In Ethiopia, most livestock keeping is carried out by smallholder families, where animals are not just for work but part of culture, heritage and everyday life. Kids grow up herding animals, sometimes even missing school, to support families in farming and animal care. Knowledge about how to manage and treat livestock is passed down by word of mouth, and communities have built up their own indigenous ways of coping with challenges, even when modern veterinary services are limited.

But things are changing. Land shortage, population pressure, conflict and the hope for a better life in towns are pushing people to migrate. Young people spend more time in school and less time with animals, and when they move to urban areas, they do not learn livestock-keeping skills. In cities, working equids face tougher conditions than in rural areas. They lose their close bond with owners, resources like feed and water are short, and the environment is unnatural and stressful.

Many migrants start manual jobs, then buy a donkey or mule to run a small transport business. Unlike rural pack animals, urban equids are mostly used for cart pulling, often with poor equipment and by handlers who don’t have proper experience. Animals change hands many times, are rented or sold, and often suffer from beating, neglect and accidents on busy roads. The informal nature of the business, social problems of handlers, and lack of training make things worse.

As a result, working equids in urban Ethiopia experience serious welfare problems. Many end up abandoned when they cannot work anymore. This paper looks at how rural-to-urban migration is reshaping human–animal relations, changing the use of equids, and creating a welfare crisis. It calls for urgent action to preserve indigenous knowledge, improve human–animal interaction, and adapt welfare-friendly practices to fit the realities of urban life.