I’m continuously amazed at the products and services that pet owners are willing to buy for their animal friends. There are toys, clothes, photo sessions, organic foods, birthday parties, massages, pet funerals/cemetery burials, daycare, etc. I’m also amazed at the lengths folks will go to in order to provide medical care for their pets. I know families who have gone into debt to pay for medications and individuals who have started GoFundMe accounts to finance surgeries for their pets.
Many individuals consider their pets to be family members, so they don’t hesitate to provide these sorts of supplies and services. In fact, according to this article, Americans spend an average of $126.19 every month on their pets. Personally, I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a pet and enjoying the companionship and other benefits he or she provides. However, for those of us who are Christians, I have to wonder if there are limits to this. Is it possible to invest too much into our pets?
Before I say anything more, let me be clear about two things. First, I like animals. Though I don’t currently have any pets, I’ve had numerous ones in the past (everything from fish and salamanders to rabbits and dogs). I loved my pets and provided good care for them. They meant a lot to me and I missed them terribly when they died. Second, when I use the term “pets,” I’m not talking about service animals or animals that provide food for their owners and others (e.g., cows on dairy farms, backyard chickens). These animals often require a lot of investment because they fill very different roles than pets.
How Christians should view pets
When I read the Bible, I see a clear distinction between humans and animals. Humans are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), but animals aren’t. Furthermore, humans have the unique ability to reason (Psalm 32:9). Jesus himself indicates that humans are of “much more value” than the birds of the sky (Matthew 6:26).
None of this means that animals are unimportant, that God doesn’t care about them, or that humans should be free to treat them in abusive manners. In fact, if you read the beginning of Genesis, portions of Job, and certain passages from Proverbs, you will see that God created the animals (and declared them to be “good”), that God watches the animals, and that humans can even learn things from animals!
I don’t see any indication in Scripture that it is wrong to have pets. It’s not something we are commanded to do, but we’re also not discouraged from doing so. For those who do own pets, there are numerous principles in the Bible that indicate it is important for pet owners to provide good care for their animals. Interestingly, because of the command God gave us to care for creation (Genesis 1:26-28), Christians may be in a unique position to support local shelters that provide care for abused/abandoned animals and to take joy in the unique companionship and wonder that animals bring.
Does it matter?
If what I’ve said above is true, then does it matter if Christians invest significant time, money, and energy into their pets? Does it matter if they see their pets as children? Does it matter if they attach the same value to their pets as they do to human family members?
I believe it matters a lot. We live in a society where many individuals do not believe in the sanctity of human life. The “sanctity of human life” is a fancy term that simply means that humans have value—dignity and immeasurable worth—because they are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27, Job 33:4, Isaiah 45:9-12, and Isaiah 64:8). When we view pets to be as important as humans, we ignore the fact that God set humans apart from other creatures.
Given that humans have so much value, Christians should work to protect human life and restore human dignity where it has been lost.
- In light of the fact that 3.1 million children die from undernutrition each year (source), is it best for me to donate my limited funds to the local pet food bank or to an organization that feeds hungry children?
- Is it right for me to spend money on a Halloween costume for my dog when I could donate that money to the 10.7% of the world’s population that lives on less than US$1.90 a day (source)?
- Should I donate to my friend’s GoFundMe account to finance her cat’s cancer surgery when I could use the money to help the 8% of American adults who go without treatment because they can’t afford their prescription medications (source)?
- Should I adopt an abandoned dog from the shelter or should I adopt (or support a family who can adopt) one of the 437,500 children who reside in foster care in the U.S. (source)?
I know it is not pleasant to read about the problems facing humanity, but I think seeing these issues juxtaposed with pet-related issues helps us see that humans—humans who are endowed by God with immeasurable worth—face a lot of problems that we can address if we make doing so a priority. Before moving on, I want to acknowledge two things. First, issues like poverty and orphan care are extremely complicated. They can’t be fixed by a mere donation, an afternoon of volunteering, or even the adoption of an individual child. I’m not trying to make it seem like we can fix them through simple measures. However, they certainly won’t be fixed by our inaction! Second, many folks don’t have to decide between the options I presented. Some of you have enough time, money, and energy that these are “both/and” scenarios for you. If you’re blessed to be in this position, then I hope and pray you are a wise steward of the resources God has given you!
Pets are wonderful. Those who have them should care for them diligently. We should not tolerate abuse or mistreatment of pets. Likewise, we should be good stewards of the natural world. However, based on what I have read in the Bible, I cannot find any justification for attaching to pets the same value we attach to humans.
Perhaps what we really need to do is not rethink our view of pets, but rethink our view of humans. Do we support the exceeding high value of human life? How do we view and what do we do in response to issues like abortion, homelessness, racial discrimination, equal access for individuals with disabilities, orphan care, and loneliness among the elderly? I think it is likely that our view of pets will fall into the right place if we simply develop the right view and take corresponding actions in regards to the sanctity of human life.
What do you think? How should Christians view pets? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I think I’m having trouble understanding why you wrote this. Generally I find your blogs to be very helpful, humble, and well thought out, as they concern issues that you are personally dealing with (as a mom, wife, Christian etc.) Seeing as you don’t currently have pets, I don’t understand why you gave advice on this topic. If I’m being completely honest, when I first read it, I felt angry, hurt, and judged. But after taking a deep breath, and thinking about all of your previous (wonderful) blogs, I realized that you would never purposely set out to hurt others. I know this came from a well-meaning place in your heart. And because of that I wanted to calmly, and lovingly tell you my thoughts on it.
Most importantly,
You are very fortunate to have three beautiful (human) babies. Not all of us are so lucky. My husband and I are praying (hopefully!) as we try for a child, but there’s a good possibility that it may not happen for us. Our little pug, “Norm” not only gives us so much joy, but the opportunity to practice caring for something (other than each other) as we try. When I see my husband on the floor rolling around and playing with our dog, and I see the HUGE smile on our dog’s face, it reminds me how much love my husband has to give, and how happy I would be if God blesses us with a little human of our own.
Like many dog owners, I may call Norm my “baby,” but I’m not a fool. I know that I didn’t birth him. I know he’s not human. But who am I harming to love him, dote on him, and yes, occasionally dress him up?We have met so many lovely people we wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise connect with, while taking him for walks, or to the park. They smile when they see him, stop to receive his “puppy kisses,” and talk to us. What a wonderful opportunity it is to make a connection with our fellow human beings, and who knows where those connections may lead. I believe that God has a reason for connecting us with each person we come into contact with, and I pray everyday that I can “be His representative” here on earth, and help wherever he needs me. Doting on my “baby” just gives me more opportunities to get out in the world and meet more of God’s children.
I believe in the sanctity of human life. I believe it’s important to donate to causes that support humans. But in terms of your argument that money spent on pets could otherwise be spent donating to these causes? I think that could be said for ANY money that’s spent on things other than daily survival. For example, our once a week eating out budget… our monthly movie allowance budget… See what I mean? Every family has their “thing” they spend their extra income on (whether it be a little or a lot.) even if I don’t understand others choices, it makes me uncomfortable to suggest to another family (or individual) how they should choose to spend their extraneous income, as these experiences may hold very special meaning for them, as spending time and money on my pup does for me.
I really don’t think God looks down upon me (or anyone) with disappointment as we affectionately cuddle and love our beloved pets. I believe he created animals as one way for us to learn how to love greater. Just look at the positive effects of therapy dog programs, or programs in prisons where inmates care for shelter pets as they wait to be adopted. A friend of mine takes her dog to the local nursing home each week to love on the patients! I just don’t see how any of this is in any way displeasing God.
So we love and care for our pets as we would humans… who are we hurting? I think as Christians we sincerely have to be careful when dissecting these issues. I don’t feel comfortable making a judgement call on how much is too much to love a creature that God made.
When I said goodbye to my beloved weenie dog (Rizzo) this summer, I held her in my arms as she lay dying. I played the song, “When the Saints Go Marching In” as her eyes slowly started to close. I talked to her the whole time telling her how grateful I was for everything she taught me, as I repeated, thank you Jesus, thank you so much for my little Rizzo. I have no doubt I will get to play with her again someday because in the words of Billy Graham, “God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he’ll be there.”
Looking forward to your next post.
Jenny
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for taking the time to share your heart! I certainly didn’t write this in order to cause distress for anyone. Likewise, I didn’t write it from a place of judgement (I apologize if the tone comes off in this way).
As with many of my posts, this one is an overflow of questions I’ve been thinking through. As you noted, I don’t currently have pets. However, this doesn’t mean the topic of pets is irrelevant to me. My husband and I both grew up with dogs, so we’d like to give this same experience to our children. However, we have to think through all of the ramifications of pet ownership, including the time and financial commitment. It was as I was mulling some of these that I began thinking about this question of how far we (Christians in general) should take our love for pets. So, in a sense, the topic of the post is something that I’m dealing with.
You are correct that I am incredibly blessed to have three children. Not a day passes that I don’t thank God for them. My husband and I were infertile before we conceived our oldest. I remember the pain we felt then. I’m even more aware of how precious they are now because there were complications during my third delivery that could have taken my life and that of the baby. Believe me when I say I don’t take them for granted! I’ll never fully understand your experience, but I definitely see how you and your husband benefit from having someone besides one another to love on. I’m so glad you have Norm (and the others you’ve had) for this purpose.
I appreciate you sharing about how your dog provides opportunities to meet and interact with others. I think this is awesome! It gives me something additional to think about as I give thought to the roles pets fill in our lives.
As far as how we spend our money, I definitely struggle with “recreational” spending. We don’t really have a category in our budget for this because money is tight. However, during times when we’ve had the money for it, it has been hard knowing what’s okay to spend it on and what’s not. I’m keenly aware of the needs of people around the world, so I often struggle even with buying clothes that I “need” (based on American standards) because I know that I have so much more than most people around the globe. This is definitely something that I need to pray more about to gain God’s wisdom! As I noted in the post, for many people this is a “both/and” scenario (in other words, you can pay for your pet/animal causes and give to human causes). This may be the case for you. If so, I’m glad for you and trust that you are giving as God directs.
I think I’ve been able to touch on several of your comments, Jenny. However, if you’d like to share more or you want clarification please feel free to comment again. I’m so grateful you shared because discussion like this helps me learn and grow! I hope others also benefit from the discussion.
Hi Shannon! Thanks so much for your sweet reply! I apologize for reacting so quickly, (and in such an overly-sensitive way. ) You always approach topics with such thoughtfulness and grace, and I have learned so much from you. I should’ve assumed you were coming at it from a place of thoughtful curiosity, rather than immediately getting defensive. You are an absolute gem, and I appreciate you opening up your life, and thoughts with your readers. Your posts are nourishing to my soul! I look forward to your future posts, and pray for blessings to surround you and your beautiful family. —Jenny
I’d much rather get “real” comments than canned ones, even if the real ones challenge my way of thinking or are critical!
I’m honored that you read my blog, Jenny. I put a lot of thought and prayer into my posts and I try to share things that are thought provoking and beneficial. I’m human, though, so I sometimes get things wrong. You are always welcome to speak up if you think this is the case!
My thoughts on your thoughts… instead of asking, “Who are we hurting?” Ask yourself, “Who are we helping?” You can pamper your puggy pupper AND fellowship with humans, even to obey Jesus command when He says to receive a little child in His name. He also said whatsoever you do (or don’t do) to a stranger, you are doing (or not doing) for Him. I have two cats and a dog who need special care, special diets, special medicine, and at 4:30am in the morning, after staying up with and cleaning up after my cat with chronic megacolin for several hours now (puke and poop everywhere) I have asked myself the question, “When is it too much?” Today I spent a little over thirty minutes visiting with a church member who will not rise from her bed again till the Lord takes her, and I watched her go in and out of consciousness, thinking how she reminded me of my mother, wondering where everyone who loves her is. The answer is, they are where they are, as I am where I am outside of that thirty minutes. So I think it’s completely fair for the author to ask these hard questions. The best we can do is each individual move forward after Jesus, continuing to learn, and learn indeed some hard lessons, hopefully as gently as possible.
I do love my dog. He fills some of my time with fun. You are absolutely correct that there are needs of humans we could and should dedicate time and resources to. I still love my dog.
This is a touchy subject and more importantly, one I’ve never heard come up before. My first thought upon seeing this was what does being a Christian and pets have to do with each other? I still don’t really see the relevance. I read Jenny’s comments and your replies to her too. She had a lot of good things to say.
I get what you are getting at and I do think some people go overboard with their pets but it has to be a lot for me to consider it overboard. Buying a pet a costume is not overboard (in my opinion). But I’ve seen TV Shows where people spent over a thousand dollars on a dog’s birthday or over a thousand on a room for the dog. IT had its own room (like a kid) with a dresser for his doggie clothes, a really expensive canopy bed, baskets of toys etc. Your dog doesn’t need a gold water dish. Those are the people that I think are going overboard.
I can tell that pets aren’t as important to you as for me because I could never NOT have one. I think as long as you are fulfilling your job as a wife/husband, mom/dad, person of God, you are fine. If I was putting my dog above food for my children or tending to my husband and house, than that’s where a Christian would be taking the love of their pets too far.
Technically pets/animals may not be as worthy to God as we are but they are worthy to us. I believe their life is just as important as my own because all life is sacred.
Hoping I make sense.
Hi Kathleen,
That must have been some room for the dog!
I think being a Christian and having pets do have something to do with one another. This is because, from my perspective, being a Christian touches every aspect of my life. Being a Christian doesn’t just dictate how I spend my Sunday mornings (i.e., going to church), but it influences everything–how I interact with my neighbors, the clothes I wear, how I raise my kids, what TV shows/movies I do and don’t watch, etc. If it influences all of this, why wouldn’t it influence my choice to have a pet and how I then care for that pet?
You mentioned that if you are fulfilling your job as a spouse, parent, and person of God that you aren’t taking things too far in regards to pets. I agree that this is a useful gauge to evaluate our priorities and commitments (whether we’re talking about pets or any other number of things).
I certainly believe that animals’ lives are important, though I don’t personally (based on my understanding of Scripture) consider their lives to be sacred. If, as you indicated you believe, the lives of pets/animals are sacred and their lives are as important as ours, then does this mean you are vegan or vegetarian?
I see what you are saying about being Christian touching all parts of your life. You are right. I’m still working on that since I’m a newer Christian.
I am not vegetarian or vegan. I guess I’m still working out what I believe because I’ve typed and deleted a paragraph 3 times now about this. We clearly aren’t on the same level as animals and I know that in the Bible God says something about us being more important than a bird. But pets are different than animals for food. Not that they don’t deserve compassion but animals but a pet (an animal we choose to live with and care for and use as a friend) deserve a more sacred relationship. Or something like that. I honestly don’t know.
I’ve been a Christian for a long time, Kathleen, but the reality is that I’m still growing in allowing my faith to permeate all aspects of my life. I’m certain I’ll never get there completely. Honestly, I think God is please with growth…He knows we’re imperfect!
I think it’s okay to not know. It’s something you can continue to pray about and find principles in the Bible that apply.
I also think what you are saying here is congruent with some of what I said (if I’m understanding correctly). Basically, a human has inherent valuable because he or she was created in God’s image. Animals have value, too, but it’s not exactly the same. They serve different roles in our lives (a pet is a companion while another animal is a food source). The food sources have value, but butchering them for food isn’t the same as murdering your neighbor. Of course, some vegans and vegetarians would disagree on this point–they may feel that all animals have the same value (or even that animals are as valuable as humans), but this is a whole different discussion.
This is great, Kathleen. As I told Jenny, conversations like this help all of us learn and grow. I’m thankful for you and how I’ve been able to learn from your perspective!
Yes you got it. Thank you for the thought provoking discussion, love your blog!
I believe that we should definitely value humans more than animals because God values humans more than animals. Jesus said this to his disciples: “ Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.“ Luke 12:6-7. God values animals, but He values humans more, so we should follow suit. We should treat animals with love, respect, and care. We should be thankful to the Lord for our pets. My mother-in-law‘s cat really likes me and I thank the Lord for it because it is a happy feeling to see her come and sit on my lap excitedly. I have joy from seeing baby cows run around pastures. It’s a blessing from God! However, we should treat humans with love, respect, and care even more so! Humans are made in the image of God. We should love other humans more.
I totally agree with this article when basically says that we shouldn’t think of animals less, but just think of humans more! The godly response would never be to love animals less but just to love humans more!
You sum it up well, Kelsie: “we shouldn’t think of animals less, but just think of humans more.” Pets and other animals are blessings–we should respect and enjoy them!
Hi there, first time reader here. I’m so glad to have come across this post, though I know it’s four years old! Pretty relevant to some things that have been on my heart as of late that I haven’t fully been able to put into words. Growing up, in my childhood until my 20’s I desperately wanted a dog, but never got one. When I came to know Jesus in my mid-20’s, that desire completely changed. I always make sure to include that this is not a rule/law, but a personal conviction that I *think* the Lord gave me at the time: my heart definitely changed re wanting a dog and my thoughts were that if I were going to spend that much time, money and effort on anything, that it should be on people. And I was single with no children at the time, so that being poured out for people/making disciples definitely came in other ways than caring for biological children. For 10 years, I had little to no interest in dogs. That all changed a couple of months ago! We were on a family vacation, and I saw the way my four year-old connected with and enjoyed the family members’ dogs that were there with us, and how she has been so excited about meeting dogs in the community since then. I also have a son with autism and wonder about the therapeutic effects having a dog could provide for him. I’ve started praying and researching dog breeds that may be a good fit for our family, and while I’ve been visiting the forums and Facebook groups of different breeds and rescue groups I’ve been astounded by all the grooming (including hair dyes), the dog clothes, the toys and educational resources/brain games for dogs, the thousands of dollars spent for professional behaviorists, the doggy daycares, the surgeries, the premium top of the line foods, etc. It’s been interesting to see the way dogs are described- “I can’t live without him and he can’t live without me,” “he’s given me a reason to live,” “you’re his soul mate,” “my dog is a people ‘person’,” the lengths that many will go to rescue, foster and rehabilitate these animals, and the anger/irritation that many will show towards those who may fall into the category of an “irresponsible dog owner.” I wonder when pet ownership became such an intense and complex thing, and if it’s possible for a person on a budget to own a dog that will just be a loved family pet but not a furry child.
As we are walking through this life hand in hand with Jesus, and allowing our minds to be renewed, we want to think more “Christian-ly” about all of life, so that will naturally spill over into how to think about animals and pet ownership. As believers we do not live or think as the world and I suppose we won’t think about pet ownership as the world does. The issue that Paul discusses in Romans 1 still plagues us as a humanity today: we are constantly finding ways to worship creation over the Creator. The unbeliever will likely be blind to the fact that they are doing this, but as believers, we will be in a constant wrestling to ensure our affections are in the proper order, to ensure that we are not taking the very good things that God has given us to enjoy and turning them into ultimate things. This isn’t just dogs- but could be spouses, sports, children, career, anything really. As it pertains specifically to dogs, I think this could be a particularly strong temptation for believers here in the US, compared to other countries in which I’ve lived, because we are saturated by a culture that, at times, diminishes the value of human live, and overly- esteems the value of canine lives. The solution I think has to start with right affections towards God: our hearts and flesh do not naturally love God or desire to worship Him. Yet we all have an inclination towards worship… one thing we are all going to do as humans is worship “something.” As our affection towards the Lord increases, as our understanding of His love for us increases, our other ‘loves’ will begin to fall into their rightful place. Blessings to you!
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for sharing all of this! I was thinking about this post a few weeks ago because my eldest daughter watched a documentary about a company that clones dogs. Their clients pay $100,000 for their pets to be cloned! I think this is a great illustration of what you are talking about with the “I can’t live without him” or “She’s my soulmate” sort of sentiment. Personally, I can’t image Jesus looking at starving people (which we have in the world around us), and saying “They can fend for themselves, I’m going to use this $100,000 to clone Fido.” As I’ve stated above, I don’t think there is anything wrong with Christians owning and loving pets, but as you’ve noted, we do need to think “Christian-ly” about everything, including pets. I think it is possible to be a responsible pet owner who loves and cares for your pet without going this far.
As an aside, I also have a child with autism. She was just a couple of weeks old when I wrote this post! About a month ago my husband asked about pets and what the recommendations are in regards to autistic kids. We’ve been exploring this because I can see her really bonding with a dog.
If you decide to go in that direction, then I hope you find the right dog for your family and that you are able to be responsible pet owners without neglecting the other things God wants us to care about.
Amén! I just came back from picking up our dog from urgent care and it astounds me how quickly my husband handed out $890 that we don’t have! I started looking for biblical truths on the matter. My first th out was, I don’t even spend that kind of money on my sons. This money would have been well spent on our church homeless shower ministry where we provide basics and essentials for our most vulnerable people. Reading your post helped me.
I hope your dog is okay, Mar. Situations like this are so tough. Questions of how to spend our money in ways that honor God are definitely something we need to think about.
I greatly appreciated your blog on valuing people above animals. Especially, as a Christian, we have limited time and resources (even if we have a lot of resources!)- -Don’t we want to spend our life making a difference in eternal things? Wouldn’t there be more people who turn to God and have heaven as their eternal destiny if we truly followed God wholeheartedly?
I was sorry to see the rebuttals which generally reflected being more emotional over animals than people. After the moving emotional stories are told; the fact remains that the time and resources put into animals, could have been put into humans.