THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 'These are not my pets, they are my own children...' Geetha says pointing to the dogs walking around her. Amid the stray dog menace in the state, 40-year-old Geetha became a role model by bringing stray dogs to her home. There are as many as 17 dogs at her one-room house in Indira Nagar, Peroorkada. Geetha, who works as a home maid for a living, spends three-quarters of her salary on raising dogs.

"Ten years ago, when I went to a homeopathic store to buy medicine, I saw a dog abandoned on the street. I could not bear to see the pain of the dog who was suffering from a bad leg", Geetha said.

The puppy, which was only days old was named Sreekutty. She applied medicine to the wounds on this baby's leg and gave her food. On that day, she decided to devote her life to other dogs roaming the streets like Sreekutty. Geetha named her dogs Ashwathi, Kannan, Luttappi and so on,

The mother dog

Most of the dogs today are the offspring of the dog named Sreekutty. Geetha has decided not to have children to raise dogs. Her husband Rajesh also supported her. The dogs are with Geeta all the time. Geeta says that dogs become violent when they don't get food. Geetha don't allow her dogs to go outside. They bark at strangers but haven't bitten anyone so far. All dogs are vaccinated. Geetha has also taken license to raise them. She also take care of dogs injured on the streets.

Geetha feeds her dogs before going to work at 7 am. When she returns, Sreekutty and the pack will come running in joy to see their mother.