India's top court has ordered authorities to remove all stray dogs from the streets and place them in permanent shelters, sparking an uproar from animal-rights groups over the feasibility of a decision some say was made in anger.

In cities across the country, the feral animals are both loved and feared. The judges are forging into intensely emotional territory by going after the ones in the capital.

The Supreme Court has directed authorities in Delhi-NCR to relocate stray dogs to shelters, emphasizing public safety and addressing concerns about dog bites, particularly among vulnerable populations.