Dholu, an energetic young male with a noticeable limp; Oldie, the greying elder who loves a belly rub; and Snoopy, a golden-eyed boy who patiently waits his turn.

Street dogs are a fixture of nearly every neighbourhood in Delhi, in most cases being fed and cared for by residents. So when the death of a child, apparently from rabies, prompted a court to order that all dogs be rounded up and confined to non-existent ‘shelters’,

India's Supreme Court modified its order on stray dogs on Friday, directing that those picked up from streets in and around Delhi be released after sterilisation and immunisation, after a storm of protests from animal lovers.