The Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted municipal and local bodies in Kerala to kill seriously-ill and wounded stray dogs suffering from rabies as per existing law.

Permitting municipal bodies to eliminate dangerous dogs under provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control Rules 2001, the bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh said the life of a dog was not more important than that of a human.

"We are disposed to think for the present that a balance between compassion to dogs and the lives of human beings, which is called a glorious gift of nature, may harmoniously co-exist," the court said as per an IANS report.

"We would also request all the high-courts not to pass any order relating to the 1960 Act and the 2001 Rules pertaining to dogs. Needless to say, all concerned as mentioned herein, shall carry out this order and file their respective affidavits as directed," the court added.

The court order came during the hearing of few petitions, including one by Anupam Tripathi contesting the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation (TMC) decision on mass culling of stray dogs.