God has granted mankind dominion over animals, as seen in Genesis 2:15, where He instructs Adam and Eve to tend and keep the Garden of Eden. They were to maintain and help it produce, harvesting its bounty and eating its fruit. Certain trees could be cut for wood, and certain animals could be killed for meat, but in no way was any part of His creation to be equated with man or worshiped. This dominion does not give mankind the right to destroy God's creation; man is to act responsibly. Unfortunately, animals are often tortured, rivers and seas are fouled, and whole areas are devastated of plant and animal life for the profit of big business. Though God gives certain rights to animals and charges us with responsibilities for their care, He did not give them human abilities, human rights, or human obligations. He did not make them in His image, so a human life is worth infinitely more than an animal's. We do not need to feel guilty about using the land God has given us to tend and keep, for He has given it to us, men and women, who are learning to govern far more than land and animals in God's Kingdom.

The concept of dominion over animals begins in the creation account, where God forms both animals and man from the earth, establishing a shared mortality between them. Yet man is distinguished from animals in three specific ways: he is made in God's image, created male and female, and given dominion over all other living creatures. This dominion is not mere authority to use and exploit; it carries with it a responsibility to act toward animals as God Himself would act—out of love and concern for their well-being rather than abuse. Genesis 2 reinforces this by commanding man to "dress and keep," a mandate extending to the care and preservation of animals' environment. Adam's very first act—naming the animals—demonstrated both his intellectual superiority and his responsibility toward them, while also revealing that no animal could serve as his intimate companion, setting the stage for the creation of Eve. After the Flood, the relationship between man and animals changed dramatically; fear and dread now characterize their interaction, marking the loss of the original harmony God intended, though the dominion mandate itself remains intact. Despite this fractured relationship, animals retain rights granted by God. Deuteronomy 11 establishes that animals' well-being is tied to man's obedience—when man obeys, both he and his livestock are blessed, with animals being blessed first according to the sequence given. This led ancient rabbis to conclude that man must feed his animals before himself, reflecting the interdependence of all God's creatures. Proverbs 12:10 declares that the righteous man "knows the soul" of his animal, implying intimate awareness and care, while the wicked treat animals cruelly. Scripture repeatedly legislates concern for animals as part of God's broader concern for the weak and defenseless who cannot help themselves. The Sabbath commandment extends rest to cattle just as to human servants. Laws require helping a burdened or fallen animal, even one belonging to an enemy, and forbid muzzling an ox while it treads grain—establishing its right to be rewarded for labor. The prohibition against taking a mother bird with her young, and against yoking mismatched animals together, further demonstrates God's care for creation's weaker members and His intent that man learn wisdom from observing these principles. Beyond direct legislation, animals serve as instructive illustrations of human character and divine wisdom. Job 12:7 instructs that beasts and birds "teach" through observation, since God embedded common-sense wisdom into creation. The ant models diligence and self-motivated industry; serpents and vipers illustrate the poisonous effects of slanderous gossip; the deer portrays both feminine grace and masculine dignity, even typifying Christ; and the wild donkey depicts unrestrained, exploitative character as seen in Ishmael. Ultimately, dominion over animals is not a license for exploitation but a divinely appointed stewardship, reflecting God's own character of care, and a means through which humanity learns wisdom, humility, and love for the weak and dependent within His creation.

From the very beginning, God established that man was to exercise dominion over the fish, the birds, and the beasts of the earth, as recorded in Genesis 1:28. This grant of authority is affirmed throughout scripture in various ways. Jesus' own disciples were fishermen, and He assisted them in catching fish, demonstrating that such activity was not contrary to God's will. God Himself ordained the sacrificial system, detailed in Leviticus 1-7, under which millions of animals—including bulls, sheep, goats, turtledoves, and pigeons—were put to death as part of divinely instituted worship. This alone establishes that the taking of animal life was sanctioned by God for specific purposes. Beyond sacrifice, God also inspired scripture to specify which animals, fish, and fowl were created to be eaten by humans, as outlined in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:3-21. Notably, game animals are included among those permitted for food. From this, it can be concluded that catching, killing, and using animals for food is not against God's will. The reasoning is straightforward: if it were wrong to kill any animal whatsoever, God would not have bothered to distinguish which animals were acceptable to eat—He simply would have forbidden the eating of any animal at all. Instead, God explicitly grants mankind permission to kill animals for food, as stated in Genesis 9:2-3. This dominion also extends to the killing of predators when necessary. David's killing of a lion and a bear that threatened his sheep, recorded in I Samuel 17:34-36, illustrates that protecting one's livestock or flock from dangerous animals is a legitimate exercise of this God-given authority. However, this dominion is not to be understood as license for indiscriminate or reckless killing. It would be repulsive, for instance, to kill an animal merely for its antlers or horns while leaving the rest of the carcass to rot. Such irresponsible behavior is wrong, though the animal rights movement has contributed to a reduction in this kind of waste. By contrast, the humane culling of herds—such as deer or bison—is recognized as a necessary and merciful form of conservation, distinguishing responsible management from wanton destruction. Taken together, these points demonstrate that while God has given man real authority over animals, including the right to kill them for food, protection, and even necessary population control, this dominion carries with it an implicit responsibility to act humanely and purposefully rather than carelessly or wastefully. The biblical record does not support the notion that killing animals is inherently wrong; rather, it affirms that dominion over creation was granted by God Himself and is to be exercised with both freedom and restraint.