A frantic search unites owner with her beloved Jasmine
Jasmine's adventures has proven to be a real example of how a community can come together for the good of saving a life.
Local teacher Samantha Joubert (26) was worried sick when her beloved Australian Shepherd, Jasmine (9), went missing from the dog parlour.
Yet, this story has a good ending.
She and Jasmine have a long history of friendship, which started when Samantha, years ago, went looking for a dog that would be able to accompany her to university.
“The first time I saw Jasmine I was in love with her. She was a little fluff ball that had an immense amount of courage,” said Samantha.
“Over the next eight years, she would cover more kilometres than most dogs do in a lifetime as she travelled to and from Stellenbosch University with me while I completed my studies.”
Samantha has a close bond with Jasmine and she was terrified when she heard that Jasmine escaped from the grooming parlour in Ravenswood on October 29.
“As I am teacher, I do not take calls during the day, so my family had to jump into action when they heard the news. My family decided to do everything humanly possible to find Jasmine before I got home from work at 3pm.
“They spent many hours driving up and down the Boksburg industrial area as well as Boksburg North, stopping and calling her name.
“By the time I got home, I heard the news. Monday was the longest day of my life as I was in an emotional state trying to figure out how this could have happened.”
As Jasmine has never slept outside, cold, wet and hungry, her imagination ran rampant.
“We spent most of the evening looking for her.”
Tuesday saw Samantha’s mother, Bonnie Beichter (54), and brother, Jacques Beichter Joubert (24), both taking the day off work to help look for Jasmine.
They made posters and flyers that were handed out and put it up all over Boksburg.
It was while searching in Boksburg North that Bonnie and Jacques came across women who run a missing pet group.
They would eventually also lend their support.
“All we can say is thank you to them. If it was not for all their help and support Jasmine would still be lost,” said Samantha.
The news of Jasmine’s escape spread far and wide on social media platforms and lost pet groups.
“In a short time, we had hundreds of shares, good wishes and prayers.
“Some people even went as far as helping us to do the searching by patrolling the streets.”
After three days of non-stop searching, talking to everyone in the area and many posters and a couple sleepless nights, hope finally dawned.
“It was on October 31 that my mother decided to drive next to a riverbed by the prison, parking on an old bridge. When she started calling Jasmine’s name, she thought she saw her face sticking out of the reeds, but was unsure.
“Out of desperation she moved closer and kept calling. Jasmine then decided to make a beeline for my mother and brother.
“Oh what joy that Jasmine was safe and sound. My beloved companion spent three days in the Boksburg jungle. She was tired, thirsty, hungry and very dirty but in every other way perfectly fine.
“Words cannot describe how grateful and humbled we are to the Boksburg North community, everyone on social media and all the vets and the personnel in Boksburg and Benoni for all their love and caring.
“To Midvaal Veterinary Wholesaler in Edenvale, a big thank you for contacting all the vets and SPCA in the area.”
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