All right, this is pretty sappy, but if you don’t like sappy, you probably bypass Saddy Animals already, so no harm no foul. MSPolitical sent in Jasmine and her story:
In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished and clearly had been abused.
In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for animals abandoned, orphaned, or otherwise in need.
Geoff Grewcock and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims: to restore the dog to full health and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved.
They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home. The dog had other ideas. No one remembers now how it began, but Jasmine started welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn’t matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or a rhinoceros, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick.
Geoff Grewcock relates one of the early incidents. “We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them.”
“But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings.
“She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose.”
Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary’s resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits.
And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the roe deer with affection and makes sure nothing is matted in her fur.
“They are inseparable,” says Geoff Grewcock. “Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It’s a real treat to see them.”
Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next orphan or victim of abuse.
From left, Toby, a stray Lakeland dog; Bramble, an orphaned Roe deer; Buster, a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine, doing what she does best.
See, this is the kind of stuff I’ll miss from you, Lotus.
Aw, me too, Underdog. Thanks for being part of what I’ll miss most — the community.
Lotus – What a wonderful story about a special animal. Vijae our neutered Siamese “mothered” our tabby Maharani when we adopted her at six weeks. Will miss you and Folo TERRIBLY! Hope the transition works out for your best interests. You will be in our thoughts and prayers. DLM, YLHL, Violet, Klaus, & Sunny
Lovely tale, lotus and MSPol. Thanks for all your hard work and your generous tolerance for blogging neophytes and strays like me’self. Good fortune to you!
Oh my…! (sigh)
Jasmine and brood is a perfect metaphor for you and your folo brood, lotus. Lefties and wingers, atheists and believers, cynics and idealists, all finding a home here at folo. All of us with something to say and something to learn.And in the process, finding little snippets of commonality.
Lotus, thank you for this folo experience. You have my best and warmest wishes for all of your tomorrows.
GG – Please ask Lotus for my email if you want to continue to correspond offline. – DLM
Consider it done, DLM.
I sent a link to this thread to a friend, and she responded “Excuse me, but Grewcock? Priceless.” I googled his name, just in case, you know, and found this great story, from which I lifted a few choice words and ellipses.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-557874/Whos-pretty-naughty-boy-Barney-foul-mouthed-parrot-teaches-birds-swear-tourists.html#
Read “Alex and Me” by Irene Pepperberg (it’s a book, not an article, but I can’t figure out how to underline or do italics on here) and you’ll be astounded at what African Grey Parrots can teach the rest of us. It takes you to MIT and a creative learning lab for scientists that will knock your socks off.