A team from a donkey sanctuary in Northern California visited The Donkey Sanctuary’s headquarters in Devon recently, to learn from our experts and to help them become ‘better donkey people’.
Ron King, the co-founder and CEO of Oscar’s Place in Mendocino County, along with several members of his core team, spent three days with a number of our colleagues at our Sidmouth site, and also at our state-of-the-art donkey hospital at Brookfield near Honiton.
The team were keen to learn from the best in the world in donkey care, welfare and behaviour, and to Ron’s delight, his Board of Directors agreed to fund a trip to the UK.
During their three-day, packed itinerary, the team were given a tour of our Sidmouth site, introduced to our behaviour and welfare experts, and spent a full day with vets and farriers at Brookfield hospital.
The group concluded their busy schedule on Friday afternoon, by unwinding with our DAA donkeys at Slade House Farm.
Launched in 2021, Oscar’s Place is located on a 75-acre estate in northern California and cares for relinquished donkeys, whose owners can no longer look after them.
Following their visit Ron concluded: “It has been an amazing three days, and I’m exhausted from the amount of information I’ve been taking in.
“This is a world-class operation where donkeys are first, and gives us something to aspire to, so we can change the lives of donkeys on this planet.”
For interviews, images and information please contact The Donkey Sanctuary press office on 01395 573124 or 07870 849563 (including out of hours) or send an email.
The Donkey Sanctuary is the world's largest equine welfare charity. Our vision is a world where donkeys and mules live free from suffering and their contribution to humanity is fully valued. We run 10 sanctuaries around the UK and Europe, giving lifelong care to more than 7,000 donkeys and mules. Our hospital treats sick donkeys and trains vets both nationwide and worldwide. Our donkey-facilitated learning programme helps vulnerable children and adults develop life skills by connecting with donkeys on an emotional and physical level.
Please note that the name ‘The Donkey Sanctuary’ should not be abbreviated to ‘Donkey Sanctuary’, and the word ‘The’ should always appear with a capital ‘T’ as above.