Member of staff

Rebekah Sullivan qualified from Bristol University in 2005, andworked in mixed practice in the UK and New Zealand, interspersed with short periods volunteering overseas for working equid charities. Rebekah joined The Donkey Sanctuary in 2012, gaining the CertAVP(EM) in 2015 and is currently employed as the lead veterinary surgeon for medicine. Rebekah is working towards the MSc in One Health with Edinburgh University. Her main interests are donkey medicine and softtissue surgery, alongside a passion for welfare work and practical application of One Health principles.

João qualified at the University of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro (2007), was classified as an Expert in Veterinary Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery by the Complutense University of Madrid (2011), and obtained a Ph.D. focusing on research in the field of donkey dentistry (2013).  He was appointed as Professor of Medicine and Surgery of Equids in Portugal in 2013 and joined The Donkey Sanctuary in 2016. Joao has extensive donkey medical and welfare experience in Europe and with working donkeys globally, is a regular lecturer, tutor, and practical assessor in equid dentistry worldwide, and has published numerous articles and contributions to books. He is the chair of the Portuguese Association of Animal Traction (APTRAN) and the FECTU - European Draught Horse Federation.

Chris joined The Donkey Sanctuary as a lab technician in 2011 progressing to his current role as Laboratory Manager. He is responsible for the delivery of an efficient diagnostic service to our in-house veterinary team and to veterinary practices caring for donkeys across the UK. He oversees the day-to-day analysis of pathological samples submitted for haematology, biochemistry, parasitology and PCR as well as the provision of post-mortem examinations. Chris ensures that the laboratory diagnostics available at The Donkey Sanctuary are current and in line with any advancement in methods and technology.