There are times when we might hear about the most despicable act but it only takes a single act of kindness to turn things around.
That was the case with Ruby, a sheepdog in Australia that was purchased to herd sheep on a farmer’s property. Unfortunately, Ruby was not able to master the art of herding sheep and her former owner was unkind, to say the least. One day, he even decided to get rid of Ruby once and for all, so he took her to a friends house to shoot her.
His friend brought the gun outside to shoot Ruby and she was so frightened, she wet herself! We’ve all heard that sheepdogs are some of the most intelligent dogs, so it seems like Ruby came up with a plan and it worked quite well! Rather than just standing there and allowing herself to be shot, she jumped on the man and licked his face.
That single act of compassion on the part of Ruby moved something in the man and he had Ruby get down, went inside and made a phone call. That phone call provided a second chance for Ruby that saved her life.
Shortly afterward, Ruby was taken to a farm sanctuary in Australia known as Edgar’s Mission. Over 300 rescued animals live on that sanctuary, and Pam Ahers, who works on that farm, had this to say:
“She really has blossomed from the frightened skinny dog who came into our lives. I remember the despair we all felt when we first saw her, you only had to look at her sideways and she would wet herself.”
There are times when Ruby is still frightened but the love she showed to the stranger with a gun is the same love that she continued to show from the moment she first arrived at Edgar’s mission. It was there that she found her true calling, to make sure that nobody, animal or human, ever has to be alone again.
One of Ruby’s unofficial duties is welcoming visitors to the farm. It seems as if she wants everyone have the same welcoming feeling that she experienced on her first day. Ahers made the following observation:
“She really has made it her official duty to be assistant tour guide. I may be working away here in the office and Ruby realizes a tour has started, so off she races to the door and begins scratching.”
Not only does she help with tours on the sanctuary, she is also a huge help to other animals, especially when they are new. Many animals that come to Edgar’s Mission carry emotional wounds and Ruby is there to help heal them. She has fallen into this role quite nicely.
It has been said that misery equates a man with strange bedfellows, and that is certainly true when it comes to Ruby’s BFF. She is a pig named Little Squeak, and Ruby has become somewhat of a mother to her. She may not have done well herding sheep on the farm, but she certainly has much love to give!
“Whether it is gently nudging the hand of a frightened child, or softly licking the nose of a rescued animal, Ruby touches hearts and minds and makes everyone she meets feel safe and special,”
Owners of rescued dogs often wonder who rescued who. Those who know Ruby recognize that she was saved out of the clutches of death but now, she rescues both people and animals on a daily basis!
(Images: Edgar’s Mission)
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