Animals (623)

Chapter 27

Laws Relating to Animals on Shabbath and Yom Tov

LEADING AN ANIMAL OR ALLOWING IT TO PERFORM A FORBIDDEN ACTIVITY

9.a. 1) a) An identification tag suspended from the neck of an animal is not regarded as an item which protects the physical well-being of the animal to the normal extent required.

b) This is because the tag itself does not directly protect the animal, but merely enables one to identify it.

2) One may not, therefore, allow an animal to go out into reshuth ha-rabbim wearing such a tag.

9.b.1) It follows that, where there is no eiruv, a dog owner must be careful not to take his pet out with a disc hanging from its neck.

2) This must be borne in mind in places where dogs wear discs issued by a governmental authority to show that the licence fee has been paid or that the animal is not a stray.

9.c. Likewise, a cattle owner should take care that his animals have no identification discs around their necks or legs when putting them out to graze on Shabbath in a place where there is no eiruv.

9.d. 1) On the other hand, one may allow an animal to go out, even into reshuth ha-rabbim, with a tag stapled to its ear, bearing an identity number and other particulars.

2) Such a tag is in a different category, since it cannot be removed.

10.a. One must not let one’s animal go out into a place where there no eiruv, wearing even an item which is designed to protect its physical well-being, if that item is liable to fall off.

10.b. The reason is that, if the item does drop off, one might forget oneself and carry it for a distance of four amoth or more.