Visit our sanctuaries with confidence.
Protecting our visitors, staff and donkeys
The health, safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and donkeys are paramount at The Donkey Sanctuary and are the overriding factor in our decision-making.
Some of the measures set out below may be clearly visible to you across the sanctuary, others require consideration and cooperation before visiting to help ensure that everyone has an enjoyable but safe visit.
Before you arrive
- Where possible, we are asking visitors to make payments using a ‘contactless’ bank card, rather than cash.
- Please check our website and social media pages for the latest information and updates.
On arrival
Visitors will notice information signage informing them of key safety messages. Please also wash/sanitise your hands on arrival.
We kindly ask that you adhere to and respect all the instructions given by our team members.
During your visit
Please make regular use of our hand washing and sanitiser stations situated throughout the sanctuary. As with our staff, we politely request that all visitors uphold the highest possible hygiene standards.
Visitors can either choose to dine in at The Kitchen (subject to table availability) or purchase refreshments to takeaway and enjoy in our outdoor picnic areas. Only refreshments purchased from The Kitchen can be consumed inside the restaurant; please use the picnic areas if you wish to consume food and drink you have brought with you.
Watch our video before you visit for advice on how to stay safe.
Avoiding infection during your visit
Visiting our sanctuary is a pleasant and enriching activity for many people. Find out how to enjoy your time with our donkeys in a safe way.
Advice for visitors to The Donkey Sanctuary
Visiting any centre with animals is an enjoyable and educational experience for many people, particularly children. We want you to enjoy our donkeys and some will probably come up for a scratch – they are inquisitive and friendly animals.
However, such visits can never be free from all risks. Any animal, even those that look clean and healthy, carry infections that can be harmful to people. Donkeys do not present as much of a risk as some of the farmed animals, but we want your visit to be safe as well as enjoyable.
Germs in the animal’s dung or on their skin will be on the animal’s body, fences and surfaces around the farm. Touching animals, fences and other surfaces can therefore lead to infection, as you may pick up germs and accidentally pass them to your mouth.
Also be aware of treading in dung as this may stay on your footwear and be a risk when you handle them or surfaces you walk on. It only takes a small number of germs to cause infection.
Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after you have had contact with animals will reduce the risk of infection.
What to do when visiting us
- Do wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after you have touched animals, fences or other surfaces in animal areas
- Do wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating or drinking
- Do supervise children closely to ensure that they wash their hands thoroughly
- Do eat and drink in picnic areas or the restaurant only. A map of the areas allocated for eating can be found here.
- Do wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after removing dirty shoes or boots that have been worn at the sanctuary.
- Do not put hands on faces or fingers in mouths while petting animals or walking around the animal areas
- Do not kiss animals or allow children to put their faces close to animals
- Do not eat or drink while touching animals or walking around the animal areas. This includes not eating sweets, crisps or chewing gum
- Do not eat anything that has fallen on the floor
- Do not use gels or wipes instead of washing hands with soap and water. Gels and wipes do not remove germs that are in dirt
- The hand sanitisers we have provided will work on a reasonable amount of dirt and will kill germs on contact. They also continue to protect you for a period of time.
We have put measures in place to protect you:
- We do not allow animals in any of the areas that we have allocated for eating, or use fencing so they cannot be touched
- We have handwashing stations or hand sanitisers in all areas where you can touch our donkeys as well as areas designated for eating
- We regularly power hose yards and clean up all dirty bedding
- Any sick animals are immediately isolated from visitor areas – along with their companion.
The measures we’ve implemented to help ensure visitor health and safety are taken from the National Farm Attractions Network Industry Code of Practice.
Documentation:
What to do after your visit
We value all feedback which we will use to inform developments at the sanctuary, so please do let us know how we did during your visit. You can leave us a review in the following ways:
We thank you for your support and understanding and, above all else, hope you have a great donkey day out.
Frequently asked questions
Our Sidmouth Sanctuary is open seven days a week from 9am - 4pm, with last entry to the car park at 3:30pm.
From February to November, our sanctuary is open from 9am-5pm, with last entry to the car park at 4:30pm.
Pre-booking is not required, but we recommend checking our website and social media pages for the latest information and updates before leaving home.
Pre-booking for group visits is essential. For more information or to book your group visit, please call 01395 578222.
Yes, we welcome groups of any size all year round.
Pre-booking for groups is essential. For more information or to book your group visit, please call 01395 578222.
We have a number of handwashing stations / sanitiser points located in key areas around the sanctuary.
We have introduced enhanced cleaning procedures throughout the day, which seek to disinfect high frequency touch points.
We have marked out parking bays so you can park and disembark safely.
Yes, all the walkways around the sanctuary will be open, allowing plenty of opportunities to visit your adoption donkey.
Our adoption donkeys are always treated as part of their wider herd, so please understand that you are coming to see our whole herd of donkeys, of which your adoption donkey is a part.
As such, we do not bring adoption donkeys over to adopters individually, as we respect their freedom of choice to move around the fields. All animals benefit from having choice in their day-to-day routine and giving donkeys freedom to roam lets them choose a way of engaging with their environment that suits their needs best, whatever their character. If your adoption donkey is not in view, more often than not they will appear as they move within their environment if you wait patiently. We have done all we can to make sure visitors have access to as many viewpoints as possible, but we thank you for your understanding that, with animals who have freedom of choice, not every donkey will be in view all of the time.
Yes, The Kitchen is open daily from 9am – 4pm, with breakfast served from 9am - 11am and lunch from 11.30am - 3pm.
We offer the option of dining in the restaurant or you can purchase food and drink to takeaway and enjoy in our outdoor picnic areas.
From February to November, The Kitchen is open from 9am - 5pm with last orders at 4:45pm.
Yes, the Gift Shop is open daily from 9am - 5pm.
Please avoid touching anything that you are not intending to buy.
With our donkeys at Main Barn now enjoying the freedom to roam, our daily talks will be taking place at Shelter 1 everyday at 11:00am and 2:00pm.
Most indoor areas and facilities are open, only the Video Room remains closed at this time to provide a dedicated rest area for our front of house team.
All walkways around Slade House Farm and Trow Farm (not Trow Offices) will be open providing plenty of opportunities to interact with the resident donkeys. Please DO NOT feed the donkeys, their diets are carefully managed by our staff to make sure they receive the appropriate food.
The Play Area and Maze are also open, but Hermitage Woods remains closed at this time.
This area is closed due to ash dieback. We will comply with Natural England best practices and treat 300 trees in this woodland. As part of our conservation strategy we will also be planting new trees at a number of our farms.
Yes, the higher section is open for visitors to enjoy, but scattering of ashes is by appointment only. Please call us in advance on 01395 578222 to arrange this.
Yes, please find our full map here.
Yes, we run regular trails, providing lots of family fun while visiting. Find out about our current trail.
Yes, dogs are welcome at the sanctuary but they must be kept on a lead at all times. Please note, dogs are welcome in the restaurant but please keep them under your table and out of the walkway at all times.
Yes, although cards are the safest payment method for you and our staff.
The miniature donkeys’ paddock is undergoing a complete refurbishment.
It is being redesigned to give them more freedom, choices, enrichment and a better all-round life experience.
This will include lots of tasty grasses, wildflowers, shrubs and trees, as well as interesting features which they can explore and interact with.
Because donkey friendships are important, they have been moved in groups to different shelter barns to suit their individual needs. While they currently cannot be viewed on our miniature donkeys webcam, all the miniature donkeys can still be visited at our sanctuary and can seen at the following shelters:
Rusty and Dandy can be seen at Flagpole 2 shelter. While Benji, Henry, Jasper and Ricky can be visited at Shelter 3. Finally, Tulip, Tally and Lilac have moved to shelter 4 and can be viewed on the shelter 4 webcam.
Our new minis shelter is expected to be open in Summer 2024.
Our Belfast and Derbyshire centres remain open to the public. For information on booking a visit to our Belfast sanctuary, visit our Belfast page. Our Derbyshire sanctuary has five open days a year from May to September, find out more information here.
