You are invited to take part in a voluntary research study conducted by the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine titled “Welfare Trends and Challenges for Donkeys in Ireland: A Decadal Review (2015–2025).”
The study aims to assess changes in donkey and mule welfare in Ireland over the past decade, identify current welfare challenges, and inform future evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice.
If you choose to participate, you will complete a short (8-10 minute), pseudoanonymous online questionnaire covering topics such as population and demographics, welfare observations, routes of disposal for unwanted donkeys, stakeholder and cultural perceptions, economic and breeding motivations, policy and ANC Scheme perceptions and future directions for welfare. After completion of survey, the primary researcher Ms. Clara Kavanagh will be in contact to arrange a short 30-minute follow up interview via Zoom.
Participation is entirely voluntary. You may withdraw at any time before submitting the questionnaire without consequence. As the survey is pseudoanonymous, responses cannot be withdrawn once submitted.
The study is considered low risk. Limited demographic information (e.g., age group, gender, county) will be collected for research purposes. All data will be anonymised/pseudonymised, securely stored in accordance with UCD GDPR protocols, retained for up to ten years, and may be used for future research. Findings will be published in academic journals and presented at conferences in aggregate form only, with no identifying information disclosed.
For full details about the study, data protection, your rights, and contact information,
please read the full Participant Information Leaflet by following link belowClick here to read Full Participant Information Sheet