Karoo Donkey Sanctuary

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Karoo Donkey Sanctuary Our mission is to relieve the suffering of overworked and abused cart-horse donkeys.
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We have rescued, rehabilitated and re-homed over 200 donkeys and are currently a refuge for 130 donkeys that we saved from the donkey skins trade The Karoo Donkey Sanctuary has relocated to The Crags, Plettenberg Bay

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OUR HOLLY, YOU DID NOT DIE IN VAIN. 💔You were a beautiful, gentle, feeling donkey mare. You deserved kindness, protectio...
11/11/2026

OUR HOLLY, YOU DID NOT DIE IN VAIN. 💔

You were a beautiful, gentle, feeling donkey mare. You deserved kindness, protection and a life free from fear. Instead, you were restrained, brutally slaughtered and your little body was butchered in the Kuruman area, your suffering turned into content for social media clicks.

We cannot undo what happened to you. But your death has fuelled a fire within us.

In your honour, we are launching Operation Holly, Northern Cape.

Next week, we will travel to the Northern Cape to meet with the local SPCA, animal welfare organisations and veterinarians to plan our Kuruman and Southern Kalahari Donkey Welfare Outpost.

Joining our initial reconnaissance mission are a seasoned former NSPCA Animal Welfare Inspector and members of the sanctuary’s operations management team, bringing together investigative experience and practical animal welfare expertise.
Across these rural communities, donkeys play a vital role in daily life, pulling carts, carrying water and goods, and helping families sustain their livelihoods. Our planned outpost will work alongside donkey owners to improve welfare through education, practical support and access to veterinary care.

Alongside this community work, we are determined to investigate cruelty, gather evidence, identify those responsible and pursue every available legal avenue to bring perpetrators to justice. We will work towards prosecutions under the Animals Protection Act and, where applicable, the Meat Safety Act and other relevant South African laws addressing the unlawful and prolific bush slaughter.

We are mobilising people and building local partnerships to protect donkeys and confront abuse. Those responsible must be held legally accountable.

This mission takes us into difficult and potentially hostile territory. Please wish our team strength, safety and resolve. We will keep you updated as this work unfolds.

We need your help with this crusade.

Banking details:
Karoo Donkey Sanctuary
Standard Bank
Account number: 300 874 049
Branch: Tyger Manor
Branch code: 050410
SWIFT: SBZAZAJJ
Reference: Operation Holly

Or donate via www.karoodonkey.org

Holly, your life mattered. Your suffering will not be forgotten. Your name will stand behind our determination to protect others.

For Holly. For every donkey still waiting for help. 🫏🤍

We’re super excited to finally be planting for the future! 🌱🫏Four hectares of glorious teff are now sown in our rich Kar...
07/11/2026

We’re super excited to finally be planting for the future! 🌱🫏

Four hectares of glorious teff are now sown in our rich Karoo soil, with flood irrigation and draglines providing the water needed for germination. A hopeful step forward in our food security programme for the animals in our care.

Now for some sunshine and those first green shoots! 🌾 🌾 🌾

Incredible news for the Karoo Donkey Sanctuary! 🇺🇸🫏We’ve just received official confirmation from the US Department of t...
04/11/2026

Incredible news for the Karoo Donkey Sanctuary! 🇺🇸🫏

We’ve just received official confirmation from the US Department of the Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that Karoo Donkey Sanctuary USA Inc. has been recognised as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3).

US Employer Identification Number (EIN) 42-5090007

Eligible donations to Karoo Donkey Sanctuary USA Inc. can be tax-deductible for US donors. This opens the door for more people in the United States to support our work here in South Africa.

For the animals, this means so much. It helps us keep our promise to every rescued animal in our lifelong care, giving them the food, veterinary care and safe home they deserve. It also helps us reach those special souls still in desperate need whom we have yet to meet. Through our planned outreach, advocacy and activism, we can help more animals and speak up for those whose suffering too often goes unseen.

We’re now integrating US donations into our online payment gateway. As soon as it’s ready, we’ll share the link and let everyone know how to give through Karoo Donkey Sanctuary USA Inc.

Our enormous thanks to one of America’s leading law firms for generously giving their time and expertise to guide us through this process. And a huge thank-you to our Karoo Donkey Sanctuary USA Board for the work and commitment it took to get us here.

To everyone who has stood by us and our animals, thank you. We’re so excited to share this milestone with you.

Ahead of tonight’s Carte Blanche exposé, we are calling for answers, accountability and an end to the commercial slaught...
01/11/2026

Ahead of tonight’s Carte Blanche exposé, we are calling for answers, accountability and an end to the commercial slaughter of horses and donkeys.

CHINA’S INSATIABLE DEMAND FOR DONKEY SKINS IS ONE ENORMOUS ISSUE. BUT DEAR SOUTH AFRICA, HORSE AND DONKEY MEAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DETECTED IN PRODUCTS SOLD TO CONSUMERS.

The commercial slaughter of horses and donkeys is unfortunately legal in South Africa. The Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act No. 40 of 2000), explicitly includes these animals within its regulatory framework. But legality comes with obligations, and government has a responsibility to enforce them.

The national Department of Agriculture and the relevant provincial authorities administer this framework. Commercial slaughter must take place at appropriately registered abattoirs, operating within their registration conditions and applicable requirements. Registration does not give a facility unrestricted permission to slaughter any species or any number of animals.

Animals must be examined before slaughter. Meat inspection must be performed by appropriately qualified, authorised personnel operating independently of the abattoir. Facilities must meet prescribed hygiene standards, and meat must be inspected and marked before leaving the premises.

The law also addresses how animals are treated. Section 11(1)(h) of the Meat Safety Act requires humane handling during loading, transport, offloading, housing, immobilising and killing, in accordance with the Animals Protection Act, 1962 (Act No. 71 of 1962). The Red Meat Regulations prescribe detailed requirements for handling, restraint, stunning and the slaughter process.

Legal slaughter does not place cruelty beyond the reach of the law.

Abattoir owners must keep records of the numbers and origins of animals slaughtered, examinations and inspections, and the destinations of the meat and animal products. These records must be available to authorised officials entitled to request them.

Who checks that these requirements are being met? What species and slaughter capacity is each facility authorised for? Are additional quotas or limits imposed? Who verifies the numbers slaughtered against the meat and skins leaving each abattoir?

Who monitors animal welfare? How often are facilities inspected? What happens when registration conditions, meat safety requirements or animal protection laws are breached?

These are basic questions of oversight and accountability. Yet we have been unable to obtain clear answers.

Food labelling is a separate legal responsibility falling under the Department of Health’s food legislation. Ingredients must be correctly declared. The fact that horse or donkey meat may legally be sold does not permit it to be passed off as another species.

There should therefore be records showing where these animals came from and where their meat went. So who is buying and eating it?

In 2013, Dr Donna-Mareè Cawthorn and Professor Louw Hoffman of Stellenbosch University, together with Dr Harris Steinman of Food & Allergy Consulting & Testing Services, found undeclared animal species or plant proteins in 95 of 139 processed meat samples, a staggering 68%.

The products were sourced from South African retail outlets and butcheries. Undeclared donkey DNA was among the findings. The 68% figure does not mean that 68% contained donkey, but it exposed serious failures in South Africa’s meat labelling.

A separate study involving the University of the Western Cape’s Forensic DNA Laboratory found species substitution in 76.5% of the game-labelled samples tested. Horse DNA was identified in one sample.

Donkey and horse DNA detected in meat products sold under other labels. South Africans should be demanding answers.

These findings were published in 2013. They do not establish how widespread the practice is today or connect those samples to today’s donkey skin trade. They do provide compelling grounds to demand fresh, independent testing and public scrutiny.

We call on the Department of Agriculture, the relevant provincial veterinary authorities, the Department of Health and the authorities enforcing animal protection laws to account for their respective responsibilities.

Explain how these supply chains are monitored. Confirm how slaughter authorisations and limits are enforced. Verify where the meat and skins go. Disclose what independent species testing is being conducted and make the results public.

But enforcing the current rules is not enough. We are calling for a ban on the commercial slaughter of horses and donkeys, and on the sale of their meat for consumption.

Correct labelling does not address the suffering behind this trade. Nor does a registered abattoir make the killing of these animals morally acceptable.

“”Humane slaughter” is the greatest oxymoron of the modern era.”
Jonno Sherwin, Founder, Karoo Donkey Sanctuary

Our horses and donkeys deserve more than traceability through a slaughterhouse. They deserve legal protection from commercial slaughter.

Ban Animal Trading South Africa NSPCA - National Council of SPCAs Brooke, Action For Working Horses and Donkeys Humane World for Animals World Horse Welfare South African Government African Union The Donkey Sanctuary

31/10/2026

Almost a decade later. Still no end to the slaughter.

In January 2017, Carte Blanche and Ban Animal Trading South Africa joined us at the historic Liba Auctioneers equine slaughter auction in Hartswater in the Northern Cape, where an estimated 500 donkeys and 200 horses went under the hammer.

Bidding against South Africa’s “registered equine slaughterhouses”, with the extraordinary support of emergency crowdfunding, we saved 236 donkeys and 36 horses that fateful day.

That rescue marked the beginning of a new era for the Karoo Donkey Sanctuary.

Together with Carte Blanche, and Highveld Horse Care Unit we helped expose the brutal slaughter of donkeys for their skins. Yet almost ten years on, the cruelty continues. Driven by profit, enabled by lawlessness and sustained by a shameful lack of government accountability, this devastating trade continues to decimate South Africa’s remaining donkey population.

Cry, the beloved country. How much longer must this continue?

Earlier this month, the Carte Blanche team returned to the sanctuary to catch up on our work and revisit the story of the Hartswater donkeys and horses who found safety with us nearly a decade ago.

Their lives are a reminder of why we keep fighting - and why we refuse to look away.

Tune in to Carte Blanche this Sunday, 1 November, at 19:00 on M-Net, DStv channel 101. Carte Blanche

WE’RE HIRING: ANIMAL HEALTH & WELLBEING Lead Karoo Donkey Sanctuary | De Rust, Western Cape | Full-timeAre you an SAVC-r...
31/10/2026

WE’RE HIRING: ANIMAL HEALTH & WELLBEING Lead
Karoo Donkey Sanctuary | De Rust, Western Cape | Full-time

Are you an SAVC-registered animal health professional with practical equine experience and a deep passion for animals?

The Karoo Donkey Sanctuary provides a lifelong home to rescued donkeys, horses and a diverse family of farm animals. We’re looking for a compassionate, experienced and proactive person to take ownership of our residents’ physical health and emotional wellbeing, working alongside our animal-care team and veterinarians.

For us, exceptional care goes beyond feeding and medical treatment. It means understanding each animal as an individual, recognising pain, fear or distress, respecting bonded friendships, and creating an environment where every resident feels safe, comfortable and able to thrive.

What you’ll take responsibility for

• Monitoring health, appetite, behaviour, mobility and body condition, with particular attention to elderly, vulnerable and recovering animals.
• Overseeing species-appropriate nutrition, individual feeding plans, hydration and feed quality.
• Coordinating veterinary visits, prescribed treatments, preventative healthcare and follow-up care within your professional scope of practice.
• Supporting rescued animals through intake, quarantine, rehabilitation and integration into suitable groups.
• Promoting emotional wellbeing through gentle handling, companionship, enrichment, exercise and consistent care routines.
• Overseeing grooming, hoof-care and dental schedules, suitable shelter and clean, safe living areas.
• Maintaining accurate health records, medication registers, care plans and stock controls.
• Guiding and supporting our care team, delegating clearly and ensuring that care plans are carried through.
• Identifying concerns promptly and taking initiative to resolve them with the appropriate support.

Essential requirements

• Current registration with the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) as an Animal Health Technician or Veterinary Nurse.
• Substantial practical experience caring for and handling horses. Donkey experience would be a strong advantage.
• A sound understanding of equine nutrition, husbandry, behaviour and signs of illness, pain or distress.
• Confidence coordinating daily care and supporting colleagues in a busy sanctuary environment.
• Strong observation, organisation, communication and record-keeping skills.
• The physical ability to undertake active outdoor work and the emotional maturity to support animals with complex histories and needs.
• Above all, patience, kindness and a deep commitment to every animal entrusted to our care.

Experience with cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry would be valuable.

This role requires someone who can bring practical experience and take responsibility from the outset. SAVC registration and hands-on equine experience are both essential.

📍 Based at our sanctuary near De Rust in the beautiful Klein Karoo. The role includes weekend duties and responding to animal-care emergencies.

📩 To apply: Email your CV, proof of current SAVC registration, two contactable references and a short motivation to [email protected].

Please describe your practical equine experience and any experience overseeing animal care or leading a team.

Applications will be reviewed as they arrive.

Help us find the person who will champion our animals’ health, happiness and quality of life. Please share. 🤎

29/10/2026

Just a typical day at the sanctuary! 🐴✨ When our rescued residents finally feel safe, their beautiful, cheeky personalities truly shine through.

We love welcoming visitors to experience the everyday reality of our working farm. Come and meet the herd, hear their rescue stories, and step inside Africa's largest equine sanctuary.

Hit the link in our bio to plan your visit us today! 👇🤎

https://karoodonkey.org/pages/visit-us

Address

De Hoop Farm
Prince Albert
6650

Opening Hours

Monday 10:00 - 11:00
12:00 - 13:00
Tuesday 10:00 - 11:00
14:00 - 15:00
Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00
12:00 - 13:00
Thursday 10:00 - 11:00
12:00 - 13:00
Friday 10:00 - 11:00
12:00 - 13:00
Saturday 10:00 - 11:00
12:00 - 13:00
Sunday 10:00 - 11:00
12:00 - 13:00

Telephone

+27829006103

Website

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