Outcry over donkey meat for sale in UK
Row over sale of donkeymeat sausages forces a Kent shopkeeper to withdraw produce
Pressure from animal rights activists and wide media coverage this week has forced a French shopkeeper to stop selling donkey meat from his shop in Sandwich, Kent.
Dominic Levet, owner of Dominique’s Delicatessen has been based in the popular Kent seaside town of Sandwich for three years. He told a weekend newspaper that he: “believed the donkey meat he had sold came from donkeys bred in France and killed humanely“.
Speaking about his decision to stop selling donkey meat, Mr Levet said: “I have been here for three years during which time nobody has ever come in to complain about what I sell. I do not wish to offend anyone and for that reason I have decided to no longer sell it.”
Prior to media interest the shop had been selling donkey sausages for £3.50 each, along with othertraditional French produce. Mr Levet is formerly from the south-west region of France where eating horse and donkey meat is common place.
Animal lovers in the UK were said to be appalled at the thought of eating donkey meat.
Aspokesperson from the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon said: ” We are really pleased that Mr Levet has withdrawn donkey meat from his shop. Until the transport of donkeys and horses for slaughter is regulated, no one can be certain of the exact origins of their meat and how it was treated prior to destruction.”
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Read more about the transportation of horses for slaughter:
- Poland to act on live horse exports
- Call for new ruling on animal trade
- Improved transport conditions for horses in the EU
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
