NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's top court modified its earlier ruling in a case involving stray dogs on Friday, ordering authorities in capital Delhi and its suburbs to release picked-up dogs in the same area after sterilisation and immunisation.

Animal lovers had filed an appeal against the Supreme Court's earlier order to authorities to relocate all stray dogs to shelters after media reports of a rise in cases of rabies, especially among children.

The decision to relocate them had drawn criticism over its implementation, citing lack of infrastructure and medical treatment. Many animal lovers took to the streets to protest against the order.

(Reporting by Tanvi Mehta; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)