You shall save alive nothing that breathes

[tonychanyt]

Deut 20:

16 But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes,

Did that include animals?

Yes, for the case of Jericho, Jos 6:

21 Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.

But no, for the case of Ai, Joshua 8:

2a And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves.

For other cities in the Canaan, Joshua 11:

10 And Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. 11 And they struck with the sword all who were in it, devoting them to destruction; there was none left that breathed.

I.e., people were killed

And he burned Hazor with fire. 12 And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua captured, and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. 13 But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned. 14 And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder.

Livestock were spared.

But every person they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed.

All the inhabitants were killed, but livestock were taken as spoil.