The Donkey Sanctuary - Sidmouth

Just outside the town of Sidmouth, The Donkey Sanctuary is home to around 500 donkeys. Set in unspoilt farmland and countryside, visitors return time and again to meander among the donkeys and absorb the serene and relaxed surroundings.

The Donkey Sanctuary was founded by Dr Elisabeth D Svendsen, MBE in 1969 and was registered as a charity in 1973.

The aims of The Donkey Sanctuary are to prevent the suffering of donkeys worldwide through the provision of high quality, professional advice, training and support on donkey welfare. In the UK and Ireland permanent sanctuary is provided to any donkey in need of refuge.

In the UK and Ireland the Donkey Sanctuary has taken over 12,000 donkeys into its care. Many of these have been rescued after having been cruelly neglected and others come from loving homes for various reasons, perhaps due a change in the owner's circumstances, illness or moving house. The owners have been concerned for the donkeys’ future and, therefore, relinquished them into the Sanctuary's care.

 No donkey is ever refused admission to the Sanctuary - provided it has a certificate of fitness to travel, and each donkey is guaranteed a life of loving care and attention. The charity never buys or sells donkeys, and it has a non-breeding policy.

There are thousands of mouths to feed daily, as well as the costs involved in running its 10 farms dispersed throughout the UK and Ireland where the donkeys reside.

Through a dedicated team of 60+ Welfare Officers the Sanctuary is able to investigate reports of cruelty to or neglect of donkeys, quickly and efficiently. Free advice and training courses on donkey care and management is available.

The Sanctuary has an excellent veterinary clinic designed specifically for treating donkeys, which also provides a “free of charge” haematological and biochemical (blood and dung sample) analysis service to any veterinary surgeon in the UK and readily offers veterinary advice about donkeys on a worldwide scale.

Overseas, teams of staff are helping literally hundreds more donkeys every day, by providing free veterinary treatment and giving practical advice to the owners who are dependent on their animals. In total in 2006, the Donkey Sanctuary provided 304,861 treatments to donkeys and mules in developing countries.  The Donkey Sanctuary currently has major projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, India, Spain and Egypt.

More recently, the Donkey Sanctuary has established a Spanish branch in Fuente de Piedra, near Malaga in Spain. El Refugio del Burrito has taken over 68 donkeys into its care, the first one rescued being Romero, who had been used as a donkey taxi carrying tourists around the town of Mijas on the Costa Del Sol. Every donkey arriving at the rescue centre is granted a life of loving, expert care and attention.

The Donkey Sanctuary will also investigate and monitor events in Europe such as festivals, tourist industries using donkeys, markets and the transportation conditions of donkeys going to slaughter. If necessary the charity will campaign for the rights of donkeys.

The Donkey Sanctuary depends entirely on donations from its supporters in order to continue with its vital work worldwide. Approximately 6p in every £1 donated is spent on administration costs, which means that the majority of all donations received goes directly to helping the donkeys.

The main intake centre and Headquarters at Slade House Farm in Sidmouth Devon, UK is open to the general public every day of the year. Admission and Parking is free. A restaurant is located on-site.

Visitors are free to spend as much time as they wish, meeting the donkeys in the main yard who adore fuss and attention. You may also stroll along our various field walks or ramble down to the sea, pausing at the Nature Centre and conservation area on the way.