| A cross sectional study for risk analysis was undertaken on randomly selected working donkeys (n = 384) at the city Hawassa and its surroundings to estimate the prevalence of lameness. Among the lameness examined donkeys, all the lamed donkeys were subjected towards veterinary clinics for detailed characterization. Focus group discussion was carried out in 10 study sites with 60-70 donkey owners and cart-drivers. Locomotion scoring was recorded on a scale of (0-4; sound-non weight-bearing) at a walk of about 20 meters distance. From the total examined donkeys, 19.53% were found with lameness, in which 72% were of low-grade lameness, 17% moderate grade followed by highgrade lameness (9.33%). Multiple chronic pathological abnormalities within each limb were associated with different lameness types, in which sole bruise (3.64%) was on the peak that followed by puncture wound (3.12%) and subsequently by thrush, sub solar abscess, and hoof cracking with 2.34% each. Moreover, the risk factors associated with older donkeys were noted with significantly higher (p<0.05) than donkeys. Likewise the donkeys used to work with poor body condition had higher (p<0.05) prevalence of lameness. These results should assistthe implementation of interventions to reduce the prevalence of lameness in working equids.