Q. I have a non Jewish neighbour who has with me a very good relationship that I'm interested to maintain. from time to time he travels overnight and he asks me to take care of his pets, a dog and some aquarium fish. He is trveling during Pesach and I'm afraid that both the dog and fish food may contain chometz. Is there a problem of me feeding the animals chometz if the pets and their food is not mine?
A. Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 448,6) prohibits feeding chometz to an animal that belongs to a Gentile and even to a Hefker creature, that has no owner. Mishna Berurah (ibid. 28) writes, that the same applies if he finds the chometz and it does not belong to him. The reason he provides is, that humans derive certain pleasure by feeding animals. Deriving any kind of gratification from chometz is forbidden. In your particular case, there is even a greater benefit obtained from the chometz, as your neighbour will fill gratefulness towards you and owe you the favor.
We recommend acquiring Pesach pet food for you to use, to promote your friendship with your neighbour.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit"a.
Important Numbers
