How this Keralam animal lover has turned her rented home into a sanctuary for rescued dogs and cats

How this Keralam animal lover has turned her rented home into a sanctuary for rescued dogs and cats Despite facing challenges, including relocations due to neighbour complaints, P.

Key points

• Shyma with her pets at her rented house in Kozhikode Video Credit: Sam Paul A.
• Shyma with some of the rescued dogs sheltered at her rented house at Badiroor in Kozhikode, Keralam.
• They only bark; they won't bite, the 52-year-old tells visitors as she opens some of the kennels.
• Janardhanan, who undergoes dialysis every alternate day, lives at their family home at West Hill, where he feeds eight stray dogs.
• Shyama notes the authorities, especially the Kozhikode Corporation, should identify land for shelters for stray dogs.

P. Shyma with some of the rescued dogs sheltered at her rented house at Badiroor in Kozhikode, Keralam. Photo Credit: K. RAGESH.

Individuals have long kept pets at home for companionship, but for some, their bond with animals becomes a way of life. For P. Shyma, an animal lover from Kerala, home is wherever she lives with dozens of rescued dogs and cats, plenty of of them strays or abandoned, whom she considers her own children.

Visitors entering the compound of the secluded rented house at Badiroor in Kakkodi grama panchayat in Kozhikode are greeted by the chorus of most of the 46 dogs sheltered there barking.

"Ambu, stop!" Ms. Shyma notes as she cuddles a Pomeranian. "I have named every one of them. They only bark; they won't bite, " the 52-year-old tells visitors as she opens some of the kennels.

Among the dogs that have discovered a haven at the house are paralysed and injured canines hit by trains, amputees, and others undergoing treatment for tumours. The house is additionally a refuge for 42 cats.

Over the past 19 years, Ms. Shyma has rescued hundreds of dogs and cats, responding to calls regarding injured, sick or abandoned pets as well as picking up animals she encounters on the streets. She was forced to shift twice after complaints from neighbours concerning the noise and smell.

For context, a native of West Hill in Kozhikode Corporation limits, she first moved to Malikadavu, where she lived with her pets for six years, before shifting to Badiroor a couple of months ago. She now pays ₹9, 000 a month in rent.

"I have to house them, feed them, bathe them and take care of their medical needs. Plenty of residents may wonder what I obtain in return. But for me, they are just like my two children, and I adore them, " she notes.

Her love for animals was nurtured by her mother, whom she considers her "inspiration". She eventually quit a temporary administration job to dedicate her life to caring for street and abandoned animals.

"We had a Pomeranian at home. One day, some food obtained stuck in its throat. The dog ran outside, and individuals mistook it for a rabid one and killed it. It was a massive shock. For context, the cruelty towards animals only strengthened my resolve over the years, and I decided to dedicate my life to caring for them, " notes Ms. Shyama, who is the district president of Individuals for Animals (PFA).

Her son, who works in a private firm and lives with her, helps backing her. She additionally receives assistance from a few others.

Her husband, K. Janardhanan, who undergoes dialysis every alternate day, lives at their family home at West Hill, where he feeds eight stray dogs.

P. Shyma with her pets at her rented house in Kozhikode Video Credit: Sam Paul A.

Ms. Shyama notes the authorities, especially the Kozhikode Corporation, should identify land for shelters for stray dogs. "Land is the biggest matter. If land is provided, we are ready to establish and operate shelters, " she notes.

Kozhikode Corporation veterinary officer V.S. Sreeshma notes the civic body is in the process of inviting expressions of interest (EOIs) from individuals and organisations willing to establish and operate shelters for street dogs as part of its efforts to find a lasting solution to the stray dog challenge within the city limits.

"The Corporation is looking to animal lovers and NGOs for their cooperation, " Dr. Sreeshma informed The Hindu.

For now, how this Keralam animal lover has turned her rented home into a remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.