Q&A: Kosher Status of Dog Food
Kosher Status of Dog Food
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I saw that there is an issue with meat and milk in dog food. Does that mean one should make sure that food for dogs or cats does not contain dairy ingredients? And perhaps even make sure that the utensils in which the food was cooked were not dairy utensils?
Best regards,
Answer
With meat and milk there is a prohibition against eating, cooking, and deriving benefit. Usually you are not the one cooking for the dog, but rather buying food that others cooked. So there is no prohibition here on your cooking. As for deriving benefit, I am not sure that there is benefit for you here, since as far as you are concerned it makes no practical difference whether the food is kosher or not. The seller, of course, derives benefit, but that is his prohibition. As for all the separations customarily observed because of custom or various rabbinic laws, it is reasonable not to be stringent about them with animal food. Separations that are required by the core Torah law—yes. And regarding concerns when you do not know the situation, I think there is room to be lenient and not be concerned when it comes to animal food.
Discussion on Answer
I am looking at the moment of purchase, not the moment of use. You already spent money on feeding the dog, and now you have received something prohibited. In that situation, in my opinion it is not correct to say that giving the prohibited food saves you from buying other food; rather, it is more accurate to say that not giving the prohibited food would force you to spend more on other food.
Why is there no benefit to me here? After all, from the moment I bought the dog food, I have in my hand an object from which benefit is prohibited, and using it to feed my dog saves me from having to buy other food for him that does not carry a prohibition of benefit.