Sasha the Wonder dog

Here is another big news of animal surrogacy. Well, it cannot be called purely surrogacy, I have used the word deliberately, as I hardly find any difference in mothers carrying others’ fetus in their womb and those who do not exactly do that, but give other’s babies a new horizon of life! It’s not about Jasmine - the greyhound this time, but a Rottweiler, Sasha who saved the life of a new born abandoned piglet. Yes, a newly born piglet, who had been abandoned by its mum found her life and a new world, while snuggling down with Sasha and her black-tan puppies. Sasha is indeed a good dog, but more than that she is a great as a mum – a Godmother!

The incidence happened in the farm house of Heidi Rhiann, of Pont Llogel, near Llanfyllin. The Belgian Blue piglet, named Apple Sauce had been abandoned by its mum as a the runt in the litter of 13 piglets. Sasha has changed the way we have been looking into the breed. Rottweilers have earned a great deal of bad fame as being one of the most dangerous dog breed in the world. Some governments have banned keeping Rottweilers. But Sasha has proved things wrong!

Apple sauce was in danger of kissing the dust when her mother rejected her. It’s life was to be decided by Rhiann. She thought Sasha her dog might take on the maternal duties for Apple Sauce, though she wasn’t sure. As a last resort, pig breeder Ms Rhiann was stuck by shrieking surprise to see Apple Sauce was suckling. Sasha, her puppies and Apple Sauce have formed an unlikely bond. Rhiann said, "It was the last chance for the piglet.I wrapped Apple Sauce in a blanket the puppies had been on to try and transfer the scent and left her next to Sasha…. about an hour later I went to see how they were getting along and Apple Sauce was suckling." She also said that the first-time mum Sasha, an 18-month-old, 45-kilo Rottweiler, had been a wonderful mother to Apple Sauce. Said said, Apple Sauce was skin and bone when I handed her over to Sasha and now she's gaining weight and starting to fatten up … Apple Sauce has a poorly trotter at the moment and Sasha knows this and is trying to lick it better. She instinctively knows Apple Sauce isn't in perfect health. We feed Apple Sauce with some supplementary feed and Sasha gives a concerned whine when we pick her up, as much as to say 'what are you doing with my puppy?'."

Jasmine The Greyhound Becomes Surrogate Dog Mother For 50th Time

With the fall off 2009, another animal news has created a sensational impact on animal lovers around the world. Dog lovers, especially, have to celebrate their love for dogs by getting the news of the Greyhound, who has become surrogate surrogate dog mother to 50 animals! Jasmine is her name. When she arrived in the sanctuary, she was scared, hungry and devoid of love; dirt could be pinched out of her coat. She required a lot of love, good food and immense care to regain back her health. Just with a flap of skin on some bones, Jasmine - the greyhound was rescued from the dreary phase of her life. Now she is paying off her debt! She is a known rescuer of many abandoned animal babies. The seven-year-old Jasmine has taken up the charge as a rescuer or has been playing a surrogate dog mother to many newborn animals with whole hearted love and attention to aid their growth.

Most interestingly, Jasmine - the surrogate dog mother, has played surrogate mother to other puppies, chicks, guinea pigs, rabbits and even fox and badger cubs. Jasmine is presently busy in caring for her 50th ward - 11-week-old roe deer fawn Bramble. Sanctuary boss Geoff Grewcock said: "She dotes on the animals as if they were her own, it's incredible. She takes all the stress out of them and helps them settle. As soon as an animal is brought in, she walks over, takes a sniff or two and then licks and cuddles them. She even lets birds perch on her nose. Her maternal instincts take over. It is amazing, particularly as she is a greyhound and they are quite aggressive".

Biography of Jasmine: Jasmine's biography was best defined by Mr Grewcock. Grewcock said, "Jasmine was abused when she was younger. The police brought her to us after discovering her whimpering in a garden shed. She was nervous around us, caked in mud and dust and very thin. It took a while, but she got used to us". Jasmine's latest charge Bramble arrived just a couple of months ago. She will be looking after this newborn abandoned animal until it is released back into the wild. Grewcock went on: "They are inseparable, Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. Having been neglected herself, it's a surprise to see her show so much affection to other creatures. It's not just animals, she's great with children too." Grewcock added, "they walk together round the sanctuary. It's absolutely marvelous. It's a real treat to see them. But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits which greyhounds usually chase down the track". She had been taken to the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife sanctuary in the year 2003, after being found dumped. So far Jasmine has taken nurtured and looked after 5 fox cubs; 4 badger cubs; 15 chicks; 8 guinea pigs; 15 rabbits; 2 pups 1 fawn. Jasmine, who exemplifies a perfect surrogate animal mother has become a surrogate dog mother again for the 50th time, by shouldering the responsibility of nurturing the Bramble on herself.

Animal News: Huani, The Surrogate Dog Mother

Image Courtesy: credit: Lu Chaunguan/Xinhua/AP
A very interesting story - rather a fact - had created a buzz across the web as it was flashed on the media on May 2007. A female dog (mongrel) became the center of focus of animals lovers around the world by being the surrogate mother of three tiger cubs, born at a zoo in the country's eastern Shandong province. The god mother named "Huani" is suckling three little tiger cubs, who had been named imaginatively as ONE, TWO and THREE by staff at Jinan Paomaling Wild Animal World. The trio ill-fated babies were rejected by their mother shortly after their birth and the responsibility of nurturing them was shouldered by "Huani", who continued to suckle the three little tiger cubs until their appetites outpaced her supply of milk. The zoo manager, Chen Yucai, said that it wasn't surprisingly uncommon for Chinese zoos to use female dogs as surrogate mothers for abandoned tiger cubs. It's almost a dog's life for the three newborn tiger triplets in Eastern China.

The art of introducing the tiger cubs to dogs for nursing had always been quite unique. The zoo staff used to rubbed the urine of surrogate mother - the female dog on the coat of the tiger babies, and gradually brought them close to her. This made the surrogate mother think that she was nursing her own pups. But this time, it wasn't that much of hardship for the zoo staff, because Huani had already nursed tiger babes before. She did not mind caring for ONE, TWO and THREE. Huani proved her angelic magnanimity that every mother should have. We humans have a lot to learn from this mongrel!

A spokeswoman at London Zoo said that staff usually try to match the abandoned animal babies with a mother of the same species. In the 1990s, an Asiatic lion at the London Zoo had abandoned her cub, when the staff had to place the little creature with another lioness that had given birth to her own two cubs. According to many, the abandoned animal babies are placed in the surrogate mother's litter of the same species, because it would acquire her smell and be accepted by her too. So there's a chance of re-abandonment of the cubs or killing of the foreign cubs by the surrogate mothers. If a surrogate of the same species can't be found, London Zoo staff would try try to find a companion animal for abandoned babies. But Chinese dogs like Huani have made things easier for the zoo staff.