Ok maybe they are a little more than food. They are also beasts of burden, fur coats, glue, ivory, medical test subjects, etc.
And they can be pets and friends and even examples of unconditional love and unwavering loyalty.
But they aren't human and man was given dominion over them. That dominion includes permission and authority to kill animals for food. And our Lord and God ate meat and served fish to others.
The fact is, we don't know what happens to animals when they die. I hope some dogs go to heaven, I hope mosquitos burn in Hell. (Not really, I just don't want them in Heaven.) But it doesn't matter. Our role is clear and we have authority over the animals.
Yes, We can misuse that authority that was given us. But it is clear God puts a higher value on man's life than animal life and that should always be a key consideration in our execution of that authority along with respect for God's creation.
And people have had cows, pigs, chickens and fish as pets. But we still eat them and use them as necessary. And that's what they are here for.
No. That "dominion" did not include eating animals. That came later after God discovered that he had killed all the plants in the flood and Noah had nothing to eat except for the animals on the ark.
Didn't God say not to eat of certain animals? I hope you are obeying.
God declared that snakes were to forever eat dust. I have never seen a snake eat dust. In fact, in HS I dissected a rattle snake that had a whole grey squirrel in his belly.