The donkeys are considered symbolic representatives of the Brazilian northeastern region and are extremely adapted animals to the dry season with few alimentary resources. Although useful for semiarid activities, their physical needs are often ignored because they are considered resistant animals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the welfare conditions of donkeys housed in temporary shelters in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, based on hematological and biochemical biomarkers. Fifty patients of both sexes were randomly evaluated and hematological (hemogram and hematoscopy) and biochemical analyzes (urea, creatinine, cholesterol, AST, GGT) were performed. Data analysis was performed using statistical software (GraphPad InStat version 3.10, 32-bit for Windows). Differences were found between hematocrit, hemoglobin, VCM, lymphocytes and eosinophils in hematological and serum creatinine and AST, indicating influences of race, environment, management and analysis methodology hematological variables of the donkeys. The only parameter that differed according to sex was urea and this fact may be associated with environmental, nutritional and metabolic stress. Based on the results found, it can be inferred that the animals kept in shelters in this state are under conditions of low welfare, due to the hematological and biochemical alterations found during the evaluation process, that diverge from the normal values of animals healthy.