World Animal Day - A boost for donkeys around the world
Thanks to Brooke UK’s sister organisation Brooke USA, the US government is considering a new bill which would prohibit the sale of donkey skin products on Amazon
Support grows in bid to ban ejiao sales in the United States – and protect the world’s donkeys
As the world celebrates World Animal Day on 4 October, there is hope of better protection for donkeys.
Brooke UK’s sister organisation Brooke USA has received a boost in its mission to remove the sale of products containing ejiao from Amazon, as the US government considers a new bill which would prohibit such activities.
The bill, titled the Ejiao Act, was introduced to the Committee on Energy and Commerce on 10 September, with major contributions from Brooke USA.
Ejiao, made from a gelatin found in donkey skin, is a hard gel that can be dissolved in hot water or alcohol to be used in food or drink, or in beauty products such as face creams. It’s estimated that 4.8 million donkey skins are needed annually to meet demand which means that almost half of the world’s donkeys could be killed for their skins in just a few years.
Since last October, Brooke USA has been working with Amazon, one of the world’s largest retailers, to secure the removal of such products from sale.
Prompted by limited response or action from Amazon, Brooke joined Brooke USA to ask supporters around the world to sign a petition demanding change. Supporters in the US were also urged to write directly to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
Brooke USA recently sent details of the Ejiao Act to Amazon, alongside almost 30,000 petition signatures signed by our U.K supporters, along with first-hand accounts of donkey owners and children impacted by the trade. Amazon is yet to respond.
Looking ahead, Brooke and Brooke USA will continue to keep the pressure on those profiting from the trade and await next steps from US government.