Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary

Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary House Rules

Welcome to the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary community! Users who repeatedly violate these rules will be blocked.
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First established in 1987, the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary's mission is to provide refuge, exceptional care, and new beginnings for donkeys and other equines in need 🫏💖 We encourage open discussion and love seeing your photos and comments about our wonderful animals. To keep this a safe and positive space for all we kindly ask you to observe the following rules:

✔️Be Kind and Respectful: Plea

se do not post anything that is abusive, offensive, defamatory, harassing, or discriminatory towards other users, our staff, volunteers or our donkeys.

✔️Keep it Clean: Posts containing illegal content, explicit material or spam will be immediately removed.

✔️No Unsolicited Advertising: Please do not post commercial or unrelated content.

✔️We Reserve the Right to Moderate: Our team regularly monitors this space. We reserve the right to hide or remove any posts or comments that violate these rules. Concerns/Complaints: If you have a serious complaint or spot something concerning, please do not post it publicly. Please use our formal contact method on our website: https://www.iowdonkeysanctuary.org/complaints-policy

Being new is hard - even if you’ve got four legs.Fresh out of her 14 day quarantine period, new arrival Sunny pony met J...
04/06/2026

Being new is hard - even if you’ve got four legs.

Fresh out of her 14 day quarantine period, new arrival Sunny pony met Joss - and it was more than a first introduction. It was the beginning of friendship, trust and a sense of belonging.

Proof that all it takes is one friendly face to feel at home. 🥰

[Visual description: Image one: A dark-coloured horse and a light-coloured pony touch noses over a fence in a grassy field. Image two: The horse and pony stand close together over a fence, with the pony resting its head against the horse. Image three: The pony in a patterned coat faces the horse over a fence, their noses touching. Image four: The pony in a patterned coat stands by a fence with the horse on the other side raising its head up with its mouth open like a big grin. Image five: The pony in a patterned coat stands by a fence, while the horse looks forward over the fence behind it. Image six: The pony and the horse are grazing side by side in a grassy field under a blue sky.]

02/06/2026

We’re thrilled to share that the very generous E G Carter & Co Ltd have officially sponsored both our Jacks herd and the Upper Meet & Greet Paddock. Their amazing generosity helps us continue to provide exceptional loving care for all our animals 🤎

For EG Carter, this partnership means so much more than sponsorship, as it has been made in loving memory of their colleague, Penny.

Thank you E G Carter, for your kindness and support. 💖

[Video description: A family stand in front of a paddock on a sunny day, next to their sponsorship sign. There is a close-up of their sign with views through the fence of donkeys in the paddock. The final clips show the family stroking a light grey donkey, and a close-up of their business logo above the list of donkey names in the herd they are sponsoring.]

01/06/2026

Let’s hear it for our incredible volunteers this Volunteers' Week 2026 🙌

Come rain or shine, they show up with kindness, compassion and dedication. Because of our volunteers, our donkeys are cared for, our visitors feel welcome and our sanctuary continues to thrive 🫏

From mucking out and grooming, to greeting visitors, supporting our gift shop and café, and working behind the scenes - every single moment they give makes a difference.

We couldn’t do it without them.

To every one of our amazing volunteers - THANK YOU for everything you do 💛



[Video description: Behind-the-scenes clips of volunteers at the sanctuary - including greeting visitors, animal interactions, watering plants, stacking hay, grooming a donkey, assisting customers in the shop and café, hoof cleaning, and lastly - two volunteers waving at the camera from the Meet and Greet Hub.]

31/05/2026

You're invited to come behind the scenes this Open Farm Sunday! 🚜

You might know us for our donkeys, but did you know we’re also a working farm? Our land management team works all year round to care for the paddocks our donkeys call home - and now it’s your chance to see how it all works 👀

📅 Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June
🕙 10am – 4.30pm
📍 Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary

Here’s what you can enjoy:
🚜 A farm machinery display (including the wonderful poo picker!)
🗺️ A free ‘spot the tractor’ trail for younger visitors
🚶‍♂️ Free guided tours - book your slot online
🎶 Live music in the courtyard
☕ Treats in our café and gift shop

Entry and parking are completely free, but donations are always appreciated to help us care for our donkeys 💛

Come for the donkeys, stay for the tractors! We hope you can join us 😊

Find out more 👉 iowdonkeysanctuary.org/open-farm-sunday-on-the-isle-of-wight

[Video description: A view across a grassy paddock from the seat of a tractor. The camera pans round to show a chain harrow being pulled along by the tractor.]

29/05/2026

Last chance to enter! ⏳

Time is running out - don’t miss your chance to WIN a perfect getaway to Paddy O and Leighton's beautiful Isle of Wight home...

Play our weekly Lotto before Monday 1 June 2026 and you could win:
✨ £25,000 weekly jackpot
✨ Extra cash and ticket prizes
✨ National Super Draw prize – £1,000 IKEA gift card or cash
✨ PLUS an unforgettable Isle of Wight getaway worth over £750!

🏝️ Your dream getaway includes:
• Overnight stay with dinner & breakfast at Luccombe Hall or Luccombe Manor Hotel
• £300 Wightlink ferry credit
• A special Donkey Experience for two
• One-year donkey adoption
• £50 to spend in our shop or café

Imagine your perfect Isle of Wight escape… who would you take with you?

Every ticket helps support our donkeys 💛

Play today 👉 www.iowdonkeysanctuary.org/lotto

You must be 18 and over to play our lotto. Please gamble responsibly.

[Visual description: A video of two donkeys being led by staff members along a sandy beach in the sunshine. Text overlay reads 'Help our donkeys and win something unforgettable.']

28/05/2026

The moment we’ve all been waiting for…

Our six recent arrivals from the New Forest are now officially ready to take the next big step - finding their loving adopters!

They are loving life here at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary, and if you choose to adopt, you will be contributing to the care they need to keep those hooves flying around the paddock.

Find your favourite and adopt them in comments 👇

[Video description: A herd of donkeys running happily around a paddock. The final clip shows the donkeys standing together. Text overlays display their names: Willow, Pickle, Little Man, Dilly, Maisie and Lulu.]

26/05/2026

Keeping those pink donkey snoots safe from the sun is a messy business, but someone’s got to do it! Even if they're not the biggest fans of wearing suncream 😂

[Video description: A montage of different donkeys having suncream applied to their pink snouts.]

Rolling into May half term like... 🌞🫏As always, admission, parking and activities are FREE this May half term at the Isl...
24/05/2026

Rolling into May half term like... 🌞🫏

As always, admission, parking and activities are FREE this May half term at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary - and with the sunshine hopefully sticking around (fingers crossed!), it’s the perfect time to join in the fun with Hovis and his pals!

We love providing free enjoyment for everyone, so if you're able to leave a small donation during your visit,
our residents would be incredibly grateful for your support.

We’re open as normal over the bank holiday weekend - our gang can’t wait to see you ❤️

See comments to see what's on 👇

📸: By Kelsie, Animal Welfare Specialist.

[Visual description: A brown donkey in a field is rolling over on its back while other donkeys graze beyond.]

Visit Isle of Wight Visit Hampshire Primary Times UK

Address

Lower Winstone Farm Street
Ventnor
PO383AA

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm
Sunday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441983852693

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