Our approach to rescues
We provide loving care for donkeys in our sanctuaries across the United Kingdom and Europe.
Our mission is all about improving donkey welfare. While placing donkeys into our care has always been, and continues to be, a key part of delivering that mission, it is now just one of the many ways we work to improve donkey welfare. Our experience has taught us that alternatives to sanctuary care can often be the best option for some donkeys, and we work to reduce the need for us to intervene and ‘rescue’ by improving the welfare of donkeys wherever they live.
Donkeys that get relinquished into our ownership usually have complex needs that require specialist care and attention that can only be delivered in a sanctuary setting.
Making the right decisions for every donkey
Our aim is to be ever more proactive and to reduce the need for ‘rescue’ by improving the welfare of donkeys wherever they live. This includes the requirement for increased collaboration with international organisations as well as educating donkey owners to take care of their animals. The result will be a legacy of good on-the-ground welfare for donkeys everywhere.
Our activities have expanded well beyond the ‘rescue’ model. Across the globe we now provide donkey welfare education and outreach programmes. We also lobby governments and work with communities and organisations to improve the life of working donkeys.
A day in the life of New Arrivals
The path to rehoming starts from the very moment a donkey or mule comes into our care.
Not all donkeys that come to live at The Donkey Sanctuary end up being suitable for private homes. Nevertheless, we give each and every one of them as much attention as they require to help them get their best new start.
Our rescue stories
A mammoth donkey called Ellie has made a fantastic recovery after she was discovered in a pitiful state back in 2021.
Pudding, a donkey rescued as part of a historic operation in Carmarthenshire in 2021, has formed an unbreakable bond with another donkey called Zoe.
A rescued donkey who needed to have several teeth removed is gradually overcoming her fear of having her mouth touched thanks to the work of our Behaviour experts.
Frightened and mistrustful, Annie and Delilah’s lives would change forever when they were rescued from squalid conditions in Carmarthenshire.
A starving foal called Bambi is now thriving under specialised care thanks to the quick, life-saving actions of our Donkey Welfare Advisers.
Our Donkey Welfare Advisers in Ireland cover hundreds of kilometres to provide care for donkeys in need.
A pair of donkeys rescued from squalor in Worcestershire are now being cared for by students and staff at a college in the West Midlands.
Two donkeys who were involved in a multi-agency rescue operation in Worcestershire have moved to a loving Guardian home in the south of England.
A ‘very dull’ and emaciated donkey and a young colt are now living the life they deserve following their relinquishment into the care of The Donkey Sanctuary.
