Imagine coming home from work and you are starving. Just as you unlock the door you hear your pet calling out for something to eat.
This happens to me almost every day when I come back from shul. As I open the gate of the house our Guinea Pigs start to whistle telling me that they would like some cucumbers for breakfast.
Who should we be feeding first ourselves or our pets and animals?
According to the gemara we need to feed our animals before we feed ourselves. The gemara tells us that a person is not even allowed to taste anything before he feeds his animals or pets. The gemara learns this from the verse in Deutoronomy 11:15 “And I will give grass in your fields for your animals, and you will eat and be satiated.”
The same way G-D is concerned first of all with the food of the animals we should follow in his ways and feed them first. This law has the potential to remind us on a daily basis that we must restrain our own physical\animal needs in order to first take care of the needs of those whose welfare is depenedent on us. I think this is truly beautiful Torah and is in itself a great reason for children to own pets knowing that on a daily basis even they need to be concerned with the welfare of their animal before taking care of their own needs.
It is interesting to note that this law only applies to food and not drink. When it comes to drinking, people come first. This is learned from the story of Rebbbeca and Elazar where Rebbeca said to Elazar “drink and I will also give your camels to drink.”
Judaism and the Environment in the Talmud 