Jasmine
NB. The greyhound is classified as a sight hound, it can reach speeds of 43 mph (73 kmph) and is known for its ability to chase and kill small creatures particularly rabbits and hares.
It is therefore important to be aware that the photo of Jasmine and her foster animals has been verified as genuine, however, in the original photograph a thick towel was placed on Jasmine’s hind quarters to protect her from the owls talons.
Jasmine with some of her “brood.” “Toby” a stray Lakeland Terrier, “Bramble” the Doe Deer, “Buster” a stray Jack Russell, an abandoned rabbit and “Sky” an injured Barn Owl.
In 2003, in Warwickshire, England, a police officer forced his way into a locked garden shed and was horrified to find that cowering in the corner was a greyhound. She had been abandoned, she was starving, her coat was filthy, and she bore the marks of abuse. Nothing new, just another abused greyhound. One of the most mistreated breeds in the UK.
Whilst we understand the necessity to provide shelter, food, and water to an abused animal, there is a degree of ignorance and misunderstanding of the emotional trauma that these animals have gone through and continue to suffer sometimes for life. It is critical for healing that we address both the physical injuries and the emotional damage.
At that stage, nobody involved in the rescue of this mistreated greyhound could possibly have known what the future held.
She was taken to the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, where she was nursed back to health.
This particular shelter was slightly different in that it didn’t confine itself to any one species. Whilst its main concern was for wildlife on this occasion, it happily accepted this very distressed greyhound. When the animals that they looked after had been nursed back to health, they were released back into the wild.
Odd behaviour
Having been returned to good health, the shelter started the process of looking for a permanent home for Jasmine, as she was now named. However, she started to show some very odd behaviour, particularly for a greyhound. As I have already said, the general assumption is that greyhounds and lurchers will automatically chase and kill and cannot be trusted when around small, hairy creatures, particularly cats and rabbits. Admittedly, many will as the natural instinct takes over, but there are exemptions. (See The Pacifist 1st August 2021)
As each new arrival came into the sanctuary, Jasmine took it upon herself to check each individual in. She sniffed, licked and happily curled up with any waif and stray that needed comfort. These included fox cubs, badger cubs, chicks, puppies, guinea pigs and rabbits. Along the way, she even adopted a barn owl and tolerated birds using her as a perch. What was also extraordinary was that at the beginning, Jasmine was still slightly wary of humans, not surprising considering her history of abuse, but despite her personal distress, she showed remarkable compassion to those whose plight was even worse. Let’s face it: being orphaned almost from birth must be a horrible experience, so Jasmine’s intervention not only benefited the orphans but reduced the workload of the sanctuary staff.
Maybe her behaviour sprang from a need to compensate for her own mistreatment, as the role she undertook was also emotionally beneficial to her as she took comfort in the company of other animals. It should also be noted that the love and tolerance she exhibited to other species was an example to the other animals, who started to show the same acceptance even to their natural enemies.
Florence Nightingale
Jasmine took her Florence Nightingale role to new heights as she became the sanctuary’s unofficial resident foster mum. She even gave her undivided attention to Bramble, an eleven-week-old Roe Deer found bewildered and semi-conscious in a field by a dog walker.
Jasmine never did find a new home. She became a permanent resident. For the rest of her life, Jasmine would continue in her self-imposed role as a foster mum for any creature that needed her special kind of help. Her own health improved, and her fear of humans slowly disappeared. A short animated film was made as a tribute to this rather unique greyhound. In her lifetime, she selflessly attended to countless distressed and orphaned animals of so many different species and showed how so many can live together in perfect harmony.
How sad that we humans continue to fail so miserably to achieve this state of peaceful coexistence.
RIP
Jasmine passed away peacefully on the 11th October 2011.
“Being a MOTHER doesn’t mean being related by blood but means loving someone unconditionally with your whole heart.”
Anon