Become a Donkey Custodian

The Donkey and Mule Protection Trust NZ (‘the Trust’), from time to time, has donkeys that are available to be rehomed under the Trust’s programme to Rehome Trust Donkeys (‘the rehoming programme’).

While you may want to adopt a donkey, our programme is all about becoming a custodian rather than an owner of a donkey. Under our rehoming programme, the Trust will continue to have oversight of the welfare of the donkey and ensures that the donkey is returned to the Trust should the custodian’s circumstances change in the future.

The key features of the rehoming programme are:

    • If you are approved as a custodian to rehome a donkey, you will be required to sign the Trust’s Custodian Agreement for Rehoming a Donkey (‘custodian agreement’).
    • Under the agreement the custodian is responsible for all the care and upkeep of a rehomed donkey, hopefully for the rest of its life. This includes paying for ALL costs including feed, vet bills, farrier, medication etc. unless specifically excluded in the custodian agreement.
    • The custodian agreement has a minimum three-month trial period.
    • A Trust donkey will only be rehomed if they have been rehabilitated and matched to a new home with an appropriately experienced custodian. Single donkeys will only be rehomed with a custodian who already has at least one donkey.
    • The Trust owns the donkeys in the rehoming programme and ownership remains with the Trust for the rest of a donkey’s life. The Trust maintains contact with all its rehomed donkeys through regular communication, support, visits, and updates with custodians.
    • If you become a custodian but find you can no longer care for your rehomed donkey it must be returned to the Trust i.e. you cannot sell, give away, or lease out the donkey.
    • Any health and wellbeing issues with the rehomed donkey must be discussed with a Trust guardian or, in an emergency, a vet.
    • The Trust does not charge a rehoming fee in its custodian agreement. However, as the Trust guardians are volunteers, we may ask you to reimburse the Trust for the transport costs associated with dropping off a rehomed donkey to your property. Any donation will be appreciated.
    • The Trust does not allow the use of its donkeys for breeding, being ridden, or being used in harness, unless expressly stated otherwise in the custodian agreement.

For more details on the process of Rehoming Trust Donkeys please click here.

Donkeys currently available for rehoming are here.

Apply to Become a Donkey Custodian