Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:33 pm by globalturbo
In
2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a
whimpering, cowering dog. The dog had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It
was dirty and malnourished, and had quite clearly been abused.
In an act
of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a female greyhound, to the
Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, which is run by a man named Geoff
Grewcock, and known as a haven for animals abandoned, orphaned, or otherwise in
need.
Geoff 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.
Jasmine, however, had other
ideas. No one quite remembers how it came about, but Jasmine started
welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It would not matter if it were a
puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, any other lost or hurting animal. Jasmine would
just peer into the box or cage and, when and where possible, deliver a welcoming
lick.
Geoff 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, fifteen
chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and fifteen rabbits - and one roe
deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, eleven 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.
"They are inseparable," says
Geoff. "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.
Pictured from the left are:
"Toby", a stray Lakeland dog; "Bramble", orphaned roe deer; "Buster", a stray
Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; "Sky", an injured barn owl; and "Jasmine", with a
mother's heart doing best what a caring mother would do...and such is the order
of God's Creation.
So you can pass this story
on, and maybe make someone else's day to be just a little brighter!
2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a
whimpering, cowering dog. The dog had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It
was dirty and malnourished, and had quite clearly been abused.
In an act
of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a female greyhound, to the
Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, which is run by a man named Geoff
Grewcock, and known as a haven for animals abandoned, orphaned, or otherwise in
need.
Geoff 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.
Jasmine, however, had other
ideas. No one quite remembers how it came about, but Jasmine started
welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It would not matter if it were a
puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, any other lost or hurting animal. Jasmine would
just peer into the box or cage and, when and where possible, deliver a welcoming
lick.
Geoff 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, fifteen
chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and fifteen rabbits - and one roe
deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, eleven 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.
"They are inseparable," says
Geoff. "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.
Pictured from the left are:
"Toby", a stray Lakeland dog; "Bramble", orphaned roe deer; "Buster", a stray
Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; "Sky", an injured barn owl; and "Jasmine", with a
mother's heart doing best what a caring mother would do...and such is the order
of God's Creation.
So you can pass this story
on, and maybe make someone else's day to be just a little brighter!
