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THE barking begins long before visitors reach the gates. As four guests arrived at Bayview Animal Sanctuary perched on the hills of Telipok, they were greeted by a deafening chorus of rescued dogs echoing across the valley.

Beyond the noise, however, lay one of the most breathtaking panoramic views of Kota Kinabalu’s bays – a tranquil landscape stretching endlessly into the horizon.

The sanctuary was originally intended to become a retreat centre. Instead, it evolved into a refuge for abused and abandoned dogs and the ageing Australian missionary who dedicated nearly six decades of her life to Sabah.

Inside one of the rooms overlooking the hills lay Sylvia Jeanes – affectionately known to many as “Ibu Suria”.

An oxygen machine stood beside her bed.

Just a day before the visit, Sylvia revealed she had undergone a biopsy procedure related to skin cancer treatment – a detail that underscored the physical toll age and illness have taken on her.

Still, her voice remained warm, humorous and deeply attentive to the animals – and humans – around her.

Rather than resting at the head of the bed, Sylvia now sleeps near its foot so she can look directly at the photographs covering the walls around her – pictures of rescued dogs, family members, close friends and memories from a long, extraordinary life.

At 85, the former missionary teacher, pastor and animal rescuer spends much of her time in bed due to failing health. Yet even there, she remains surrounded by the animals she loves most.

“The ones on the bottom line, they all live in the room with me,” she said, smiling while pointing towards photographs taped onto the wall.

“These three are siblings – Tuxedo, Poppy and Princess. They’re all so different.”

One dog was brown, another black and white, while the third was white with reddish spots.

“The others have all got their own stories,” she added.

Nearby, several of the dogs quietly wandered around the room, occasionally climbing near her bed as if instinctively aware of her fragile condition.

For Sylvia, these animals are not merely rescues. They are companions, survivors and family.

A Life Rooted in Sabah

Sylvia first arrived in Sabah in 1967 after the Anglican Church appealed for teachers for mission schools in the interior.

“In 1967 the Anglican Church of Sabah had nine primary schools. They were lacking teachers,” she recalled.

“In Australia the Church Missionary Society worked with the Anglican Church overseas and sent personnel for their mission. Sabah needed teachers, so they sent me in response to the need.”

She was posted to Tongod alongside missionary nurse Elsie Elliot.

The young Australian entered a Sabah vastly different from today.

Transportation depended almost entirely on walking or travelling by “jongkong” boat through the Kinabatangan river system. Schools lacked resources, communication was limited, and diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria were widespread.

Yet Sylvia stayed.

Over time, she became deeply involved in building educational and community life in Tongod, eventually serving as principal while helping strengthen mission education in the remote Kinabatangan interior.

“The poverty of the people stayed with me,” she said. “I did what I could to help them.”

She remembered distributing milk to babies through the clinic using government aid meant for poor children, while Unicef food supplies and overseas donations supported struggling villagers.

A spiritual revival in the 1970s also transformed her understanding of the people she served.

“These people became true Christians,” she said.

“Love became evident in their lives and I came to love them more.”

The years in Tongod also left her with lasting memories of Sabah’s natural beauty before large-scale environmental change transformed much of the landscape.

“Working in the forest, apart from the leeches, was very pleasant,” she said previously.

“Journeying on the river was also very pleasant.”

Her contribution to Sabah did not go unnoticed.

In 1980, the Sabah Government granted her permanent residency in recognition of her service to education. Six years later, she received the Bintang Setia Kinabalu (BSK) award.

The Anglican Diocese of Sabah later honoured her for 40 years of faithful missionary and educational service, while appointing her a Lay Canon in 2003.

How ‘Ibu Suria’ Was Born

The affectionate nickname that many Sabahans know her by today came about almost accidentally.

“There’s a man who started calling me Suria, partly because Sylvia is a hard name to say if you haven’t been educated,” she explained with a laugh.

“Suria, Suria, Sylvia. The ‘V’ is difficult, the ‘L’ is difficult.”

The name eventually stayed.

Later, while serving as pastor in charge of the Indonesian congregation at All Saints Cathedral in Kota Kinabalu, another title naturally attached itself to her.

“You know how it is with Indonesians,” she said.

“All the women are called ‘Ibu’, Mother.”

As the congregation’s pastor, Sylvia was affectionately addressed as “Ibu Suria” – a name that would follow her for decades and become synonymous with compassion, service and care for both people and animals.

The Dogs That Changed Her Life

Sylvia’s journey into animal rescue began unexpectedly in Tongod in 1978.

A stray dog wandered onto the mission compound and later gave birth to puppies. Another pair of rescued puppies from Sandakan eventually found their way to her through friends travelling upriver by boat.

One of them, Jerry, became her lifelong companion.

“Jerry picked up his plate one day and put it on my feet,” she recalled.

“So I knew Jerry was my dog.”

When Sylvia moved to Kota Kinabalu in 1985, Jerry came with her.

Then came more strays. The numbers slowly grew from two to five, then beyond.

Eventually, with assistance from businessman George Ng, she moved to Bukit Giling in Telipok, where Bayview Animal Sanctuary was established on nearly two acres of land overlooking the bay.

Today, about 100 dogs live there. Some sleep indoors with her. Others roam beneath trees surrounding the sanctuary grounds.

Many arrived traumatised, injured or abandoned.

Pointing towards another series of photographs, Sylvia recounted the story of a litter rescued from workers’ quarters nearby.

“The mother lived over there,” she said.

“She had eight babies. They were barking all night long.”

One by one, the puppies were rescued and brought to the sanctuary.

The mother dog eventually climbed over the fence and returned to her old home, though the puppies stayed behind.

One of them later died.

“I don’t know why she didn’t make it,” Sylvia said quietly.

Another puppy, Poppy, suffered severely bent legs and required multiple surgeries.

“So now she’s walking quite well,” Sylvia said proudly.

The room where Sylvia now spends most of her days feels like a small museum of love, grief and endurance.

Photographs of siblings and relatives hang beside the pictures of rescued dogs.

Some family members are no longer alive.

“One of the twins died last year,” she said softly. “And Tom’s also gone. David’s gone.”

The loss, however, also helped sustain the sanctuary financially.

Her late brother left behind a small inheritance which was shared among surviving siblings, including Sylvia.

“It helps me tremendously to spoil everybody,” she laughed.

“Go to the restaurant for lunch and so on.”

Despite her declining health, Sylvia still maintains her humour.

“I’m 85 already, so I’ve really kicked the bucket, I suppose,” she joked.

“Anyway, Alvis won’t let me kick the bucket yet.”

A Sanctuary Built on Compassion

Helping care for the sanctuary today is Aivi Cyrstel Sibil, Sylvia’s assistant who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Communications at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), alongside Alvis and his wife Tina, among others.

Together, they ensure the sanctuary continues operating smoothly despite Sylvia’s physical limitations.

After spending time in Sylvia’s room, visitors were ushered into the sanctuary’s dining area where the sweeping view of Kota Kinabalu’s bay unfolded beneath the Telipok hills.

The atmosphere felt more like a family gathering than an interview.

Tea was served alongside biscuits with cheese, sandwiches and local snacks brought by independent animal feeder Mathilda Shyma.

Romina Voon – founder of Sabah Pet Lost Found Adopt (SPLFA), a Facebook community with nearly 40,000 followers – warmly praised the Australian-style hospitality.

During the fellowship, Sylvia casually mentioned that she had recently celebrated her 85th birthday aboard a sunset cruise along Kota Kinabalu’s coastline.

Despite her age and deteriorating health, she remains emotionally invested in every animal under her care.

“The dogs stay with me and keep me company all day long,” she said.

A Growing Animal Welfare Crisis

Over the decades, Sylvia has witnessed countless cases of cruelty and abandonment.

“Puppies put in tins and abandoned,” she said.

“People like dogs when they are puppies. Then they grow up and people don’t want them anymore.”

She believes Malaysians are slowly becoming more compassionate towards animals, although urban lifestyles and housing restrictions often make rescue work difficult.

Nonetheless, she hopes younger generations will continue pushing Sabah’s animal welfare movement forward.

“I believe God will raise up the next generation to take care,” she said.

“God will not let His animals be totally abandoned.”

Although Sylvia can no longer physically care for the animals herself, she insists she is not worried about the sanctuary’s future.

A trusted team has already been put in place to continue the work.

“We are prepared to stay with them until they all die, loved and cared for,” she said.

After nearly 60 years in Sabah – as educator, missionary, pastor and rescuer – Sylvia hopes people remember her life for its faith and generosity.

“I hope people will remember me as a Christian,” she said, adding that she hoped more people would learn to be generous too.

“I worked honestly, hard and generously.”

For now, “Ibu Suria” remains where she has chosen to spend the twilight years of her extraordinary life – surrounded by dogs, photographs, faith and the rolling hills overlooking Kota Kinabalu’s bay.

Those wishing to support Bayview Animal Sanctuary may do so through donations to HSBC account number 392-141693-108 under Jeanes Sylvia Margaret.