Brethren religious sect orders members to get rid of pets

Current and former Brethren members say the sect has ordered a pet cull. Photo / Getty Images

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, formerly known as Exclusive Brethren, has reportedly ordered its members to get rid of pets, with sect followers across Australia and New Zealand left heartbroken over having to choose between their church and their beloved animals.

An investigation by Australian publication The Age found that members have already started letting go of their pets following orders from the sect, including a member from New Zealand who posted about being heartbroken to lose her kitten, with The Age reporting that multiple church members said she had to euthanise to comply with the order.

The directive reportedly came after a dog attack last month on a young family member of the church’s leader Bruce Hales. The 4-year-old boy survived the attack but required stitches on his face.

In a letter read in Brethren meetings held in multiple locations, including New Zealand, on May 2, the sect told members: “The ownership of such an animal, let alone it being kept at a brother’s home, is clearly wrong.

“There are reports of some Brethren having reverted to owning pets, including dogs and other animals, which practice has been clearly spoken against in ministry,” the letter continued, seemingly referring to a previous pet ban imposed by the church in the 1960s, to much controversy.

One Brethren member who spoke to The Age anonymously said directives from the leadership are rare and her heart “sank” when this one was read in the meeting.

The woman said she could never bear to get rid of her service dog. “If I’m asked to choose between my church and the dog, it’s going to be the dog,” she said.

The church has denied claims of a pet cull, with a spokesman telling The Age the recent message was “simply a reminder of a principle that was established some time ago”.

They also denied the vastly documented pet purge in the 1960s, saying it was “completely untrue … to the best of our knowledge".

Former members of the religious sect now worry that a large-scale pet cull could happen following the recent directive.

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has an estimated 54,000 members worldwide, including around 9000 in New Zealand.

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