Biblical view of animals

"The Scriptures are clear regarding the tender place in God’s heart for the animals. The Book of Jonah ends with God’s concern for the animals of Nineveh. “‘Should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons . . . and also much cattle’” (Jonah 4:11, ESV). Genesis 9:10 and Hosea 2:18 speak of God making a covenant with the animals. The Old Testament says the Sabbath was given not only for man, but also that the animals might rest (Ex. 23:12).
        Numbers 22 is intriguing: the Lord opens the mouth of Balaam’s donkey, who speaks to his master. Notice that God does not give special intelligence and speech to the donkey, but simply “opens his mouth” and he speaks! Then the angel asks the penetrating question of Balaam, “‘Why have you struck your donkey?’” (vs. 32, NKJV). God was concerned about the cruel abuse of an animal. ...many other passages in which the animals speak, and

even cry out to God, and God answers their cry. See, for example, Job 12:7–9; 40:15–19; 41:10; Psalm 104:21, 27, 28; and Isaiah 43:20.
        Along with God’s frequently expressed concern for the animals in the Old Testament is the instructive verse on the lips of Jesus in the New Testament: “‘Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God’” (Luke 12:6, NIV). In Biblical thought, for God to “remember” is to act in behalf of someone or something (see Genesis 8:1, in which God remembered Noah and the animals in the ark by delivering them from death). If God does not “forget” the sparrows that fall (die), then doesn’t this imply that He will “remember,” i.e., act in behalf of the ones who have fallen?" PerspectiveDigest