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.

A small group of people have congregated outside Mumbai’s Joggers Park on Indian independence day. Monsoon rains that have hit swathes of the country have drenched them to their skin, but they have not been deterred.

The countless stray dogs that wander India’s capital and environs have been granted a reprieve, after outcry over a court order to round them up.