The light at the end of the kennel
Jewish religious law perceives dogs as despicable animals and places strict restrictions on adopting them; but times have changed, and perhaps new religious laws should be imposed
A dog is deemed to be the reincarnation of an evil man, and those in the know will tell you that angels do not enter the homes where dogs reside. The worst thing of all is to curse someone by calling him a son of a bitch. In Judaism dogs do indeed have a dog's life.
Perhaps dogs helped the Israelites upon leaving Egypt, yet we cannot ignore our more recent history where violent attacks on Jews were assisted by dogs during the Russian pogroms.
Perhaps the religious laws stem from the awful memories of such times. Jewish laws do not specifically ban owning dogs, besides the fear of frightening people. Namely, if a dog stops a beggar from knocking on a Jew's door, the owner has missed out on a great mitzvah. Therefore it is incumbent on a Jew to own a tame dog.
A dog and his boy (Photo: Visual/Photos)
But before sealing a dog's fate we should remember that dogs are known for their unquestionable loyalty to their owners even if it is treated atrociously. A trained dog can sniff out explosives and rescue trapped people. Perhaps this is why modern culture adopts dogs so warmly.
The dog and the Jew
In the eyes of a Jew a dog is a dog and should be treated as such. Observant Jews who insist on adopting a dog despite its bad reputation do so for their own benefit. Whether it's to ward off burglars and murderers, it has done its part.
And indeed an interesting religious law was passed recently obliging Jews to adopt dogs in areas prone to violence.
Unfortunately there are numerous cases of neglect and there are no suitable religious laws concerning the living conditions of guard dogs. Many are tied up in chains, left in neglect outside their owners' homes, exposed to wind and rain and the scorching sun. All the owners do is leave a bowl of murky water and stale dog food, because after all only a dog remains faithful despite bad treatment.
So what's to be done?
The bible is full of harsh prohibitions pertaining to work animals. But times are changing. The culture of raising work animals has almost disappeared from Jewish life and with it the mitzvah's pertaining to their upkeep. This is the time to impose new religious laws pertaining to dogs. There are many such options.God fearing people know that they should not mistreat animals. A Jew who cannot be merciful to an animal should inspect himself. If he treats inferior creatures with compassion he will treat human beings better as well.
