A miniature animal with a complete functional standard

The National Miniature Donkey Association describes its standard as a working tool for stewardship, rather than a contest to produce the smallest or most fashionable animal. It cautions that concentrating on size or color can sacrifice reproductive soundness, conformation, and temperament. The standard is written with a mature three-year-old in mind, so a growing foal should not be judged as if its proportions were finished. The association treats the former Sicilian and Sardinian island populations as one Miniature Mediterranean breed.

A useful educational profile therefore links appearance to function: balanced structure must serve the individual's health whether it becomes a companion, working animal, or breeding donkey. The association also recognizes a role for animals that are not breeding quality, especially geldings, as companions and public ambassadors. This helps avoid the assumption that preservation requires every animal to reproduce. Its web page mentions more than 65,500 registered animals in 2014; that dated cumulative registry statement is not a count of living breeding animals today.