The Shelter Mother
By: Wally Myers

It was cold and raining when the Officer Jennifer got a call that someone was crying in an old garden shed.  “Officer Brian, let’s go investigate this.”  Jennifer and Brian drove to the location of the garden shed.  No one was living at the house, it was abandoned.  So the police officers walked around back and saw the shed. As they got near they heard a crying whimpering sound.  When they opened the door, Jen said, “Oh dear, look at that poor thing, why she’s coved with mud and dust.”   As Jenn and Brian moved closer to the corner where she lay, Brian said, “Take it slow Jenn, she looks scared.”  They could see that she had sores on her skin and she looked so thin you could see her ribs.  Jenn said, “She’s so young and she’s been shut in this shed and hasn’t eaten in days.”  Brian said, “We need to take her to the shelter.”

Officer Brian carried her to the car and carefully put her in the back seat with Jenn.  They were met at the shelter by Mr. Geoff and Ms. Betty who thanked the officers and said they would take good care of her.  Ms. Betty said, “Oh my, she is so dirty we need to wash away all this mud and dust; and then we can feed her.”  After she was cleaned up and fed, Mr. Geoff carried her to a warm clean bed where she fell asleep.  Ms. Betty said, “Geoff, I don’t remember any one this bad off.  We’ll need to give her a lot of tender loving care.” 

And that is what they and the whole staff did.  Her name was Jasmine and they fed her and made sure that she was warm.  They held her and comforted her.  They gave Jasmine as much love as they could; and nursed her back to health.  They treated her just like she was their own daughter.  Gradually Jasmine came to trust them and feel welcome at the shelter.  Where once Jasmine was timid and fearful; now she became confident and friendly.  Where once she really needed care and love; now she wanted to help others.

One night Mr. Geoff answered the knocking at the shelter door.  Officers Jen and Brian brought in two young ones and Jen said, “These two were abandoned near the railroad tracks.  Do you have room for them?”  “Of course. Thank you for bringing them here.  We’ll take good care of them.”  Then Mr. Geoff put both of them down in the big room, then he rushed to the kitchen to turn off the oven.  When he came back, they were gone.  He looked around and there was Jasmine snuggling up to the new ones.  Mr. Geoff called out, “Ms Betty come take a look at this.”  When she arrived, Mr. Geoff told her, “The police dropped off two little ones. And I put them down on the floor right here.  But look, Jasmine carried them over to her bed and there she is, snuggling up to them.  Ms Betty, I think Jasmine is adopting them.”

From then on, no matter who came to the shelter, Jasmine took care of them.  She calmed them down, showed them that she cared.  She helped them feel safe at the shelter.  Jasmine adopted all of them.  She became their mother.

And it is quite amazing, particularly since Jasmine is a dog, a greyhound dog.  And she helps out in an animal shelter.  She’s adopted terriers and Dobermans; all kinds of dogs and all kinds of animals too.  There’s an 11 week old deer named Bramble, who was found barely alive in a field.  When she arrived at the shelter, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mom role.  Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the deer with affection and makes sure Bramble’s fur is not matted.

Here are some of Jasmine’s adopted animals:  five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits, Sky the barn owl, and Bramble the baby deer.  (myerswally@gmail.com for picture)

If you would like Jasmine to adopt you and have all these different animals as your sisters and brothers; well you will just have to go to the animal shelter in England where Jasmine really lives.

These are the pictures we’ll show.