Nice writeup & photos. I toured there independently 20 years ago and posted the following: Sri Lanka touring notes

When I was there, some roads were excellent, but some were in bad condition. I don't recall any problems at all with dogs, but I did have issues with maniacal bus drivers in one region, the west-central part of the island. People were friendly, the food was delicious,and there were some interesting sights. There was still significant damage from the big tsunami (which happened about 13 months before my visit) that was visible along some parts of the south coast.