How this Keralam animal lover has turned her rented home into a sanctuary for rescued dogs and cats
P. Shyma, an animal lover in Kerala, has dedicated her life to rescuing and sheltering dozens of abandoned dogs and cats. Despite the financial and logistical challenges of caring for nearly 90 animals, she continues to provide them with medical care and a home.
Why it matters
The story sheds light on the grassroots efforts of individuals working to address the issue of stray animal welfare in India.
People 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, many 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 says 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.
P. Shyma with some of the rescued dogs sheltered at her rented house at Badiroor in Kozhikode, Keralam. | Photo Credit: K. RAGESH
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