Is it a sin?

[MarieL]

To take your pet to the Humane Society because we can no longer keep it. I bought a rabbit for my kids. They don’t take care of him, I do. I have taken him to the vet for all sorts of problems and he’s too expensive and messy. Help! I feel so bad.

 

[ltbpoe43]

Actually - I think it is humane and not a sin.

If your intention is to give it the best possible home you can provide for it - then it is definitely humane.

Don’t feel bad. We’ve had many attempts at pets that didn’t work out. They are all in better homes now.

 

[otjm]

If you have a problem deciding if this is a sin, it would seem that you might have a problem deciding if any specific act is a sin.

So, to help out, it may be best to define what is sin.

Sin is any act which separates us from God. Not any act which makes us feel spearated from God, but which actually separates us.

The 10 Commandments are a good place to start; they do well to define general areas of sin (and a good examination of conscience which is based on them is helpful); add to that the requirements by the Church, and for most people, you have pretty well encompassed them.

God gave us the world, and we are expected to treat the world with respect. That includes pets; they are not meant to be harmed intnentionally, nor to be harmed carelessly. So if you have a pet, it needs clean water, food (both at appropriate times) and shelter. If you don’t have time for the pet, or cannot provide at appropriate intervals for its needs, then out of respect, it should be given to someone who can. While there is always the possiblity that the animal will not find another owner and be euthanized, if your purpose is to try to get it to another owner, the Humane Society is a good way of doing so.

What might be wrong is obtaining another pet before you can rectify whatever it is that prevented you from keeping this pet, as obtaining a pet when you are not able to care for it is not showing the pet (and ultimately, its Creator) the respect it is due.

And no, I do not support PETA.

But the bottom line seems less about the pet than about your understanding of sin… Hope this helps.

 

[CCM08]

This might not be popular, but yes this is a sin IMO. The rabbit didn’t ask for you to take it, you made that choice. The rabbit is your responsiblity, taking it to a place where they are more than likely going to end up killing it is a great failure on your part to handle your responiblities and be a good steward of the life of a lesser creature you CHOSE to take under your charge. Secondly, you’re failing in your duties as a parent. What kind of lesson does it teach your kids when you allow them to shirk their responsiblities by taking the animal and getting rid of it? I’ve been involved in dog rescues for years, so I don’t mean to offend but I’m frankly very tried of people that take on the responsiblity of caring for an animal and then the animal pays because irresponible people are too stupid to make good decisions about if they’re actually able to care for animals.

Here’s a thought, why not make your kids take care of their responsiblity? Or is it that you aren’t the parent and the kids run the house?

 

[Jennifer_J]

This might not be popular, but yes this is a sin IMO. The rabbit didn’t ask for you to take it, you made that choice. The rabbit is your responsiblity, taking it to a place where they are more than likely going to end up killing it is a great failure on your part to handle your responiblities and be a good steward of the life of a lesser creature you CHOSE to take under your charge. Secondly, you’re failing in your duties as a parent. What kind of lesson does it teach your kids when you allow them to shirk their responsiblities by taking the animal and getting rid of it? I’ve been involved in dog rescues for years, so I don’t mean to offend but I’m frankly very tried of people that take on the responsiblity of caring for an animal and then the animal pays because irresponible people are too stupid to make good decisions about if they’re actually able to care for animals.

Here’s a thought, why not make your kids take care of their responsiblity? Or is it that you aren’t the parent and the kids run the house?

I think your response is a bit too harsh and comes from working in the dog rescue field. Calling people “too stupid” is not Christian in attitude at all. Most Humane Societies do not euthanize unless the animal is a danger to others. The OP can call the HS and ask that question. If they do euthanize, then she can take an ad out in the local paper and find a good home for the little critter. No need to lay a guilt trip on her about her choice or her children. Many parents think that their children are old enough and responsible enough to take total care of family pets and the ultimate answer is–THEY AREN’T until they are adults. The adult is responsible for the care of the animal and the children are helpers–they start learning how to be responsible and what it truly takes to have a pet (lots of work and expense). Perhaps the OP didn’t realize this and truly doesn’t have time to care for the animal properly–the best thing to do in that situation is to find a good home for the animal so that it isn’t neglected.

God bless,
Jennifer
mom to 5 children plus a cat and dog…

 

[StCsDavid]

26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them havedominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

- Genesis 1

You have supreme authority over the lil’ bunny. Do with it as you please as long as you’re not being cruel and torturing the animal. If you can’t take care of it or simply no longer want it, take it back to the Humane Society. There is no sin here. The bunny doesn’t have human rights, and it is, IMHO, a sin to treat it as anything but an animal given to you as a blessing from God to use as you see fit. Heck as far as I’m concerned you could have the bunny for dinner and be within your purview as an incarnate spirit made in the image and likeness of God.

(My apologies in advance to the vegetarians or PETA people I just offended.)

​

 

[LittleMother]

You have supreme authority over the lil’ bunny. Do with it as you please as long as you’re not being cruel and torturing the animal. If you can’t take care of it or simply no longer want it, take it back to the Humane Society. There is no sin here. The bunny doesn’t have human rights, and it is, IMHO, a sin to treat it as anything but an animal given to you as a blessing from God to use as you see fit. Heck as far as I’m concerned you could have the bunny for dinner and be within your purview as an incarnate spirit made in the image and likeness of God.

 

[Alda]

I agree with the other posters who say this is not a sin. I actually think you’re doing the responsible thing if you or your children can’t take care of it adequately. To take it somewhere where it may have the possibilty of being re-homed and loved is a kindness, imo.