Should JWs own pets?
g89
6/8 p. 18 Can You Really Care for a Pet? ***Does your life-style allow for the proper care of an animal? Are you absent from home for long periods of time?
Not all adults consider the consequences of accepting another "member" into the family. They do not always foresee the inconveniences and responsibilities that a pet can bring. This may especially be true of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who lead such busy lives in their Christian ministry and are often away attending meetings and Christian conventions. Then the problem of finding someone to care for the pet arises. Certainly, it would not be appropriate to miss Christian activities because of an overly sentimental attachment to animals.—Hebrews 10:24, 25.
Does he have the facilities for proper care and attention? And remember, animals eat and big animals eat a lot! That can make quite a dent in your pocketbook—yet another factor to take into account. Animals do get sick, and medical costs may take you by surprise.
***
g72 7/8 p. 6 Getting a Balanced View of Pets ***Throughout the centuries since, false worship has often involved a wrong view of animal creation. Crocodiles, baboons and bulls have been kept in temples, there being bathed, perfumed and fed the finest of foods, while humans in the same area lived in wretched conditions with hunger. Mighty nations have taken a certain animal or bird as the proud symbol of their government and people, jealously venerating that animalistic symbol.
Even though not deifying an animal as sacred, what if we should treat a pet animal as though it were virtually on a level with humans? What if we showed even greater interest and concern for it than we did for other humans, slighting their interests on behalf of the animal? What if we were willing to go to great lengths and expense to alleviate animal suffering in general but failed to ‘love our neighbor as ourselves’ and compassionately aid others in the way God’s Son did while on earth? (Mark 6:34) In any such case, would this not be putting the animal in a position where it does not belong?
While perhaps rare, cases are reported of persons who let their pet animal sit at the meal table with them and eat from a plate with the human members of the household. Some persons make out wills bequeathing sums running into thousands of dollars for the care of some pet animal. Others will go to great expense to keep alive some aged and diseased animal, even risk endangering the health of others in the home by retaining the animal there.
Yes, animals are wonderful—in their place. But they can never really substitute for humans. To avoid becoming off balance in our viewpoint or emotional attitude we should appreciate that it was the world of mankind that God so loved that he gave his only-begotten Son. (John 3:16) True, the majority of humans today are not reflecting God’s qualities and acting in His ‘image and likeness.’ They thereby cause much sadness, frustration, irritation and heartache. But not all are that way. We can find persons who will provide splendid companionship, persons who are admirable and lovable, who prove worthy of God’s love. If we are willing to make the effort to find such, we need never be lonely or commit the error of turning to animals to receive what only humans can give.