Animal Rahat’s newest sanctuary, The David J. Reuben Home for Animal Refugees, is nestled on the border of the southern Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala. The refuge’s lush landscape provides wide-open spaces perfect for the equines who live there.
The sanctuary opened in late November 2022, and its first residents arrived in December 2022, after fencing, water troughs, and shade canopies were constructed. The property already had a house on it, and crews worked to paint it, fix any damage, and create quarters for the caretakers.
Animal Rahat has worked in Karnataka since the first Chinchali Fair. The group also works with a nearby partner sanctuary, where it had sent rescued equines because of the region’s outstanding grasslands—which are kind to the arthritic joints of animals who have endured a lifetime of forced labor on hard dirt-packed roads. But when the partner facility reached capacity, Animal Rahat discovered 25 available acres nearby that today are home to its sanctuary for rescued equines and other animals.