They say that a dog is a man’s best friend. But, for the more than 250 stray dogs, this woman is more than their best friend. Coimbatore-based, 58-year-old S.V. Geetha Rani founded the Snehalaya Home for Animals about 12 years ago. The home, located on Mettupalayam Road, rescues and shelters abandoned and stray dogs.

The idea of starting a shelter for the abandoned dogs started when Geetha was just a child. She was born to parents who were from different castes. Since the parents’ families didn’t accept them, growing up was a lonely experience for Geetha, isolated by her cousins and relatives.

Geetha’s family owned about a dozen dogs then. She spent her childhood playing with them on the farm owned by her family. The dogs loved her unconditionally and filled up the gaps left by humans. It was at that young age that she developed a strong liking for dogs, and she made up her mind to do something for them.

She is assisted by a driver, who is also an animal lover. “We have a pick-up van that he drives around. As soon as we receive a call to rescue an injured animal, we rush to the location, no matter what time it is. If the injury is severe, the animal is taken to a veterinary doctor before it is brought to the shelter home. I have a team of three staff who cook food for my children,” Geetha says. She does not like to call them as dogs. Instead, she refers to them as her children.

Recently, Coimbatore-based writer and short film maker, T.R. Vijayanand, made a 25-minute film titled ‘Gnamali.’ The film was recorded live at this home for abandoned dogs, and it was released on the World Stray Animals Day, April 4, this year. Geetha tells us that ever since the short-film went viral, the number of rescue calls that she receives has increased.