Our new donkey hospital has now been open for a year. Thanks to your amazing support, hundreds of donkeys and mules are being given happier, healthier lives.

"With your help, we’ve created something lasting, important and special,” says The Donkey Sanctuary chief executive Mike Baker. “Not just a fantastic new building. Not only bricks and mortar. Together, we’ve built a place where sick animals will be cured, and suffering animals will be freed from pain.”

Donkeys like Jackie have been made better in this specially-designed veterinary facility based at our Brookfield Farm in Devon. We know donkeys can get very stressed when they are apart from another donkey they are closely bonded to. Thanks to our new hospital, Jackie's friend Stephanie was able to be by her side throughout her treatment.

The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to treat donkeys when they need it most; whether it’s an ultrasound, an endoscope or laser treatment for skin tumours, our dedicated veterinary team are trained to give these animals the expert care they deserve.

When Bonnie came to the vets’ attention, they knew the sarcoid tumour she had was too close to her eye for laser treatment. Instead, chemotherapy was prescribed which meant that Bonnie needed to be kept in isolation; something difficult to achieve in our old hospital. The location and layout of our new hospital makes it much easier to keep patients and our resident herds safe and secure.

In the first 12 months, our vets and nurses have carried out hundreds of clinical examinations, procedures, and treatments, giving a new lease of life to sick or injured animals every day.

We’re able to share our growing body of specialist knowledge and experience around the world. UK veterinary schools send students to learn from us and we’ve hosted training events and shared donkey specific veterinary information across the globe.

In fact, just recently we hosted a meeting of our partner vets in Crete, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and Romania to share our knowledge and help donkeys and mules much further afield.

None of this lifesaving work would be possible without the support you have generously given us. On behalf of all the sick donkeys you’ve made better – thank you.

Help us continue to treat sick donkeys