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

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.

India’s Supreme Court has changed course on an order that raised hue and cry upon its issue this month to round up and confine the multitude of stay dogs that wander around New Delhi. Following protests by dog lovers,