Cyprus

The Donkey Sanctuary Cyprus is based near Limassol and is a subsidiary of The Donkey Sanctuary UK. 

In Cyprus, we currently provide a permanent, caring home to 23 donkeys at a privately owned holding base in Prastio, Limassol, which is not open to the public. The donkeys at our holding base are guaranteed to receive the best care possible provided by our specialised and dedicated staff. No donkey in our care will ever be sold, lent out or bred from. 

We also provide advice and support to donkey owners within the community who contact us about donkey care best practices. In addition to this, we work to directly rehome any donkeys which need rescuing within the community.

The history of The Donkey Sanctuary Cyprus

Our work in Cyprus started in 2004, where we began providing annual grants to help fund the work of the charitable organisation, Friends of the Cyprus Donkey.

In 2007, the owners of Friends of the Cyprus Donkey retired, which led to the official establishment of The Donkey Sanctuary Cyprus, so that we could continue and develop the vital work that they had started in helping the donkeys on the island.

Donkeys in Cyprus

Donkeys have been used in Cyprus for centuries as a working animal and are a large part of the history of the island.

However, the donkey population faces various welfare challenges including poor harnessing and handling, limited veterinary care, lack of shelter and poor donkey health and welfare knowledge in the community. A lack of reinforcement of animal protection laws in Cyprus, only makes the welfare challenges more difficult for the island’s donkeys.

Community outreach and donkey care

In 2008, we developed a successful community outreach programme across Cyprus, where we worked with donkey owning communities, providing factsheets on donkey care, as well as offering veterinary treatment to donkeys in need.

Between 2012 and 2022 we operated three holding bases, where we cared for rescued donkeys and mules. Sadly, due to these sites being privately owned, two of the holding bases were closed when the owners retired.

Since 2022, we have focused on the continuing care of the donkeys living at our holding base in Prastio, as well as providing advice and support to donkey owners across Cyprus who seek our advice.