I wanted to make this thread to encourage my fellow Muslims to volunteer to help out homeless animals and to spread the message that all animals should be spayed/neutered.
I volunteer at a rabbit rescue, so I will be writing this from the point of view of a rabbit rescuer, though the same can be said for any kind of animal.
Before I started volunteering at the humane society, I didn't think breeding rabbits was bad. Rabbits have to come from somewhere, after all. If no one bred any rabbits, there wouldn't be any more domesticated rabbits. In fact, I thought that spaying and neutering was messed up, as the animal had no say in it.
The first time I went to the humane society, my entire viewpoint changed. I saw all these rabbits suffering outdoors in the heat, alone, exposed to any kind of predator that, while it might not be able to break into their secure cages, can easily scare them to death in the night (yes, rabbits CAN be scared to death, unfortunately).
The rabbit rescue I volunteer at does its best to take care of the rabbits, but there is not enough funding to build the rabbits an indoor enclosure, and the humane society where we take care of the rabbits does not really care for rabbits much either.
I cried when I went home, thinking of those poor rabbits outdoors in the dark. And the next day when the heat reached almost 100 degrees, I felt so bad for them. Rabbits can't sweat like us, or pant like dogs, and they have a full fur coat on at all times. They suffer in the heat, and unless major precautions are taken, they often die when left outside.
However, just because the shelter is not the best place for animals does not make it a bad place. In fact, as depressing as animal shelters are, they do a great service for their community. When the irresponsibility of breeders leads to major over-population, it is the shelter that takes care of the situation.
When some evil jerk abuses a defenseless animal, it is the shelter that does its best to save the animal and give it the happy ending it deserves.
Volunteering at the humane society has been the most rewarding thing I've ever done, and I know God is happy with me for doing it; after all, the Prophet is recorded to have said, "All creatures are like a family (Ayal) of God: and he loves the most those who are the most beneficent to His family. (Narrated by Anas. Mishkat al-Masabih,3:1392; quoted from Bukhari.) Surely that's good enough reason for all Muslims to help out animals, at least from time to time.
Over time, I also realized that spaying/neutering is not mean, and is in fact one of the best things you can do for your pet. If you don't spay/neuter your rabbit, it can get pregnant every month. A female rabbit can give birth to a whole litter every month. Ignoring whatever babies her babies will give birth to, the mother rabbit can bring in around 60 rabbits a year.
An evil person will hear that and think that breeding rabbits is a fast way to make money. But a decent person will hear that and think that 60 rabbits will not find a home that year because that one rabbit did not get spayed.
You might think that you don't need to spay/neuter your rabbit because you only have one, but that's cruel. If he's never going to have babies, why leave him with the urge to have babies? Just spay/neuter the poor guy.
But you should never be in a position to spay/neuter your rabbit in the first place, because EVERYONE should adopt a rabbit, not buy one from a pet store or breeder. Pet stores and Breeders will try to tell you that the rabbits come from "responsible" breeders, but the truth is that there are NO responsible breeders when there is an overpopulation problem.
A responsible person will go and say "Hey, maybe I shouldn't exacerbate the problem." Not go ahead and exacerbate it!
Breeding rabbits only causes rabbits to suffer and ALL Muslims should be against the suffering of animals, just like the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was.
For that reason, I urge all of you to NEVER buy a rabbit from a pet store or pet breeder. Even if you're saving that one rabbit, another poor rabbit will take that place. All you are doing by buying that rabbit (or other animal) is supporting that store's cruel practices.
Besides not committing or condoning animal cruelty, I encourage all Muslims to volunteer their time to help animals. Even if it's once a month or every once in a while, all animal shelters/rescues can use some help.
You'll feel better for it, and you'll, insha Allah, get rewarded for it.
There are tons of ways to help your local animal shelter. You can donate supplies (even something as simple as napkin rolls can be a big help, and they don't cost much!). You can volunteer to clean cages, or groom the pets. You can help them with their outreach programs, or foster some or one of their animals. The possibilities are endless.
The fact is, humans domesticated these animals and made them dependent on us. For that reason, it is our responsiblity to take care of them.
All animal rescues are struggling with over population, and we should all do everything we can to help them.
And you don't need to volunteer with a typical cat/dog rescue. How about a reptile rescue or a bird rescue?
Just go out there and volunteer!
"If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats of it, he will be rewarded as if he had given that much in charity." – (Bukhari Vol. 8, Book 73, #41)
"While a man was walking on a road. he became very thirsty. Then he came across a well, got down into it, drank (of its water) and then came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. The man said to himself "This dog is suffering from the same state of thirst as I did." So he went down the well (again) and filled his shoe (with water) and held it in his mouth and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him." The people asked, "O Allah's Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?" He said, "(Yes) There is a reward for serving any animate (living being)." – (Bukhari Vol. 8, Book 73, #38)
I volunteer at a rabbit rescue, so I will be writing this from the point of view of a rabbit rescuer, though the same can be said for any kind of animal.
Before I started volunteering at the humane society, I didn't think breeding rabbits was bad. Rabbits have to come from somewhere, after all. If no one bred any rabbits, there wouldn't be any more domesticated rabbits. In fact, I thought that spaying and neutering was messed up, as the animal had no say in it.
The first time I went to the humane society, my entire viewpoint changed. I saw all these rabbits suffering outdoors in the heat, alone, exposed to any kind of predator that, while it might not be able to break into their secure cages, can easily scare them to death in the night (yes, rabbits CAN be scared to death, unfortunately).
The rabbit rescue I volunteer at does its best to take care of the rabbits, but there is not enough funding to build the rabbits an indoor enclosure, and the humane society where we take care of the rabbits does not really care for rabbits much either.
I cried when I went home, thinking of those poor rabbits outdoors in the dark. And the next day when the heat reached almost 100 degrees, I felt so bad for them. Rabbits can't sweat like us, or pant like dogs, and they have a full fur coat on at all times. They suffer in the heat, and unless major precautions are taken, they often die when left outside.
However, just because the shelter is not the best place for animals does not make it a bad place. In fact, as depressing as animal shelters are, they do a great service for their community. When the irresponsibility of breeders leads to major over-population, it is the shelter that takes care of the situation.
When some evil jerk abuses a defenseless animal, it is the shelter that does its best to save the animal and give it the happy ending it deserves.
Volunteering at the humane society has been the most rewarding thing I've ever done, and I know God is happy with me for doing it; after all, the Prophet is recorded to have said, "All creatures are like a family (Ayal) of God: and he loves the most those who are the most beneficent to His family. (Narrated by Anas. Mishkat al-Masabih,3:1392; quoted from Bukhari.) Surely that's good enough reason for all Muslims to help out animals, at least from time to time.
Over time, I also realized that spaying/neutering is not mean, and is in fact one of the best things you can do for your pet. If you don't spay/neuter your rabbit, it can get pregnant every month. A female rabbit can give birth to a whole litter every month. Ignoring whatever babies her babies will give birth to, the mother rabbit can bring in around 60 rabbits a year.
An evil person will hear that and think that breeding rabbits is a fast way to make money. But a decent person will hear that and think that 60 rabbits will not find a home that year because that one rabbit did not get spayed.
You might think that you don't need to spay/neuter your rabbit because you only have one, but that's cruel. If he's never going to have babies, why leave him with the urge to have babies? Just spay/neuter the poor guy.
But you should never be in a position to spay/neuter your rabbit in the first place, because EVERYONE should adopt a rabbit, not buy one from a pet store or breeder. Pet stores and Breeders will try to tell you that the rabbits come from "responsible" breeders, but the truth is that there are NO responsible breeders when there is an overpopulation problem.
A responsible person will go and say "Hey, maybe I shouldn't exacerbate the problem." Not go ahead and exacerbate it!
Breeding rabbits only causes rabbits to suffer and ALL Muslims should be against the suffering of animals, just like the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was.
For that reason, I urge all of you to NEVER buy a rabbit from a pet store or pet breeder. Even if you're saving that one rabbit, another poor rabbit will take that place. All you are doing by buying that rabbit (or other animal) is supporting that store's cruel practices.
Besides not committing or condoning animal cruelty, I encourage all Muslims to volunteer their time to help animals. Even if it's once a month or every once in a while, all animal shelters/rescues can use some help.
You'll feel better for it, and you'll, insha Allah, get rewarded for it.
There are tons of ways to help your local animal shelter. You can donate supplies (even something as simple as napkin rolls can be a big help, and they don't cost much!). You can volunteer to clean cages, or groom the pets. You can help them with their outreach programs, or foster some or one of their animals. The possibilities are endless.
The fact is, humans domesticated these animals and made them dependent on us. For that reason, it is our responsiblity to take care of them.
All animal rescues are struggling with over population, and we should all do everything we can to help them.
And you don't need to volunteer with a typical cat/dog rescue. How about a reptile rescue or a bird rescue?
Just go out there and volunteer!
"If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats of it, he will be rewarded as if he had given that much in charity." – (Bukhari Vol. 8, Book 73, #41)
"While a man was walking on a road. he became very thirsty. Then he came across a well, got down into it, drank (of its water) and then came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. The man said to himself "This dog is suffering from the same state of thirst as I did." So he went down the well (again) and filled his shoe (with water) and held it in his mouth and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him." The people asked, "O Allah's Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?" He said, "(Yes) There is a reward for serving any animate (living being)." – (Bukhari Vol. 8, Book 73, #38)