The staff who put donkeys first this Christmas

As the cold, frost-licked streets of Britain slowly awaken on Christmas morning, many of us will be warmed by the sight of presents around brightly lit trees and the tasty aromas of festive dinners being prepared.

But for a good number of our grooms at The Donkey Sanctuary, an altogether more heartwarming sight will await them – the donkeys they diligently care for all year round enjoying the peace of a much quieter sanctuary.

At Slade House Farm in our Sidmouth sanctuary, more than half of the grooms will be braving the winter chill and coming in on Christmas Day to provide donkeys with expert care and attention.

On our other farms, several of our grooms will also be heading in on Christmas morning to ensure the donkeys remain well cared for.

They are just some of the hardworking donkey-facing staff around the UK who are going the extra mile this Christmas.

“We do it for them”

One groom who will be with the donkeys on Christmas morning is Marleen Stevens. Originally from the Netherlands, Marleen will be flying there on Boxing Day, where she will enjoy a delayed, but much deserved Christmas with her family and friends.

“Christmas Day at The Donkey Sanctuary is special in a different way,” Marleen says. “There is a different atmosphere – it’s so festive and everyone is very cheerful. It makes the usual working day a little bit different.

“But it doesn’t really matter what day it is, because we do it for the donkeys.”

Having worked here for ten years, Marleen’s most memorable Christmas Day fell on a crisp, sunny morning.

“We all wore Christmas hats,” she recalls. “It was when the sanctuary had its smaller kitchen. Dean Hancock, our Visitor Services Assistant, made us all sandwiches and we all sat down together.

“That Christmas morning had a wonderful family feel to it.”

A different atmosphere

The night before Christmas is always a special occasion, as households await the visit of Father Christmas and his reindeers. But for groom Clare Daubney, her 7pm will look much different.

She will be at our Sidmouth sanctuary administering medication to the donkeys who rely on her and her colleagues.

Once she returns home, Clare will be up again in the morning and heading to the sanctuary, where she will wish the donkeys a merry Christmas and let them out in the fields for a few hours to stretch their legs and embrace the festive morning.

“I don’t mind working Christmas,” Clare says. “We will all wear Christmas jumpers and enjoy a bottle of non-alcoholic Buck’s Fizz. We’ll do our morning routines, providing the highest standard of care to our donkeys.

“Everyone will spend a few hours together after the morning rounds, either catching up or maybe watching a Christmas film ahead of the afternoon check-ups.”

Like many of her colleagues, Clare tries to give priority to members of staff with children when it comes to booking Christmas off.

“For those who are in, we always want to prioritise making sure everyone has a good day on Christmas as they are away from their families,” she says.

“Christmas isn’t a massive thing for me, so I’m happy to work the late shifts and come in on Christmas Day.

“And it’s a different atmosphere on Christmas Day and Boxing Day – the sanctuary is quiet and it allows us all to have some nice time to wind down with the donkeys without any pressure.”

Happy donkeys, happy grooms

Groom Richard Smith has worked seven out of the eight Christmases he has been at The Donkey Sanctuary – and is set to head to our Sidmouth sanctuary again on 25 December.

He will be heading home to his family at the end of the day, where they will enjoy Christmas evening together. But the thought of missing a large chunk of Christmas Day doesn’t play on his mind – the donkeys he cares for do instead.

“Donkeys need care every day,” he says. “If I didn’t work Christmas Day, I might be leaving a colleague on their own. They would have to rush around and it would be to the detriment of the donkeys.

“Instead, if I’m there, perhaps with another colleague, we know we’ll have time to give our best to the donkeys.

“On Christmas morning, the donkeys would have woken up hungry. The weather will be chilly and they will want to have breakfast. When they have eaten and they are settled with food, the donkeys radiate contentment.

“Many grooms who work with donkeys will say they can almost feel this contentment, and it’s heartwarming. We have a saying in our team – ‘happy donkeys, happy grooms’.

“We know they’re content, we’ve done a decent job and we can go home to our families knowing they’re okay.”

Selfless and dedicated

Without the dedication of grooms like Marleen, Clare and Richard – and the many more donkey-facing staff who will be working around the holidays – our donkeys would not experience such enjoyable lives in the warmth and comfort of their sanctuaries.

Leyla Anstee, Slade House Farm Manager, says: “The fact we have more than half of our Farms team coming on Christmas morning just goes to show how special the donkeys are to them.

“Their selfless dedication and compassion for these special animals truly captures the spirit of Christmas. I can imagine no better present for the donkeys on Christmas morning than seeing their beloved grooms.

“And it’s special for the grooms too – they love the donkeys. The sanctuary is special all year round, but really glows with festive magic on Christmas morning. I am really proud of our grooms and the extra lengths they go every day to ensure our donkeys remain healthy, happy and above all, loved.”

Faith Burden, our Executive Director of Equine Operations, adds: “We are so grateful to our donkey care staff who selflessly give up their time over the festive season to ensure that our donkeys are well cared for and receive all the attention they are used to every other day of the year.

“We recognise for many of our donkey carers that this means giving up time with their families and disruption to their plans.

“We’re thankful to each and every one of you for putting our donkeys first every day of the year!”