The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships. 

Upon arrival at The Donkey Sanctuary, all animals spend a minimum of six weeks at the New Arrivals Unit. Vaccinations, weights, farriery, worming and dental details are updated before the animals then join the resident herds at our farms. Strict Bio-security measures are in place in order to minimise the risk of the spread of infection between groups.

We now have an excellent opportunity for a professional and highly self-motivated team player with significant equine and animal husbandry skills and experience to join our New Arrivals team. This is a varied and interesting role, which plays a critical part in settling the donkeys into their new environment, and calls for the ability to work unsupervised late shifts alone whilst strictly maintaining all New Arrivals procedures and protocols.

About you:

• Experience of animal husbandry
• Experience of working with equines that have behavioural problems.
• Farm skills experience.
• Physical fitness and the ability to lift, for example, a bag of feed (approx. 20 kg).
• Willing to work outside in the dark and in adverse weather conditions.
• Full, current valid driving licence.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –

• Providing care by routine observation, feeding, medicating, grooming, weighing and worming the donkeys, mules, ponies and hinnies.
• Assisting with New Arrivals routines such as farriery, dentals, veterinary examinations and vaccinations.
• Providing care for donkeys with special, additional and behavioural needs and requirements.
• Mucking out, feeding and bedding up of barns and stables and distributing hay, haylage and bagged feedstuffs.
• Ordering, preparing and administering medications under veterinary advice.
• Maintaining a safe working environment.
• Providing feedback on a daily basis to the New Arrivals Manager on matters such as donkey health and feeding regimes and maintain up to date records for all equines within the unit.

The contract:

This is a part-time, fixed term contract starting as soon as possible until 31 December 2026, working 30 hours per week, 14.00-20.30, Monday-Friday, with weekend work as part of the team rota (approximately 1 in 4).

Benefits:  

Competitive pension.

Life Assurance.

31 Days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 will each full year of service.

Wellbeing Team.

Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.

Long Service A3wards.

Healthshield Plan –

• Reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership.
• Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets.
• Access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.

Free parking.

Subsidised restaurant and shop.

Closing date for completed applications: Thursday 9 July 2026.

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.

Before submitting your application, please ensure you read our candidate journey page, in particular our FAQs section – https://jobs.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/jobs/candidate-journey/