Help needed to tackle the donkey welfare crisis

The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland, one of Ireland’s largest animal welfare charities, alongside equine charity associates, is appealing for public support this winter to help tackle a deepening, national donkey welfare crisis.

Across Ireland, the number of donkeys requiring rescue, rehoming, and sanctuary care has reached unsustainable and unmanageable levels. Driven by a perfect storm of chronic, long-term irresponsible breeding, a lack of education and awareness, and human hardships triggered by Covid-19, cases of poor donkey welfare are now overwhelming charities such as The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland, Hungry Horse Outside, Sathya Sai Sanctuary, and My Lovely Horse Rescue. 

Worrying figures

Even before the critical winter period had begun, by the end of October this year, The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland worked flat-out to provide care and support for donkeys across the country. This included support and advice on 1,153 occasions for donkeys in the community, and rehoming 180 donkeys into new homes. 

“We are simply not in a position to accept the volume of donkeys requiring sanctuary care.”

Poor donkey welfare is a long-standing, growing issue across Ireland. Between 2018-202, reports of poor donkey welfare to The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland by members of the public rose 44% from 373 per year to 536 per year, the telephone advice calls rose 150% from 641 to 1601. The charity has over 1800 donkeys in its care and, though its sanctuary facilities have been full for many years, teams work in communities all over Ireland to find new homes for donkeys and provide transport, veterinary, and welfare services.

Action needed

Commenting on the support and action the charity needs, The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland’s country manager, Laura Foster, said:

“The factors driving Ireland’s donkey welfare problems are numerous and difficult to resolve. Of course, we will continue to care for thousands of donkeys every year, but working in crisis mode is unacceptable and unsustainable. Put simply, we need to tackle this problem in the long-term through better owner education, a national clamp-down on breeding, and more enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act in cases of abuse and neglect. We are working with our associates on all these fronts.”

How you can help

For donkeys in crisis

We encourage anyone who witnesses a donkey suffering or in poor health, in the first instance, to contact the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s national helpline, the ISPCA’s national cruelty helpline, local authority, or local Garda station [helpline numbers at the foot of this release]. 

For donkey owners

We are appealing to donkey owners to contact us for information and support accessing critical donkey welfare services such as farriery and dentistry, as well as advice on castration and other veterinary services. Our welfare team can be contacted on 022 49013, or submit an enquiry via our website: thedonkeysanctuary.ie

For would-be donkey owners

Please contact our welfare team, or one of our equine charity partners, if you are interested in acquiring donkeys, to find out more about our rehoming scheme, and before you contact a breeder or go down the private ownership route. Our team are experts in all aspects of donkey health and welfare, and can offer anyone advice and assistance on how to be responsible donkey owners. 

Finally, our welfare teams are bracing themselves for an extremely challenging winter and, now more than ever, we welcome any donations from members of the public that will enable us to continue tackling poor donkey welfare across Ireland.

Overwhelmed charities

“Poor donkey welfare is a long-standing, growing issue across Ireland.”

Jacinta Darmon, director as Hungry Horse Outside commented: “We are drowning in a tidal wave of abandoned, starving, abused, and traumatised donkeys. Our yards are full and we do not have the resources-financial or other-to cope.

“This situation is avoidable. Among other actions, we must put an end to the financial incentives for donkey breeding that has led to many of these animals suffering, and those responsible bearing no accountability. We also desperately and urgently need cooperate engagement and support from government, local authorities, and the general public across Ireland to end this suffering and save precious time and resources. 

A spokesperson from Sathya Sai Sanctuary added: “As an independent charity working in the West of Ireland we see many donkey welfare problems arising due to poor quality land and a wet climate, which renders farming barely sustainable. Many donkeys in this region have neither a monetary value, nor a commercial benefit and whilst many farmers will strive to give unwanted donkeys a chance of survival, usually through contacting one of our charities, too many are neglected or abandoned.” 

“Donkeys cannot thrive in the wild and indiscriminate breeding in these circumstances exacerbates the problem. We are simply not in a position to accept the volume of donkeys requiring sanctuary care. We need donkey owners to stand with us, take responsibility and do their best to avoid unnecessary breeding and poor welfare situations.”

“This situation is avoidable.”

Martina Kenny of My Lovely Horse Rescue commented on the need for stronger enforcement: “We rescue many donkeys and mules, and we try to keep emergency spaces, but now these are filled on a daily basis. Ireland requires a serious stance to be taken to protect equines on over-breeding, and monitor the buying and selling of these animals. Enforcement is an important deterrent; we need prosecutions and heavy fines using animal health and welfare legislation, and chipping and passporting needs to be the norm. Until this happens, the crisis will continue.”

National helplines for reporting animal cruelty/neglect

• Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine national helpline: 01 607 2379 / 076 106 4408
• ISPCA national animal cruelty line: 1890515515

For further information, please contact:

Laura Foster, Country Manager, The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland: 087 719 5451.