Amazon Faces Growing Backlash Over Selling Cruel Donkey-Hide Gelatin Products

Animal welfare advocates representing millions of people around the world gathered at Amazon HQ2 to hand-deliver over 370,000 petition signatures demanding that Amazon ban the sale of ejiao, a gelatin made from donkey hides used in cosmetic products.

Horrifically, an estimated five million donkeys are slaughtered every year to meet the growing demand for ejiao. This trade not only subjects the animals to inhumane transportation conditions and slaughter methods but also devastates the livelihoods of families in rural communities across the globe.

While eBay banned ejiao from its platform in 2017, Amazon continues to ignore the global call to act, despite numerous meetings with issue experts and growing pressure from animal welfare organizations.

Representative Don Beyer introduced a bill (H.R. 6021) in Congress that would ban the sale and trade of ejiao across the United States, yet Amazon has still refused to take meaningful steps to address this urgent issue.

A global coalition of organizations, including corporate accountability group Ekō, Brooke USA Foundation, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, American Wild Horse Conservation, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and the American Fund for Alternatives to Animal Research (AFAAR) organized a rally at Metropolitan Park.

The event was followed by a petition delivery to show company executives that Amazon customers worldwide want them to do their part to protect donkeys and the families who rely on them.

“It’s outrageous that Amazon continues to allow the sale of ejiao products on its site, fully aware of the brutal conditions. Donkeys are being stolen from families and then subjected to dehydration and broken bones, before being bludgeoned to death and skinned,” said Lacey Kohlmoos, Senior Campaign Manager at Ekō. “I hope that today’s action finally convinces the company to do the right thing for both the impacted families and the donkeys.”

“The international trade in donkey-hide gelatin products is leading to the mass slaughter of donkeys, resulting in widespread harm to impoverished communities around the world. We should act immediately and help shut down this illicit trade that leads to substantial harm to humans and animals worldwide. The first step is to curtail the demand by shutting down product access. Amazon must set the example and remove all products containing ejiao from its online platform,” said Jim Hamilton, DVM, Chairman of the Board of Brooke USA.

“The number of items sold on Amazon that are the direct product of the suffering and brutal slaughter of donkeys is a travesty. There is no legitimate reason for Amazon to continue enabling the decimation of donkeys worldwide. We call on Amazon to listen to consumers, take a principled stance, and remove ejiao from its platform,” said Joanna Grossman, PhD, Equine Program Director for the Animal Welfare Institute.