Avis Lyons and her staff at Animal Rescue Kerala take care of ill-treated and dehydrated animals, abandoned pups and kittens, and dogs that have been hit in road accidents. They also control the stray dog population by vaccination and sterilisation so that dogs won't gang up, spread rabies and become a danger to the community. Dog killing is still happening in Kerala, although it is illegal and very brutal. To keep a community rabies free and to let people live side by side with the stray dogs it is important to monitor the dogs like ARK does.
There are many people in the Trivandrum area who feed street dogs and even take in some of these dogs or keep them
on their premises. The dogs are held for protection or as pets. But sadly some people do not know how to take of dogs or do not realise that dogs are living creatures too with feelings and needs. Too often Avis and her team come across street dogs and pedigree dogs that are completely dehydrated and starved because they were locked up or chained without water or food. Some have horrible burns and others have deep cuts in their flesh from the chains around there neck.
ARK takes care of these wounded and traumatised dogs. They also respond to calls from people in the area who report an abuse or a problem with dogs. And they explain to people how to look after a dog at home. The center can house up to 200 dogs, pups, cats and kittens. There is an emergency section for dogs that need special attention and a surgery where the vet treats the dogs and cats.
Below you will find a short report of my first visit to the dog center.
When I Met Avis and the Dogs
Driving down the main road from Kerala's capital, Trivandrum, to Kovalam Beach, Animal Rescue Kerala is hidden in a green bush just off Kovalam junction. 
Once we've reached the centre I am standing in front of two high gates, one on either side of the road. To the left is where Avis lives, together with her volunteer vets, about 20 dogs and two horses in a large and beautiful garden. To the right there are the kennels. Avis gives me a tour starting with a warm welcome by a large pack of dogs at the gate.
These dogs are in a very good state. They are all rescue dogs and have been treated for some sort of injury. Once maltreated or undernourished they now roam around happily at the center.
Some of them are enjoying a little siesta on the patio after getting their much deserved daily attention. Others are searching my bag to find the piece of bread I have put in there earlier that morning.
In front of the gate is the main building housing the surgery, with the puppy and kitten section on the first floor. The puppies jump up and produce high pitched barking sounds when they see me. 
In the other corner is the cats' enclosure. A little kitten hangs with all fours to the fence and desperately tries to get my attention. There are a few adult cats and many little ones. It's hard to count how many, they are everywhere.
The vet and the nurse are feeding one of the cats by hand, injecting a fluid because the poor skinny thing has an upset stomic and refuses to eat.
Outside to the right of the main building are the 'hospital beds'. This is the E.R. of the centre. In these three cages the new ones are recovering from an operation or treatment.
There is a brown street dog with a broken leg in a plaster and a huge maggot wound on his back. He is a wild dog with many scars in his face and an extremely sad look in his eyes. God knows what this animal has been through.
The vet explains that they get many street dogs with broken legs (usually hit by a car) and dogs with maggot wounds. When a dog gets injured, flies lay their eggs in it and then the maggots get in. During an operation he shows me a maggot.
The dog in the second 'hospital bed' also has a broken leg and she is heavily pregnant. A few days later the vet tells me that the little white dog has given birth to six puppies. Another challenge for Avis and her team to find good homes for these little ones.
To the left of the main building are the kennels. In total there are about eighty dogs, Avis tells me. A lot of the dogs in the center are strays that have been steralised. But to my surprise there also quite a few pedigree dogs.
The first dog that catches my eye is a huge Great Dane with a lively character. Oh, how much I would like to take him home, but how on earth am I going to fit this massive Scooby Doo Dog in my flat? Avis tells me that she has found a good home for him.
There is a young Doberman in the middle of the kennel buildings. He is extremely thin, his bones are visible under his skin. Avis explains that he is actually doing well, because he was barely alive when he reached the center.
Next to the Doberman sit two small street dogs in another enclosure. This enclosure has a fence that doesn't even reach my knee. For these dogs it isn't necessary to create a high fence as these dogs are not able to jump it and run off. They can't go anywhere because they can't run. One is paralysed from the waist down and the other has had her back legs cut off by some monster. Both of them are hopping around on their front legs, with their back end lugging behind them.
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