. The goal is clear: shut down U.S. markets that support this cruel and unsustainable industry.
TAKE ACTION: Contact your representatives and urge them to support the Ejiao Act HERE! Every voice matters in ending this sickening trade.
