Is it permissible to give zakat to stray, sick, and hungry animals?

It is not permissible to disburse the obligatory Zakat (definition) for animals, whether for feeding or treating them. The categories of Zakat beneficiaries are specified in the verse: (Indeed, [prescribed] charitable donations are only to be given to the poor and the needy, and to those who work on [collecting] them, and to those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to [free] those in bondage, and to the debt-ridden, and for the cause of God, and to the wayfarer; [this is] an obligation from God. And God is All-Knowing, All-Wise). As for feeding animals and showing kindness to them, it falls under voluntary charity, and there is a great reward for it. Prophetic traditions have been reported that encourage showing kindness to animals, such as the hadith (definition): "In every moist liver (living being) there is a reward." Nevertheless, a Muslim must prioritize the needs of their fellow needy Muslims over caring for animals, as the primary and most important matter is to meet the needs of human beings.