Kathmandu, March 27 -- On day two of the nationwide lockdown on Wednesday, Sonam Dekey was up by 5am. Ever since the lockdown was announced by the government in a bid to control the spread of Covid-19, the image of Boudha's stray dogs going hungry had plagued her mind. Dekey knew the dogs depended on the generosity of restaurant owners and passers-by for food.

"But with people's movement restricted and restaurants closed, I was worried that the lockdown would starve these dogs to death," said Dekey, who often feeds a mixture of buff or chicken with rice to the 30-odd dogs in her neighbourhood. But with the extensive closures, Dekey has been forced to resort to dog biscuits she gets from Street Dog Care, a Boudha-based animal rights organ...