Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary Animal rescue service in Wallingford, Oxfordshire

Darren Boast

"We came for my wife's birthday. She has always been a lover of animals and has a soft spot for donkeys. This wasn't just like heaven for her, it truly was her happy place. The donkeys are clearly all very well cared for, and are very happy to partake in a tickle or a scratch. Little ones be careful, they do like to test to see if you have any food, and they test with their mouths. There are plenty of warning signs. Please don't let that put you off. It's only a caution, they really are very gentle. The stables, fields and yard are really clean and tidy (as much as you would expect a working yard to be). All the staff and volunteers were really friendly and happy to chat. We adopted Lady. A beautiful donkey who had come over on a boat from Germany, and that was supposed to be her final journey. These guys stepped in and here she is, at the sanctuary living her best life with 139 friends. It is free to go to, which is great for families on a budget. But I would take a bit of cash with you as your heart won't forgive you for leaving without parting with something to help these beautiful soles. The only negative I will say about the sanctuary is that it is an hour away from where we live, and we had to travel through the centre of Reading to get to it. If it was closer or even an easier journey, my wife would be volunteering every weekend. She actually left a bit sad that she wouldn't be able to. She has a wealth of experience working with horses and general farm animals, and this would have been perfect for her. We will be returning to catch up with lady and to generally enjoy the peacefull nature of these wonderful animals. Thank you to the sanctuary for your great work, we will see you again very soon."

Candice Hunter

"We visited the donkey sanctuary 2 years ago for my birthday and loved it! The donkeys are clearly well taken care of. It was lovely to be able to learn about the various donkeys and the history of the sanctuary, and really enjoyed being able to interact with the donkeys- some of them are really friendly and love a good scratch.We loved the gift shop, and managed to buy a few bits- a lovely donkey plushie, a picture that's mounted on the wall at home, and a few packs of Christmas cards that we're still using!Thank you for making such a lovely place to keep the donkeys safe."

Mike

"I visited this place as part of my birthday surprise and WOW. What an amazing place, great history about the sanctuary, great facilities and great staff. Over 100 donkeys here, all with their own story. Beautiful variety in colours and sizes.I really enjoyed my time here, very peaceful and fun to spend time with the donkeys.The staff are really friendly, polite and helpful. The gift shop was very good as well, managed to get some gifts from there.They do ask for a donation as well as it is free to visit. Worth the trip, worth the donation.Thank you for caring for these beautiful animals.It's not very often you get the chance to see a lot of donkeys.Great fun 👍 😀"

jonny sutton

"Nice little place with lots of donkeys which you can stroke. Kids loved it and also has a nice little park to Burnnsome energy off. Worth the 40 mins drive over."

Jenna

"Lovely place to visit , bonus that its free to enter. Lots of donkeys that you can stroke , many of them seemed friendly and came up to the fence to say hello. We have a teenager but there is a playarea for children. I got a lovely magnet and pen from the shop"