We know that God created all animals. They are part of His creation, and they are good. In Genesis 1:26, He gives man dominion over animals. By dominion, God gives us the authority to use animals for our purposes. In Biblical times, those primary purposes were for work, security, and consumption.

Nowadays, animals serve additional roles. They love us! As comfort companions, they bring so much joy and peace into our lives. During COVID, pet ownership skyrocketed. Cute kitties, puppies, and the like provided emotional support during a time of heightened stress and uncertainty. Animals also provide services for the community as volunteers and assistants for the disabled.

Just as we are stewards to our children, we provide the same roles to our animals. Animals don’t belong to us. They belong to the Lord and He gifts them to us. Proper stewardship carries responsibility. What He expects of us in modern times may be different from what was expected during Biblical times when circumstances were different.

How we treat our animals matters a great deal to the Lord. Just because He gives us a wide range of control over animals doesn’t mean we get to treat them any way we desire. When we don’t take proper care of His gifts, it speaks to the condition of our hearts, which grieves the Holy Spirit and disrespects our father in Heaven.

I was a 4-Her in a small rural town for ten years. I raised and showed livestock. They were sold at the county and state fairs every summer to the highest bidder, then went to market. God gave us animals to eat (we should also respect a person’s right not to consume animals if they choose), and we treated them ethically and kindly during their stay with us. We were good stewards to them, and the meat processing plant euthanized as quick and painless as possible.

There are many good farmers who practice ethical practices on their plants. If it weren’t for them, the meat and dairy section of your local grocery would be perpetually empty. Think about what goes into getting your half-and-half from the udders of a cow into your morning coffee. A lot more than you probably realize.

But then I think about the mass commercialization of farming that has overtaken us, where baby calves must stand in 4x4s for too many hours out of the day. On rare occasion, when my husband tries to order veal when we’re out, I can’t help but discourage him with a heavy dose of side-eye because that calf, in all likelihood, was raised inhumanely. Sows are overbred and stationary most of the day, chickens are cooped up in overcrowded cages filled with feces, dairy cattle graze and sleep on thick mud, and the list goes on.

Is this what the Lord had in mind when He gave us dominion over farm animals?

To this day, it’s common to castrate large and small farm animals with no anesthesia (not even a local) or other pain management. Farmers are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to being paid their worth, and slimmer profit margins mean cutting wider corners. It’s safe to assume that during biblical times, there weren’t many options when it came to pain management. Nowadays, we have many. Veterinary practices provide services, and, thanks to the advancements in modern medicine, we have access to over-the-counter anesthetics and pain medicine.

So, why are we still willing to inflict serious bodily pain on an innocent creature that belongs to God? A creature that ends up filling our bellies and providing nourishment for months. Don’t we owe it a little more dignity while it is alive and walking God’s green earth? Can we conceive of having our puppies’ “parts” removed without any pain medicine whatsoever? No way. Most of us would never do something so heinous to our dogs.

A pig is no different. Just because it serves a different role than a dog doesn’t make it any less valuable, especially in the eyes of the Lord (that pig’s rightful owner). If anything, an argument can be made that the pig provides an equally valuable service because its meat nourishes our physical bodies. Think about what that animal must feel.

The Lord expects us to take proper care of farm animals, and we would be wise to remember that there are repercussions when we don’t take proper care of what He gives us.

“Father God, thank you for our farm animals, big and small. Please show us how to be good stewards and renew our appreciation for them. We want to be good shepherds to our flocks, just like Jesus.”