Fatwa: # 16166
Category: Jurisprudence and Rulings...
Country: South Africa
Date: 5th February 2008

Title

Can I feed a pet , pet food bought from the supermarket, Husky etc.

Question

Can I feed a pet , pet food bought from the supermarket, Husky etc.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

If the pet in reference is a dog, then we wish to point out that it is not permissible to keep a dog as a pet. It will only be permissible to keep a dog for hunting, guarding, farming etc. Nevertheless, the pet-food that is sold in the supermarkets contains Haram ingredients such as meat which is not slaughtered according to the laws of Shari’a. Such meat is considered as carrion hence, it will not be permissible to purchase such food or to feed it to animals. (Fatawa Hindiya, vol. 5 pg. 361, Maktaba Rashidiya / Fatawa Rahimiya, vol. 9 pg. 138, Dar al-Isha’at)

رجل ذبح كلبه أو حماره جاز أن يطعم سنوره من ذلك وليس له أن يطعمه خنزيره أو شيئا من الميتة كذا في السراجية ( الفتاوى الحندية )

As an alternative, you can consider purchasing non-meat pet food for animals if available, prepare your own dog food with Halal ingredients or feed the animals your leftovers. In this manner the food will not go to waste and the animal will be fed.

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Ml. Yusuf bin Yaqub,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa

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