Where do our donkeys come from and what are their stories?

Regardless of our donkeys' past, we care about their future and how we can help them back to health or provide them with a loving home.

If a donkey is homeless, or there is a change in their owners’ circumstances, we offer that donkey a new life of high-quality care at our Sanctuary; they share their lives with staff, volunteers, and visitors with whom they have a special relationship.

Barnaby

Learn a little more about Barnaby....

Year of arrival:

2016

Arrived from:

Ryde, Isle of Wight

Best buddy:

Thomas

Likes:

Brooms

Poor Barnaby had been left by his owners on a livery yard for quite a while. The owner of the livery yard couldn't stand seeing the little donkey on his own and paid to buy him out of his own money. He then promptly brought Barnaby here to find him some friends! Barnaby settled in beautifully. He is a very cheeky and playful donkey, and he certainly loves attention!

Barbara and Blakey

Year of arrival:

2015

Arrived from:

Norfolk

Barbara and Blakey were found abandoned in a field. Nobody wanted them, nobody admitted to owning them, so we were asked to rescue them.

Angel & Twinkle

Learn a little more about Angel and Twinkle...

Year of arrival:

2018

Arrived from:

Faversham, Kent

Angel and Twinkle had been together all their lives, but when their owner died, they were given to a cat and dog sanctuary. The owners of the cat and dog sanctuary knew about us, asked for help, and Angel and Twinkle began their lives on the Isle of Wight!

Jimbob

Learn a little more about Jimbob....

Year of arrival:

2017

Arrived from:

Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight

Best buddy:

Joseph

Likes:

People

Jimbob was easily the most famous donkey on the whole of the Island. He operated the water wheel at Carisbrooke Castle on behalf of English Heritage, and retired to the Sanctuary at the age of 18.

Jimbob is a very big character! He thinks he should have his own horsebox for his travels, he is very demanding, and he likes to be treated like a celebrity! Jimbob does therapy work and loves community events - anything with humans and he’s happy!

Ruby & Olivia

Learn a little more about Ruby & Olivia...

Year of arrival:

2018

Arrived from:

Southampton

Ruby and Olivia are besties who had lived together before they came to the Island. They lived on a nice piece of land, but that land was due to be built on, rendering them homeless. Their rescue was the most challenging, as the horsebox broke down on the ferry!

Rose

Learn a little more about Rose....

Year of arrival:

2019

Arrived from:

Whitwell, Isle of Wight

Best buddy:

Archie

Likes:

Hay

Originally owned by a hotelier, Rose was seen as a petting donkey for people who stayed at the hotel. The hoteliers went to the mainland, left Rose on the Island, where she was looked after temporarily by a kind family from Niton. They asked if we could give Rose a home and here she is! Rose is like her namesake - she’s beautiful, delicate and sweet, but she is cautious when approaching something new.

Pinky & Perky

Learn a little more about Pinky and Perky...

Year of arrival:

2015

Arrived from:

Hampshire

These two firm friends were looked after for years by a lovely lady. When she passed, her granddaughters inherited Pinky and Perky (they probably hoped for the house instead!), but couldn’t look after them from where they lived.

Wilfie

Learn a little more about Wilfie....

Year of arrival:

2014

Arrived from:

Southampton

Best buddy:

Daffyd

Likes:

Pony nuts

When Wilfie arrived, his coat was in such a state that he had to have the first donkey crew cut! His fur was full of mites, insects and horrible creepy crawlies. Now look at him; simply dashing! 



Wilfie is a quiet but confident chap, and will certainly stand his ground with other mischievous donkeys! He’s very sweet and loving with people.

Frankie & Eva

Learn a little more about Frankie and Eva...

Year of arrival:

2014

Arrived from:

Southampton

Frankie and Eva came from a city farm and they lived in a field next to a pub. The staff at the city farm found it difficult to keep the two donkeys content; they were more used to small animals, such as rabbits! They didn’t know what to do with the donkeys and rang us to see if we could help. You all know the answer!

Trevor

Learn a little more about Trevor....

Year of arrival:

2017

Arrived from:

Freshwater, Isle of Wight

Best buddy:

Thomas

Likes:

Playing

Trevor used to live on a beautiful farm on the Island. He lived with his mum Cappuccino, but she wandered off with a Shetland pony, leaving Trevor on his own. His owner thought he’d love a new life here. 



Trevor can be heard from miles around from his impressive loud bray! He loves playing tag with his buddies and running around. 

Sammy & Poncho

Learn a little more about Sammy and Poncho...

Year of arrival:

2020

Arrived from:

Bridgnorth, Shropshire

Sammy and Poncho used to live at a small rescue centre. They had been previously fostered, and when finance became tight for the centre, the donkeys’ futures became uncertain. We were asked if we could help - of course we could!

Woody

Learn a little more about Woody....

Year of arrival:

2019

Arrived from:

Wales

Best buddy:

Ryan

Likes:

Girls!

Woody lived on a smallholding with two Shetland buddies - Pablo and Winnie. Sadly, a genetic family illness meant the owners would have to give up their animals and their heavy work.



Woody is loud and confident, likes causing trouble, and is always on the hunt for female donkeys!

Coco

Learn a little more about Coco....

Year of arrival:

2017

Arrived from:

Hampshire

Best buddy:

Paddy O

Likes:

Scratches

Coco’s previous owner cared for him dearly, but just didn’t have the extra time needed to help him. She thought the best thing was to find him some company and asked if we could take him. Coco was very lively when he first arrived, but after a lot of TLC and one-to-one help, he has become a lot more chilled. He still has a very cheeky and playful spirit, but just adores cuddles and attention.

Dennis

Learn a little more about Dennis....

Year of arrival:

2013

Arrived from:

Luccombe, Isle of Wight

Best buddy:

Wilfie

Likes:

Pony nuts

Dennis is a mischievous miniature donkey who came to the Sanctuary when both of his owners became seriously ill. Dennis was not at all happy when he came to the Sanctuary. He took a long time to settle, struggled to mix, and seemed quite sad. However, look at him now! He is king of his herd, runs around as if he owns the place and makes it very clear to all the staff what his requirements are each day. Dennis has his own naughty step for when things go ‘a bit too far!’

The 'Frenchies'

The 'Frenchies' are a herd of donkeys that arrived from France.

Year of arrival:

2021

Arrived from:

Pour L’Amour des Anes Sanctuary, France

The quality of our welfare was becoming well known, even in Europe! In November 2020, we were contacted by a British lady in France, who had helped to rescue 2 families of donkeys from a slaughterhouse, all of whom had been through a terrible time and needed a permanent home. The question was, could the IOW Donkey Sanctuary complete this rescue and give these beautiful donkeys a permanent home? With transport to arrange, a looming Brexit deadline and expenses to fund, this was always going to be a difficult rescue. 

After many challenges, ranging from vet checks, blood tests and passport issues, the donkeys finally arrived in February 2021 and settled in well. They are a truly loving, affectionate family who are enjoying their retirement at the Sanctuary, even the foals! They will stay here for the rest of their lives, in a life of luxury!

Best buddy:

Hope

Likes:

To follow Hope

Charity is very sweet natured, but can still be a little shy, and normally found by Hope's side.

Best buddy:

Jenny

Likes:

Using people as a head stand

Jumpy is a very sweet donkey and loves to have head cuddles, but also loves nibbling!

Best buddy:

Lola

Likes:

Chasing and playing with Lola

Koko has grown into a very sweet girl who loves to have fun and play. She is the daughter of Jiva and granddaughter of Junon.

Hovis

Learn a little more about Hovis....

Year of arrival:

2021

Arrived from:

Bedfordshire

Best buddy:

Kitchi

Likes:

Staying by Kitchi's side

Hovis joined the Sanctuary as a 6 month old foal in October 2021, having lived with a small group of donkeys in Bedfordshire. Unfortunately, his mother had no interest in him and wasn’t the best donkey mum. However, Hovis' dad, Colin Jr, and half brother, Phantom, are here with him at the Sanctuary keeping a close eye on him!



Hovis idolises Kitchi and Phantom, and loves the freedom, space and attention he gets at the Sanctuary. He's very sweet and cuddly.

Phoenix

Learn a little more about Phoenix....

Year of arrival:

2020

Arrived from:

Isle of Wight

Best buddy:

Dougie

Likes:

Chasing the ponies

Phoenix is the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary’s first mule! She is definitely more swan than ugly duckling, she's a beautiful brown colour. Born in 2020, her dad was a very large donkey, her mum was a small miniature Shetland pony, and Phoenix is... a mixture of both!

She absolutely loves life at the Sanctuary. She is a spirited young mule, that is definitely more pony than she is a donkey!

Colin Jr

Learn a little more about Colin Jr....

Year of arrival:

2020

Arrived from:

Huntington

Best buddy:

Eiffion

Likes:

Personal space

Colin Jr is a beautiful brown donkey, who was just 3 years old when he joined us. Colin was really well looked after by his previous owner, and he lived with a group of 8 other donkeys. However, they were all older than Colin, and when he wanted to run and play, they wanted to chill and sleep! Colin Jr is dad to both Hovis and Phantom!

Colin Jr is sweet and very friendly, but prefers to stick more to himself in the herd.

Phantom

Learn a little more about Phantom....

Year of arrival:

2021

Arrived from:

Huntingdon

Best buddy:

Luckie

Likes:

Zoomies around the field!

Phantom was living in a herd of 8 donkeys. Tragically, his mum suddenly died, and at just 6 months old he needed a new home. However, he does have family at the Sanctuary - Colin Jr is his dad and Hovis is his half brother.

Phantom is an extremely playful character who is full of energy!

Rosie (Lee)

Learn a little more about Rosie (Lee)....

Year of arrival:

2021

Arrived from:

Kent

Best buddy:

Jackie

Likes:

To bray as loud as she can!

Rosie is a beautiful brown donkey who arrived at the sanctuary shortly before Christmas, 2021. She is one of our growing ‘Clan from Kent’, which includes Wizzy, Angel, and Twinkle who also come from the ‘hop’ county.

Rosie is a happy young donkey who lived with a group of ageing ponies. Rosie often wanted to play, but the ponies frequently didn’t, and her answer was to mischievously bite them on the bum! Rosie’s owner felt that Rosie needed a group of donkeys to play with and asked if she could join us.

As we already had a Rosie at the sanctuary, we have given this Rosie a small addition of 'Lee' at the end of her name so that they can be differentiated.

Rosie is very loud and our leading ‘choristers’, Trevor and Coffee, have got real competition for the noisiest donkey award! She is an incredibly sweet donkey and absolutely adores people, so is always keen to come and say hello.

Wizzy

Learn a little more about Wizzy....

Year of arrival:

2021

Arrived from:

Sandwich, Kent

Best buddy:

Geraldine

Likes:

To show off his trotting skills

Wizzy is a miniature donkey in beautiful condition, has been very well looked after by his owner, but he no longer had any other miniature donkeys to live with. His owner knew about the Sanctuary and wanted Wizzy to be able to continue doing the outreach work that he was used to doing in Kent, where he has come from. We were more than happy to bring Wizzy to Wroxall!

Wizzy apparently much prefers to be friends with girls rather than boys. This is just as well, because our miniatures: Angelica, Geraldine, Felicity and Bella, have not had a male companion since our beloved miniature Seamus passed away.

Wizzy is a big character in a small donkey, and loves as much attention as he can get!

Poppy

Learn a little more about Poppy....

Year of arrival:

2020

Arrived from:

Brighstone, Isle of Wight

Best buddy:

Archie Dodger

Likes:

Chilling with Archie Dodger

Poppy is a beautiful donkey, who arrived at the Sanctuary having been really well cared for by a loving family; however Poppy’s stable friend was a horse, who became too assertive for Poppy so the family thought she deserved to have some new donkey friends.

Her name will bring back memories for longstanding supporters who remember our original Poppy donkey, who was a famous figure at Wroxall until her passing in 2015. We hope the new Poppy will  have a life as long, as rich and as rewarding as she did.

Poppy is very sweet hearted, but can still be a little nervous around people.

The 'Gaelic Gang'

Year of arrival:

2020

Arrived from:

Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

These boys have a harrowing story but with a hopeful ending! Womble, Larry, Bear, and Tim were originally rescued from Ireland by an English lady called Katherine, who answered a message that these donkeys urgently needed rescuing. However, she was shocked at what she found, when they arrived at her home.

The donkeys were in a very poor state and her own vet ‘condition scored’ them at 1; the donkeys were underweight and in poor health. Shockingly, the donkeys’ previous owners had tried to castrate several of them in a DIY operation, leading to some internal damage and scars on parts of their body. Things were so bad that Katherine contacted the Royal Veterinary College for medical help. Several vets there were visibly upset at the condition of the donkeys.

Slowly but surely, Katherine and the team of vets nursed them back to health. The donkeys gradually put on weight and they became more healthy. Katherine was not able to look after them permanently but she wanted the best possible ‘forever’ home where they could continue their recovery, gain confidence and lead a happy life.

She contacted our Sanctuary to see if we could help, and of course we said yes.

The donkeys were slightly frightened and bemused at their sudden change in circumstances when they first arrived. They were isolated for several weeks in a nice double stable, and they had plenty of time to get used to all of our staff and volunteers, before they met any other donkeys .They hate the cold and wet, so a few duvet days went well with them!

The 'Welsh Four'

The 'Welsh Four' are Rosie, Amber, China and Buttons.

Year of arrival:

2019

Arrived from:

Swansea, Wales

Their owner had been suffering from a serious illness for a long time and wanted reassurance that his beloved donkeys could be given a safe and permanent home. These donkeys were amongst his personal pets and he asked if we could take care of them, keep them together and look after their welfare. We readily agreed - it's what we do!

The 'Frenchies' take two!

The 'Frenchies' is a herd of six donkeys that arrived from France.

Year of arrival:

2021

Arrived from:

France

These lovely ladies (and lad!) were a group of 6 unwanted donkeys, who arrived from France. Despite lots of efforts, a new home couldn't be found.

Here we have: Galentine and her Jenny foal Lola, Prune and her Jack foal Luckie, and two sisters, Belle Helene and Marie Ange.

We could only re-home these beautiful donkeys because we were building a new barn, which was funded by generous legacies/gift in a will.