Hello! Would you like to know a bit more about us?
Visit Us
The donkeys would love to see you.
Donkey Adoption
Adopt a donkey for yourself or as a gift.
Donations
Your donation is vital to the sanctuary.
John McLaren, founder and manager of Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary.
Volunteering
We always need volunteers.
Events
Join us for our regular events.
Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary’s History
1981 to now
Island Farm was purchased in 1981 from the Hoare family of Wallingford, who were coal merchants and pig producers. John McLaren, our manager, set up the donkey sanctuary after rescuing a few donkeys from horse and donkey sales, starting in 1983. Following on from this, numbers steadily increased causing a growing financial pressure and it quickly became clear something had to be done.
In May 1997 the Sanctuary became affiliated to a charity enabling the rescue work to continue, while fundraising and promotion began in earnest. All this effort paid off when in July 2000 the Sanctuary was registered with the Charity Commission and from then became known as Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary.
Currently, the Sanctuary looks after over 120 donkeys. Their ages range from newborn (no breeding takes place at the sanctuary), the newborns are foals from pregnant donkeys that have been rescued, to 30 plus years and a donkey can live to 45-50 years. It is important to us that they spend their days in comfortable and friendly surroundings.
The donkey adoption scheme is one way of helping and makes an unusual gift for a relative or friend.
Meet our Amazing Team!
Staff
John
Founder and Manager
Linda
Yard Manager
Charlotte
Assistant Yard Manager
John
Maintenance Manager
Tim
Shop Manager
Michael
Yard Staff
Stuart
Office Manager
Volunteers
Sukie
I started volunteering in 2019 when I helped in the Visitors Centre. After a while, I started helping with the care of Donkeys, and during the Covid lockdown, I would help with the watering and feeding of the donkeys. I now help out in the kitchen, shop, and the tabletop sales. It’s a wonderful place to volunteer, meeting the general public and working with the donkeys.
Jane
It is a privilege to work with these curious and intelligent animals, as a volunteer you don’t need prior experience, as the expert staff and Donkeys will teach you everything you need to know!
Julia and Liz
Donkeys at the Sanctuary
Adoptions per year
Our Amazing People
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I feed the Donkeys?
We do not allow anyone to feed the donkeys because some of them are on special diets. Food from visitors could upset their tummies. Also, if lots of people fed them they could get fat. It might also encourage them to bite, as they are looking for food all the time.
In case you were wondering what they do eat… Donkeys usually eat barley straw, hay, grass (pasture) and various other things like bread, molasses and sugar beet which are mixed in with their feed, as well as carrots, apples, pears, turnip and swede. We have to be very careful what they eat so that they don’t get too fat – also many of our donkeys come to us with digestive problems so they need a special diet.
If you would like to donate bags of carrots, apples, swede etc. (or even some ginger nuts or polo mints), please leave them at reception and they will be mixed in with their feed, which will be much appreciated by them all.
Donkeys are extremely fussy about what they drink. They like their water to be as fresh as possible. We are frequently filling up their water troughs as they turn their noses up at water they don’t find clean enough.
How can I help?
There are many ways to help our donkeys. Many visitors help us by adopting one of our donkeys. If you use the internet for shopping, please shop via www.easyfundraising.org.uk . Log on, nominate Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary as your chosen charity & then shop via this web site. Lots of well known companies (Amazon, Marks & Spencer, Argos etc.) will then make a small donation to us.
Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary also has its own shop located in the visitor centre. Gifts available from our shop include chinaware, books, pens, cuddly toys etc. at a very reasonable price. You can also buy a copy of our lovely book written about our special donkey, Pollyanne – One little donkey’s amazing journey from the knackers yard to the West End stage. Other ways to help include buying some donkey manure for your garden, visiting us, coming to our events, and making donations (however small). Bequests are most welcome. We also have a memorial wall at Island Farm where you can place a plaque in memory of a loved one or pet for a donation.
Who is the youngest/oldest Donkey at the sanctuary?
The youngest donkey we have at the sanctuary is Star, she is a Mediterranean Miniature, at 3 years old, she was originally in private ownership in Didcot, Oxfordshire.