What do we do?
We bring our gentle and friendly miniature donkeys to your community group, voluntary organisation, dementia group or special needs group.
We are based in South Norfolk and operate across Norfolk and Suffolk. Basically, we visit anywhere where a mood boosting donkey visit would help people with their wellbeing.
If you want our donkeys to come to a Wedding, Private Party, Event or even a Funeral we can do that too.
Why do we do it?
Having worked with family carers professionally and having been a family carer for two parents with dementia, the group’s founder knows firsthand how stress can be relieved by spending time with these beautiful animals.
Sarah lost her mum to dementia in April 2017 and took the decision to set up a social enterprise to bring the benefits of interacting with mini donkeys to as wide an audience as possible.
How do you book a visit?
If you would like to find out more about how our visits work or would like to book a visit, you can e-mail us, give us a call or download a booking form.
Our visits do book up quite quickly and if you have a specific date in mind (wedding, summer fete, special birthday) call us to reserve your date. Bookings are confirmed on receipt of a completed booking form.
Mini Donks on Facebook
Lovely visit to Saxlingham Hall this morning. No pictures to share, but lots of memories. Two ladies had owned donkeys before, one lady had horses. Beautiful sunny morning and most residents came out and enjoyed ice lollies and watching the donks. Millie was a particular star and went up in the lift to visit people in their rooms.
If you would like to see the Minidonks, they will be at The Aylsham Show on Monday!
Here is our article .......
Mini Donks: Changing lives with miniature donkeys
Through difficult times, animals have the power to offer relief and companionship. Sarah McPherson is the woman behind Mini Donks, the social enterprise that takes their seven adorable animal companio...Such a wonderfully uplifting story ♥️ Such hard and dedicated work and beautiful donkeys. You are shining lights in a world that is in dire need of light. The reactions from the people you mention in the article convey that. Thank you so much 🤝😊😘♥️
Simply wonderful xx
Jenn Milne-Duddy oh, you gotta read this one ❤️
We need your help! Every now and then, the Minidonk MD gets it wrong. We have a note in our diary, "Steph's Donks Felixstowe tbc" for Monday 9th September. We cannot find a booking form (a requirement for every visit to be confirmed) any emails, nothing. So, if you know any care homes in Felixstowe, please share this post, and hopefully we will find whoever might be expecting us, or we will find that someone made an enquiry and no longer wants a visit. All help gratefully accepted!
Happy Minidonk Morning to you all........
Happy Friday to the Minidonks. 🥰
What a fab Happy pic love to you too 💕
We had such fun grooming.. great stress therapy! Xx
Unbelievably cute & the donkeys! 😉 xxx
Morning Minidonks! Are they out and about anywhere over the bank holiday weekend? Xx
I am struggling to find the words to describe our visit today. We took Bo Peep and Millie to The Hamlet Centre (day services for young adults with complex needs). The donkeys were just amazing. They coped brilliantly with noise, wheelchairs, different levels of interaction, being brushed and led by the young people. Our volunteers were amazing, chatting, communicating, encouraging the young people to get the most out of our visit. The staff at The Hamlet that were so supportive and ensured that everyone was safe, cared for with love and welcomed the donkey team with open arms. We hope to have some photos to share soon, and I will try to share some of today’s special moments; watching the huge smile on the face of a young man as he led Millie around from his wheelchair indoors and out. The beauty of Bo Peep standing so quietly, being groomed by two young women who were clearly having the time of their lives, the staff member saying that one young man never gets up and joins in group activities and here he was, outside with everyone, stroking the donkeys and bonding with one of our volunteers. Special special visit.
Spreading love and joy x
My daughter was one of the young adults with special needs at the hamlet centre & she had an amazing time as did everyone else with your amazing donkeys they all loved the experience 😊 thank you 😊
Love taking our little Junebug to these facilities ❤️
I absolutely love reading your updates, what a fantastic job you all do, those little donkeys are so special and bring such happiness. X
Fantastic job beautiful gentle Team Mini Donk and your amazing volunteers - you make such a difference and spread love and joy wherever you go ❤️❤️❤️
All your visits are amazing, you spread so much joy x
HOW WONDERFUL😀😀👍💜🙏💙🐾🐾🌷🎈🎉🎊
Wonderful!
Love this. So wonderful that you can bring happiness to others.
Yes we agree. Melvin said that he loved it and enjoy it very much a big thank you to you all
How very very wonderful! ❣🙏🥰
Hooray!
Wonderful
Megan Marie
Another day, another cracking visit. We took Pippin and Pixie to The Crown Rest Home in Dunham. We met such beautiful people, who came outside, in the sunshine, to sit and watch and stroke and listen to the donkeys. We did our usual indoor room visits, including one lovely gentleman who wanted to place a bet on Pippin as he thought she looked a likely runner! Then there were the ladies who smiled and laughed when Pippin whispered in their ears, and another gentleman who shared stories about his working life. I was really very touched when I shook hands with another gentleman as we were leaving, and he thanked me for bringing the donkeys and said, “I love it here. I live here, but I don’t come out in the garden much and has been lovely coming out to see the donkeys, thank you.” Just a few photos, but the memories of meeting all these lovely people (and the staff were very nice as well!) will stay with me for a long time. Thanks, as always, to my amazing volunteers.
No photos today, but a very special visit. We had plenty of volunteers, my girls have all had two weeks off, so we took all four (Saffy is still away). We took them indoors, down corridors, up and down slopes, in the lift (Millie), into bedrooms...... and then went back and did it all again. It made my day to see the reactions from some of these special people. The lady who said, “thank you so much for bringing them, that has been the best day ever”, and the lady who we visited in her bedroom three times because she just loved the donks so much. Our volunteers, some of whom were leading donks on a care home visit for the first time. I felt really touched and humbled that our little family of people and donkeys really do bring a little joy into people’s lives.
I'm missing you all, but at least I'm off to some sun! See you when I get back. Well done girls and a well deserved break.
I can't wait for you to visit us in September ❤️ love seeing all your pictures of visits and the smiles it puts on people's faces x
Sounds like a lovely visit ❤️
Don't sell yourselves short, you bring a great deal of joy to many, many people including myself, thousands of miles away in donkey-less Harbor Beach, Michigan USA! I love you guys!
Whoop whoop whoop...... busy week in Minidonk world. First of all, Gordon is back off to the vets this morning for a pre-dental check up (if I can find him to put him in the dreaded cat-cage). Tuesday we are off to Little Dunham for another care home visit then we are off to Norwich with the donks on Wednesday and finishing the week off with a visit to the care home where the MD’s dad lives. We will be at the Aylsham show on Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August.
Gorgeous Gordy! 💗🤗😻 Hello mate!
I know which I would rather take to the vets, and it’s not the cat!
good luck gordon - no-one likes to visit the dentist so you are not alone <3
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