It's just a joke!

FOR SALE:

One useless cat and one persuasive rat.

St. Paddy's Wiener

Happy St. Patty's Day, from everyone at A Tail At A Time!

Maybe she always wanted to be a mama

The following was sent to me by a friend, one of those chain emails I hate and never read.  But for some reason I read this one and am I ever glad.  The story breaks my heart and that glues it all back together again in a matter of minutes.  I hope you enjoy it.

***

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.

Attack of the Too Cute

A purse-full of kittens, featuring this weeks Featured Adoptables Ziggy, Suki and their sister.

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Glamour Girl

Remember when Cecelia had her big modeling adventure a few weeks ago? Here are a few of the photos from that afternoon:

This next one was so great I decided to make the new banner out of it.

Not only is she a stunning cover-girl, Cecelia is an absolute angel. Sweet, gentle, curious, playful - it was a blast to be her handler for the day. This beauty has found her forever home, but we have a lot of other cats and kittens who are just as wonderful and definitely in need of a good family! If you're interested in adopting or fostering, please visit www.atailatatime.org or email info@atailatatime.org.

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Your Weekly Cute Overload

This is Eden. She came to one of our last adoption events with her daddy and her little brother. They can't have a kitty for good reason (Mommy is very allergic to cats), but Eva sure did love snuggling up with our adoptables!

She and Ashley The Kitten were both a little scared of each other at first, but they took their time, moved slowly and gently, and before we knew it they were best pals.

This Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. A Tail At A Time will be at Petqua (2604 Broadway, between 98th and 99th Streets) with several of their adoptables. If you've been longing to hear a sweet little purr, come spend the day with our kitties! We're looking for volunteers, foster homes and forever homes.

For more information visit www.atailatatime.org or email info@atailatatime.org.

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