Does Bible Speak about Treatment of Animals ?

[kriss]

Does the Bible say anything about how we should treat animals?


God made everything that lives on the earth — including the animals. In the beginning, the Bible says, “God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals….’ And it was so” (Genesis 1:24).

And yes, the Bible commands us to take care of the animals under our care. One of the signs of a righteous man, the Bible says, is that he takes care of his animals

Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
.

Even the animal of an enemy was to be treated kindly: “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him” (Exodus 23:4). One reason God commanded His people to rest one day out of seven was so their animals would be refreshed (see Exodus 23:12).

In fact, the Bible says we must never treat any part of God’s creation with contempt. When we do, we are indirectly treating our Creator with contempt. Instead, God calls us to be stewards or trustees of His creations.

[kriss]

Other often asked question on Animals is Do pets / animals go to Heaven? Do pets / animals have souls?"


Here is sampling of how some answer these questions:

The Bible does not give any specific teaching on whether pets / animals have “souls” or whether pets / animals will be in heaven.
However, we can take some general Scriptural principles and shed some light on the subject.
The Bible states that both man (Genesis 2:7) and animals (Genesis 1:30; 6:17; 7:15,22) have the breath of life.

The primary difference between human beings and animals is that man is made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Animals are not made in the image and likeness of God. Being made in the image and likeness of God means that human being are like God,capable of spirituality, with mind, emotion, and will - and - have an aspect of being that continues after death. If pets / animals do have a “soul” or immaterial aspect, it must therefore be of a different and lesser "quality."

Another factor to consider in this question is that God did create animals as a part of His creative process in Genesis. God created the animals and said they were good (Genesis 1:25). Therefore, there is no reason why there could not be animals in heaven. Certainly they are part of the Millennium/New earth.
As stated in Isa.their very nature is changed.

Isaiah 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.

Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
but dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord

Animals are able to understand commands and feel and express love. Many morn their dead ..They often crave love. Love is an godly emotion An expression of the soul would Animals give/return love if they had no soul?

In the last book of the Bible, Revelation, the Apostle John’s vision of heaven also included animals, showing Christ and the armies of heaven "riding on white horses." (Revelation 19:14)

Most of us can't picture a paradise of unspeakable beauty without flowers, trees, and animals.
Would it be heaven for an avid birdwatcher if there are no birds? Would a fisherman want to spend eternity with no fish? And would it be heaven for a Cat or dog lover without these loving creatures?

While theologians may be stubborn in classifying animals' "souls" as inferior to those of humans, those learned scholars must admit that Bible does not give a definitive answer one way or the other whether we will see our pets in heaven, but it does say, "With God, all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

For those of us who are not theologians and have loved and been loved by our pets we need no further proof God has these creatures included in his plans.