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Answer:

God’s intention at the Creation was for man to care for and develop the earth’s resources, including animals, in a creative and responsible way, mirroring how God created the entire universe. The sense of ‘dominion’ in Genesis 1:28, taken in context of the whole of Genesis 1 and 2, is not one of exploitation but good and wise stewardship. A Christian’s treatment of animals, and of creation for that matter should take its cues from the Creation account. However, after the fall (Genesis 3), we do note that this harmonious account is disrupted. Humanity’s relationship with God is disrupted, humanity’s relationship with itself is disrupted, and humanity’s relationship with the created order, including the animal kingdom is disrupted. While these relationships still bear the marks of the original, and we can see some level of harmony, it falls far short of the ideal that God had in mind. In Genesis 9, after the flood, which was God’s judgment on the earth, God now permits humans to eat the flesh of animals as food (Genesis 9:3-5). Yet, within that permission, God still notes that they are not to consume the blood, signifying that life is from God and is still sacred. It is also important to note that humans are still to steward and care for creation, including animals (Genesis 9:2). Hence, while God has given permission for the use of animals as food, this in no way implies that God has given permission for animals to be treated in a cruel manner. Hence, there is a delicate balance here – on the one hand, we do have permission to use animals as food in this fallen world, but at the same time, we are not to do so in a way that absolves us of our responsibility as care-takers, stewards and protectors.

Being cruel to animals and bugs is hence not right, you could even say sinful. But, it is a symptom of a deeper problem – the root of sin is our rebellion against God as our Creator and Master. As a result, we also reject His ways and intentions for how we should live with the rest of creation, including animals. As mentioned in Genesis 9:5, God requires a ‘reckoning’ for how we treat animals, and for all our other sins as well. But, God in His mercy sent Jesus to be that ultimate sacrifice for our sins – our hope for forgiveness and change is in Him. We need to turn to Him in repentance, and believe that He is that sacrifice for us. With that sacrifice, God is not about a work of restoring the world and the created order into what it was intended to be at the beginning. This will be culminated when Jesus returns to judge sin once and for all. In Isaiah 11:6-9, we have a beautiful picture of what the restored creation will look like, with regard to the animal kingdom,

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.

Till that day, we do well to do what we can to be good stewards of the good Creation God has entrusted into our hands.