Rehoming Centre Groom

The Donkey Sanctuary; Belfast; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

The Donkey Sanctuary seeks an Animal Caregiver for their Belfast Centre. This full-time permanent role involves caring for donkeys, supporting rehabilitation efforts, and ensuring their well-being through various duties. The position requires animal husbandry experience and offers benefits including health reimbursements and extensive holidays.

Benefits

Life Assurance

31 Days holiday, increasing with service

Yoga and Pilates classes

Long Service Awards

Healthshield Plan

Qualifications

• Experience in equine or animal husbandry is essential.
• Must be physically fit and able to lift approximately 20 kg.
• Full current valid driving licence required.

Responsibilities

• Provide routine care, feeding, medicating, and grooming for the resident donkeys.
• Maintain records for donkey health and farming practices.
• Operate machinery and manage farm maintenance duties.

Skills

Equine experience

Animal husbandry

Physical fitness

Job description

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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 are seeking a person with a passion for Donkeys to join our busy team at the Belfast Centre, Templepatrick. Possessing substantial equine and animal husbandry experience, you will provide care and rehabilitation for the resident donkeys and will support the Centre Manager in maintaining a safe working environment.

About you:

• Previous equine or animal husbandry experience.
• Physically fitness and able to lift, for example, a bag of feed (approx. 20 kg).
• Willing to work outside in adverse weather conditions.
• Willing to undertake work related training as required.
• Full current valid driving licence.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –

• Providing care by routine checking, feeding, medicating, grooming, weighing, worming and training the resident donkeys, mules, ponies and hinnies and assisting the vet, farrier and dentist as required.
• Providing feedback on a daily basis to the Centre Manager on matters such as donkey health, feeding regimes and land management, and liaising with other staff to facilitate smooth running of the farm.
• Operating machinery, and/or manually, mucking out, feeding and bedding up of barns and stables and distributing hay, haylage and bagged feedstuffs.
• Maintaining the farm by sweeping, pressure washing, cleaning, field sweeping, haymaking, trimming, compost management, willow management and dirty water control.
• Maintaining up to date manual records for the donkeys and farming practices.

What we offer in return:

Based at The Belfast Centre, Templepatrick, this is a full time permanent contract starting as soon as possible, working 37.5 hours per week, 5 days over 7, with weekend work as part of a rota.

Life Assurance.

31 Days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 will each full year of service.

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.