The Donkey Sanctuary Reviews 

Had a lovely visit to The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon. It’s a fantastic place to visit, with lots of beautiful donkeys to see and plenty of information about the incredible work they do to rescue and care for them.
One of the things I really liked was how accessible the sanctuary is. The paths and main areas are nice and level, making it easier for older visitors and anyone who finds uneven ground difficult. Wheelchairs are also available to hire, which is a great facility.
Entry is free, although donations are encouraged and definitely worth making. There are also cafés, a shop and a selection of plants for sale. Some things can be a little pricey, but it’s worth remembering that the money goes towards a really good cause and helps support the care of the donkeys.
The whole site is clean, peaceful and well maintained, and it’s clear that the donkeys are very well looked after. There’s plenty to see and it’s a lovely place to spend a few hours.
Overall, we really enjoyed our visit and would definitely recommend The Donkey Sanctuary to anyone looking for a lovely, accessible and worthwhile day out in Devon.

Really enjoyed our day, love what they do Protecting Donkeys, they are mistreated in some countries, disgusting killing them for there skins, they don’t moan when abused, we are going again as we love them so much.

RECOMMEND 100%.

Me and my partner went to the donkeys sanctuary and I was using a wheelchair. Me and my partner have been here several times (2 times when I didnt need use of a wheelchair) and we loved the donkeys sanctuary as we supported there cause. However there Site is NOT wheelchair accessible. The main building is wheelchair accessible however as a wheelchair user the route to the field of Dreams is not usable due to several gates being locked at all times with a chain and padlock and forcing people to use 2 steps built into the gate to get over and no wheelchair user can do this, and there is no other way to this, due to this half of the site we could not visit, another issue is there is a part of a building that has the history of the donkey sanctuary however I couldn't get in due to a big deep gap and step in the path that my wheelchair couldn't get over. The maze was also not accessible due to small paths. All the gates are not accessible if you are in a wheelchair on your own as I couldn't reach the handle and bolts to open them and relied on my partner to open them. However they have plenty of hand sanitizer and wash stations if you touch the donkeys. Some are also very friendly. Staff are helpful and very knowledgeable. Would not recommend if a wheelchair user as half the site isnt accessible for us.

Would appear the Donkey Sanctuary don't prioritise donkey welfare. Our fostered donkeys who are healthy and well cared for being removed next week.

We visited the donkey sanctuary on the 13th of June.
We have adopted two donkeys and it was our first visit to the sanctuary.
What a lovely afternoon it was.
We had a lovely stroll around the paddocks and then finished off with a tasty meal in the restaurant which I would highly recommend.
The staff were really friendly and very well informed .
We even met the resident 15 year old
cat.
We will definitely be coming back again.
Staff give yourselves a pat on the back for the excellent care you are giving to all of the animals.

Lovely visit and very tranquil place

I am pleased with the donkey sanctuary as they do not keep on at you for more money, I give them £6 a month and have not been harassed in the last 3 years.

We have been supporting The Donkey Sanctuary for a while now, until recently, when we realised that there is no customer service when it comes to making an enquiry about an issue with a shop order. We received the wrong item, so we tried to follow the instructions on the invoice. There were a few order numbers on the invoice, which was confusing. We tried emailing via the email provided. We tried communicating through the website, and there was no response. We later researched The Donkey Sanctuary and did not like what we found, so we have decided not to support them anymore.

UPDATE: The shop issue has now been resolved since posting this review. It just took longer than expected.

We went to the Donkey Sanctuary just outside Sidmouth, Devon. We haven’t been for about 10 years and it was truly lovely…they have added so much more to the site.

Great for walking dogs on leads, nice and flat for the older humans too. Dog bowls all around the main central site.
Loads of donkeys to stroke..super friendly and instagrammable!
Massive shop full of donkey cards, tea towels, T-shirts etc.we bought loads of cards and 3 felt Xmas decorations in September! lol !
The coffee shop has an inside and outside and dogs are welcome in both. Our loves food, so sat outside with a sea view!
Toilets on site
We noticed wheel chairs in the foyer, so I assume you can hire them…but please check with the site.
Plants for sale too!
A Maze
Kids play area
Free to enter, but a donation is a must!

We only live 40 minutes away and we will be back next year…the dogs loved it too!

Just spent the best part of the day here with my grandson and meeting up with old friends for lunch in the cafe. Excellent day all around. Brilliant to see the donkeys looking very well cared for despite the heat wave. Well done.

Biggest con ever went to visit the sanctuary in Birmingham they had 1 donkey in a small field overlooking the bosses mansion

Despicable company. I was happy to donate to the sanctuary to help the poor donkeys but found out the CEO is earning in excess of £90,000 per year plus they are shutting down sanctuaries probably to sell to unscrupulous builders for more housing. All the money should be put into saving the donkeys not being paid to greedy selfish people. Shame on you.

I was about to donate to this charity after seeing their advert on the TV. However, the fact that no one has responded to all the negative reviews strongly indicates a lack of communication and care for those who donate to this charity in good faith.

Took out a subscription February 2024 for my daughter. Booked a visit to nearest donkey sanctuary in Leeds. Cancelled by Donkey Sanctuary just days before, as about to undertake supposed review about closing virutally all sanctuaries. Doubtless decision to cut sanctuaries already made. 90-day review made. Surprise, surprise, vast majority of sanctuaries shut, leaving just Sidmouth, Devon, 300 miles away and Belfast. During the 90-day review period I kept receiving online adverts for Donkey Sanctuary sponsorship. No reference made in these ads to review or closures. Very misleading.
Donkey Sanctuary are symptomatic of the current malaise of charities that appoint crooked executives to cream off sponsorship money by brining in massive cuts. Pure corruption.
I won't be renewing my sponsorship with Donkey Sanctuary or any other charity for that matter. Charities are not to be trusted. The Charity Commission needs to investigate Donkey Sanctuary. If enough of us complaint to them they just might.

Donkey sanctuary lottery is a con. I text and paid the £1. A stranger then rings you asking for your bank details. They try to make you set up regular monthly payments to them. The woman ringing could have been anyone, no idea if they are even legitimate. Will not be entering again

We gave each of our grandchildren an adoption package purchased from Ivybridge sanctuary. They had several very enjoyable visits to Ivybridge, and found the visits to be informative and personalised.
It was with great sadness that they learned of the close of Ivybridge. They have received no notification of the closure- finding out through local media instead. They have no idea where " their" donkeys now are. The recent newsletter I received had no mention of the closure of this sanctuary.
Surely it would have been a matter of basic courtesy to have notified children who had been involved with the sanctuary.
An online search on the website fails to give an emaill address .

Feel sorry for the donkeys, so many ceos are on the huge salaries and yet sanctuaries are closing! Ive been to Sidmouth and Buxton and both salaried staff are ignorant only the volunteers who work for nothing are nice. The Buxton and Sidmouth Managers are ignorant. My heart goes to the donkeys bless their beautiful souls. The 2 stars are for the donkeys 0 for the Management!

Excellent place for donkeys not a place for dogs on a hot day,
dog walking on a very hot day there was no better than leaving a dog in a hot car

Been visiting for years. Always enjoyed.
Little bit disappointed to see, the hut which serves ice cream only does contactless payments. Group of children waited to be served left disappointed because they only had cash.

In total agreement with other one star reviews. The donkey sanctuary have closed Uk centres and we have not been informed where our sponsored Donkey is? Or Have any chance of visiting.
They claim it’s financial issues yet the three directors are still reported to be claiming £160000 a year in salaries. That’s £480000 per year altogether, that could be funnelled back to the animals.
And surprise, surprise no offer of a refund. It appears they have no interest in the welfare of animals and more interest in lining there own pockets.
In my opinion don’t waste your money on these con artists.