DO DOGS GO TO HEAVEN?

[Relena7]

I Don't believe animals are soulless, but I think they do have a simpler kind of soul than we do. They lack the ability to consciously sin like us. They live on instinct, not intelligent choice. Like others here I have never seen any biblical mention of animals going to heaven (or where they go). But I don't see why it couldn't happen. There are things in heaven that represent what we know on earth. So it makes sense there would be animals too.

Dogs are mentioned 40 times in the bible, and not once are they referred to as pets or domesticated animals. Cats aren't even mentioned in the bible at all. Dogs were considered beasts or used for work. Since pets aren't mentioned in scripture there is no evidence they go to Heaven.

Well, big cats are mentioned. The bible mentions lions quite a lot. In those days they probably clumped all big cats in the "lion" category.

 

[RickShafer]

The thing about animals and heaven that's hard for me to grasp is which ones get to go? What about the animals that killed people? Mean-spirited animals? Animals that had no "owner"? Animals that people tend to not like?

While it's nice to think that they do, or that maybe the new earth will have other creatures of some sort, I am not sure how much we will care or remember once we are actually there. Despite how much I love my cats, I don't think I'll get to heaven and say, "Oh, Jesus is here! ...But where is Dakota??"

O.K.; by the same token, what about all of the people who killed animals for sport?
See, it goes both ways.
- What if the animal was defending itself? (Or thought in it's narrow mind that it was defending it's offspring)?

- - This meeting out of justice is a hard thing.

 

[Mark836]

Since Adam named the animals and were put here for the good of man, I believe that God does have a special place for them. Maybe not all animals though...Genesis 3:14 states that the serpent is cursed for the rest of his life because of what he has done. I am not sure if this means eternally or just until he dies.

 

[ContentCanadian]

I'm not sure but I don't think so. I'm not sure they get to go to heaven just because we love them ( I think most of us are thinking of our pets). Quite frankly I'd be a bit jealous if they did..I love my cat but as I watch her at the foot of my bed licking her bits...yeah let's just say I'd be jealous if she "got in".

On the other side if Christ is the only way to heaven can animals accept Him as their Lord? If an animal can get into heaven I suspect there would be a way for an animal to enter hell then. I think they were put on earth because God is a God of creation and because they are to serve man. In heaven we will no longer be in our current form and we won't need them.

 

[know1]

I've not seen any evidence of animals having souls.

Gen_2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Gen_6:17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
Gen_7:15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
Gen 7:21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
Gen 7:22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
Gen 7:23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.



Every living animal has a soul. Without the soul, the earthly body has no life.
If children who are innocent go to heaven when they die without being born again, would it be different for an innocent animal?

1Co_7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
Why are the children holy if one of the parents is a believer? Though they are not too young to believe, they are too young to understand the gospel.

Why is Abraham called our father? We are his children because we have the same spirit of faith in us that he had in him. And how did we get this spirit?
There is something we call transference of spirit. Some of the ways this happen is via one looking up to another, being under the covering of another, or agreeing with another. And dogs certainly fit all three.
If an animal can receive an evil spirit in it, it can certainly receive a spirit of or from God.
I don't know, but I think it is possible for our pets to go to heaven.

 

[know1]

I just had to put my dog of 15 yrs down last night and I am hoping that she is in Heaven. I have found bible verses that may support this thought or am I wishing thinking? My heart is broken and miss my dog so much.

Isaiah 11:6-9
Ecclesiastes 3:19,21
Job 12:10
Genesis 9:9-10
9:16
Luke 12:6

I watch a video of a guy that went to heaven, and some of the things he said was that there were children and animal there.
When I called the man a liar within myself, God rebuked me, very harshly, in a not so very quiet way. Point being, I believe the animals go to heaven because God told me that this man of God was telling the truth.
It's not gospel, but it was from God.

 

[lcerveny]

Excuse me HATTIEBOD...........I was mourning the death of my dog. I think God allows that. You sounded very judgmental. It was a simple post asking if anyone thinks dogs go to heaven. WOW, very insensitive you are.

 

[Isdaniel]

[h=3]Ecclesiastes 3[/h]King James Version (KJV)

[SUP]19 [/SUP]For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

[SUP]20 [/SUP]All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

[SUP]21 [/SUP]Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

 

[rainin]

I will be having my last 3 dogs put down in the next couple of days as I can no longer afford to feed them due to my husband divorcing me. I feel your heartbreaking pain. I have wondered if animals go to heaven since I was a child. The vet who cared for my dogs is a Christian and we had a conversation about it one day at her clinic. She said that she personally believed that God has a place for every creature in heaven. She also said that if our pets don't go to heaven that when we get there God will love us so much we won't even remember the pain of losing them. Im so sorry you had to have her put down. It is something that I have been through many times and it is never an easy thing to do. They are with us for such a short time but they give us so much love in the time they are with us. My dogs are 12 now and it is so hard for me to have to put them down only because I can't afford to feed them. I try to remember that I am a steward of God's precious dogs that he has given me. I have to do what is right for them and not myself. Maybe that will help you in your time of grief. Again...I'm so sorry you are in so much pain.

 

[intercessorginger]

Well,the bible doesn't say this, but...God created all the animals as companions to Adam so he knows we love them and enjoy their company. I don't know any reason why animals will not be in heaven. God could create your pet again to be in heaven with you.I bet they don't shed or have fleas either.

 

[FORHISGLORY]

The Bible is silent on this issue. Check Deut.29:29. Our desires aren't equal to good theology. Mankind was created with a soul. There's no evidence from scripture that animals have souls(or spirits). I love my dog. But, when she dies, it's over. C.S. Lewis believed animals go to heaven. But, again, where's the scriptural support ?

 

[Elizabeth619]

I Don't believe animals are soulless, but I think they do have a simpler kind of soul than we do. They lack the ability to consciously sin like us. They live on instinct, not intelligent choice. Like others here I have never seen any biblical mention of animals going to heaven (or where they go). But I don't see why it couldn't happen. There are things in heaven that represent what we know on earth. So it makes sense there would be animals too.



Well, big cats are mentioned. The bible mentions lions quite a lot. In those days they probably clumped all big cats in the "lion" category.

I do feel we need to be very careful and not to give people a false hope on things like pets going to Heaven. The truth is the bible is silent on this subject. We should never take a situation and take assumption for truth. I do love animals. Especially dogs and I know what it's like to lose one, but I don't assume my pets go to Heaven. I can't assume it if the bible doesn't say it. There's no actual evidence of it. Am I insensitive? Some may think it, but I find it much worse to add to the bible and say pets go to Heaven(which is technically lying) when scripture doesn't mention it.