The Donkey Sanctuary cannot fulfil its mission without the support we receive from the public. This valuable financial assistance enables us to carry on with our aims and objectives.

One of our aims and objectives is to provide expert and individual care to every resident donkey within the Sanctuary through the provision of highly qualified motivated staff and optimum facilities to cater for the needs.

In addition to this provision, are the growing costs of feeding and stabling our 411 resident donkeys at Slade House Farm, just one of our eight farms. For example:

• £8 could buy a bale of shavings bedding

  It takes approximately 4 bales to start a bed and then 1-2 bales a week to keep it topped up and clean for a pair of donkeys using one stable.

  For a group of donkeys in one of our larger barns, the amount of bales required would be a similar amount per pair of donkeys because we allow the same amount of bedded space per donkey as we do when using one stable for 2 donkeys.

• £8 could buy a bag of fibre nuts

  An elderly donkey eats 2 kg per day (in 2 feeds). A 15 kg bag of fibre nuts would therefore feed one donkey a week.

  We also feed other types of fibre or sugar beet and carrots to our donkeys which are additional costs.

• £90 could buy 1 tonne of straw

  1 tonne of straw is equivalent to 30 small bales of straw. Each group of donkeys is fed ad-lib straw unless they are on diets, have a dust allergy or have breathing problems.

Thank you for your continued support.