Between them, they have adopted about 20 strays and they now take care of their immunisation, security and food. Seeing them, many residents too have started taking care of strays in their neighbourhood and they are planning to form an association.

“I became a dog lover late in life. Till then I was indifferent towards them. My kids brought a month-old Doberman puppy and I had to take care of it. It was so cute. It trusted me and that’s how I started loving dogs,” says Satsangi. She now tries to persuade people to take care of stray dogs. “A dog is indeed a woman’s best friend. If each colony adopts them, the world will become a better place to live in. These dogs provide security and are great companions to the security guards,” she says.

Badhwar too seeks the company of dogs as she makes her rounds in the colony. She just needs to whistle and her faithful army of Sweety, Soni and Munia jump and run to catch up with her. She gets a grand welcome. “It is such a lovely homecoming. They jump on me, scratch my car window and want to be petted. My clothes are constantly dirty and my car full of scratch marks. But I feel so complete when I interact with them,” she says.

She organises a lavish spread for them in plastic cups and newspapers. The menu is a mix of bread, porridge, vegetables, soya beans, milk and pedigree dog food.

Badhwar remembers how she fell in love with dogs. “It happened overnight. I was shopping at the Vasant Vihar market when a little pup with the most beautiful eyes came hobbling and touched me. She was skinny, shivering and had a broken leg. She must have been three months old and that was my one and only experience of love at first sight,” she says.