According to the Bible, animals do have rights. They have the right to be treated well by us, even if we plan to eat them. We are not to be cruel to animals. Even emotionally cruel. That is part of the kashrut law.*
Now, we are free to rid our homes of pests and and we are free to eat animals and use them for work or companionship. We are free to kill an animal who means us harm. But other than such a circumstance, we are trusted by Gd to be decent to animals. Context matters. There is no need to kill ants in an anthill out in the woods, but if they invade our homes, it’s fair to kill them.
I see this situation as something that is sad but happened. I’m sorry that animal had to die but humans before animals, and this was a situation where this had to happen. If the person was a neurotypical adult, I would have preferred they use a tranquilizer, but since it was a helpless child (or if it had been a disabled adult), this had to happen. I am not that interested in this story because it was a freak thing and I don’t think it will keep happening. I assume they will make the enclosure safer for kids.
*in the Torah we are not to seethe a kid in its mother’s milk. This is the reason we don’t eat meat and dairy together. You have killed a lamb, or a calf, and you are going to eat it. The mother cow or sheep is desolate, longing for her baby. Her udders are overflowing with milk for her baby. It would be cruel to use her milk to cook the baby in. This is obviously focusing on EMOTIONAL cruelty for animals, so the Bible definitely feels animals have rights.
“According to the Bible, animals do have rights.”
Road apples.
“We are not to be cruel to animals.”
That’s our responsibility, not their right.
However, Alexander Cockburn writes:...Nazi leaders were noted for love of their pets and for certain animals, notably apex predators like the wolf and the lion. Hitler, a vegetarian and hater of hunting, adored dogs...Goebbels said, famously, ‘The only real friend one has in the end is the dog...One, as just noted, many Nazi leaders harboured affection towards animals but antipathy to humans. Hitler was given films by a maharaja which displayed animals killing people. The Führer watched with equanimity. Another film showed humans killing animals. Hitler covered his eyes and begged to be told when the slaughter was over.[30]
People are more often being disarmed, mauled by animals (pit bulls, for example) and pushed toward vegetarianism, eating bugs and so on. I intend to oppose such practices brought to us by evil, idolatrous policies and laws that were practiced by Nazis and empires.
According to the Bible, animals do have rights. They have the right to be treated well by us, even if we plan to eat them. We are not to be cruel to animals. Even emotionally cruel.