OpportunitiesJob description
Job description
Rehoming Centre Groom (2029)
- Salary:£23,264 per annum
- PoscityWhimple
- PoscountryUnited Kingdom
- Area:Equine Operations
- Vacancy Type:Secondment
- Full or Part Time?:Full Time
The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Rehoming Groom to join our team at Strete, Whimple, Devon. As a Rehoming Groom, you will provide care and rehabilitation for donkeys at our Rehoming Centre, in accordance with our Care and Welfare Code of Practice.
About you:
- Previous equine experience or experience of animal husbandry.
- Demonstrate a collaborative, positive approach to team working.
- Physical fitness and the ability to lift, for example, a bag of feed (approx. 20 kg).
- Able to work outside in adverse weather conditions.
- Willing to commit to regular ongoing work related training.
- UK full valid driving licence (for manual transmission vehicles)
- Desirable but not essential – experience of driving tractors, machinery and towing.
About the role:
Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –
- Providing daily care to our resident donkeys, including checking, feeding, medicating, grooming, weighing and worming.
- Working alongside internal & external equine professionals such as Vets, Dentists and Farriers, as required.
- Helping to rehabilitate and train donkeys through the guidance of the supervisor and behaviour team by providing a regular training plan to suit the individual needs of donkeys for rehoming.
- Supporting with welfare support when required, collaborating with the wider Equine Operations department.
- Assisting with all aspects of offsite visits, including the loading, unloading and supervision of the donkeys during transport.
- Providing additional donkey care by operating machinery, and/or manually, mucking out, paddock maintenance, feeding and bedding up of barns and distributing straw and haylage
What we offer in return:
Based at our Rehoming Centre at Strete, near Whimple, East Devon – an area of outstanding natural beauty – this is a full time, fixed-term contract starting as soon as possible, until 2 November 2026, working 37.5 hours per week, 5 days over 7, plus weekend working as part of the team rota.
Benefits:
Competitive pension.
Life assurance.
31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 will each full year of service.
Wellbeing team.
Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.
Long service awards.
Healthshield plan –
- Reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership.
- Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets.
- Access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.
Free parking.
Subsidised restaurant and shop at The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth.
Closing date for completed applications: Sunday 19 October 2025.
The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.
The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.
Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.
NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.