This blog post is long. I tried to cut down how many words I used. Thank you for reading it.  This is one of those topics that is very near and dear to my heart. This post is dedicated to all of you have knows that dogs aren’t just dogs, they are family members. I will be doing the final part of this blog that has pictures of four-legged family members that have done over the bridge and some are still with us. If there is anyone who would like to add a picture of their 4 legged family member to that page, let me know. It is going to be a showcase of beloved pets that are still with us and those who have made it to the Rainbow Bridge.

Click Here to view a video about the four-legged family members we have rescued.

This is the part two of are “Dogs In Heaven?”  I have to say right off the bat that I totally believe that pets will be in Heaven. I don’t think they will be there in the same way they are here since I wouldn’t think they would be owned by anyone. They would be there to be enjoyed by all. I don’t think we will have to train them to walk on leashes or tell them to not pee on the furniture or the other dogs in the house.  In my house the most used saying is. “Henry, don’t pee on Jasper”and “Henry, don’t pee on Parker!” Now, the question is, what does the Bible say about pets in Heaven?

I belong to a number of rescue groups and over the years I have experienced many losses when it comes to my dogs going to Heaven. I have put together a few videos about some of the dogs we have rescued and dogs that people have thrown out or wasn’t as cute as they think they should be. Dogs have such a short life span compared to humans, so it is a difficult emotion to deal with when it comes to the time when our four-legged family members cross over.

As a friend of mine lost his family members Anna and Bart, it’s hard to not think back to those times when Brandie, Maverick and Maddie crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. I know this sounds bad, but I have loved all of our four-legged family members, but there are some I was just closer to and broke my heart.

Last week as I was taking my bath, I was listening to some Christian music and some studies that a friend loaned me to listen to. As I was listening to the music, I was looking at Jasper. I have been noticing that he is having a harder time seeing. I have to turn the lights on so he can see the door is open or that it’s OK to go into the room. If the light in the hallway is off, he will wait at the door waiting for me to open it, even though it’s open. Once the light is turned on, he will go into the room. Then, he is getting a lot of grey. I couldn’t help but think about how he may only have a few years.

I rescued him, so I don’t know how old he is. I’m guessing he was about 3 yrs old when I got him. I have had him for 6 yrs or so. During my bath time, my heart was breaking since I could tell he is having a hard time. I couldn’t help but cry over the thought that in a few short years, he too will be crossing over the Rainbow Bridge.

Now to the point of this blog post.

Will Our Pets Be in Heaven With Us?

Anytime I think about if my beloved family members will be there, I’m sure I’m not alone when I ask about if they will be in Heaven. This is one question that many Christians and people of faith have asked over the years. I’m no different. There are many opinions when it comes to these questions.

• “Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.” – Genesis 7:15
• “God wishes other creatures besides humans to be included in the plan of salvation.” – St. Francis of Assisi
• “One day we will see our pets in the eternity of Christ.” – Pope Paul VI

Isaiah’s description of the peace of God’s future kingdom where he says that “the wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox” (Isaiah 65:25). Heaven will lack nothing that is good and that will bring glory to God

My life has been enriched because of my four-legged family members. Dogs and other animals have many purposes. Not only are they there to love us unconditionally, they also save lives. How can there not be a place for them in Heaven considering everything they can do and want to do. They don’t ask for anything in return.

I have many bad days and no matter how bad my day is, my dogs lift my spirit and they make me smile. Well, unless they are peeing on each other lol. As I walk through the door and it doesn’t matter if it is 5 minutes or 5 hours, our dogs makes me feel loved and missed. How can there be no place in Heaven for dogs or other animals when they demonstrate such love and compassion? In my personal opinion, I can’t imagine Heaven without dogs or other animals. The only animals or creepy crawlers that I hope aren’t there is snakes, spiders, roaches and wasps. I know they have a purpose, but, I would prefer them to NOT be there lol.

I wish people/humans had the kind of love that dogs have. I think God gave us dogs and other animals as examples of how we should be and how we should treat each other.

My thoughts on why dogs or animals will be in Heaven.

Dogs love us unconditionally and are considered “mans best friends. They are always loyal and trusting.  I could be having one of the worst days and just at the end of my rope. For example, a number of years ago, I went to my Dr. I was sick of living at the Dr’s office and all of the life changing diagnosis’. My neurologist let me know that I was having another bought of Guillian Barre Syndrome and I would have to go back into the hospital. I will be doing a blog on Guillian Barre Syndrome since it is awareness month.

As I was going through all of the paper work and signing the papers that I brought home, I was visibly upset. My dogs and one of them was Brandie, came up to sit by me. She put her head on my lap and her eyes met mine and she comforted me. The dogs we have now are the same. How can God not have a place for them when they demonstrate unconditional love, loyalty, faithfulness and trust? These traits are things that all of mankind should be doing. Every relationship in life has to do with unconditional love and trust

Another question that many ask when it comes to dogs in Heaven is,  do pets have a soul? Do you need a soul to get into “heaven”? I had to do some research on this instead of just going on “what I think”.   

One of many things you can think about when it comes to pets in Heaven is that they are part of God’s creation and God said “they were good. Since He said they were good, I can’t say that animals won’t be there. We do know that God is just and that when we get to heaven we will find ourselves in complete agreement with His decision on this issue, whatever it may be.

Genesis 1:25 – God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Isaiah 11:6 – The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.

I may be interpreting Genesis wrong, but those who boarded the Ark of Salvation wasn’t just Noah and his family, it was all living creatures that were welcomed, even snakes and spiders, yuck.   In Genesis it doesn’t say only those who are super smart, or speak correctly will be there, it says All living creatures were welcome aboard, including Noah and his family’s pets.

There are some that feel that pets lake the ability to reason in the same way we do, but they don’t lack the ability to love humans in the same way. I have listed some of the ways dogs and other animals have made our lives easier.

Service/Therapy and Assist people on the job 

Dogs have the ability to detect a wide variety of allergies all work to improve the lives of their human companions and allow them to live more independently. I know a number of people who have service dogs for their children or an adult that is under their care. I have witnessed how huge the difference is when it comes to alerting someone who a seizure is about to happen.  Dogs aid those who have psychiatric disorders, mobility problems, autism, PTSD or hearing/blindness disabilities.

Search and Rescue

• Their ability to smell  human scent allow them to track the air as well as the ground and locate people, both living and dead.

Guarding/Watchdog/Police and Detections

• Dogs can be used to guard just about anything and anyone. One of the most popular breeds that are used by the military and law enforcement agencies are the German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. Dogs are used to keep soldiers and their surroundings safe.
• Dogs use their keen senses of smell to detect everything – from bombs to bedbugs to contraband in prisons (such as cell phones!).
• Police dogs can play many rolls including enforcing public order, detection, search and rescue and cadaver detection.

If dogs are able to provide these types of services and be such a benefit to man kind, why would there not be a place for them in Heaven. These very special creations are wonderful gifts from a loving God to bring joy, laughter and warmth into our lives. When I think about the saying, “heaven-sent”, I truly believe they are.

I have spent a lot of time in the hospital and when someone brings in a therapy dog or other animal, the people’s faces light up. They begin smiling and sharing stories about what kind of dog, cat or other animal. Many hospitals and care centers will bring therapy dogs. For those who are on hospice and are on a memory unit that treats patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s, the dogs roam from room to room freely.

Anytime I was in the hospital and my husband or daughters brought in my Brandie Muffins, it made my day 1000 times better. Not only my day, but others that were on the same unit that I was in just loved her. She would walk up to people and rest her chin on their lap. She has never been trained. I know that God was the only One who trained her and brought her into my life.

For many people, myself included, when I lose a pet, I feel a great deal of grief. Some people have said, it’s just a dog, get over it. I can tell you that when people have said that to me, it didn’t go over well. In my opinion a dog is not just a dog. They are family. There are many who have never been able to have children. They feel the loss just as much as if they lost other family members. I have experienced a loss of family, friends and pets, and it seems to me that a loss is a loss, grief is grief, and love is love.

I can’t even begin to wonder what heaven would be like if no pets were allowed there. I stated earlier that I’m sure dogs wouldn’t be on leases and they wouldn’t be property. If there is going to be lions laying down with lambs, then why wouldn’t there be dogs.

I mentioned before Noah’s Ark.  If God instructed Noah to enter the ark with his sons, wife, and your sons’ wives along with every living creature into the ark so they may remain alive with them.

They are to be male and female. From birds according to their species, from domestic animals according to their species, and from everything that crawls on the ground according to their species —two of everything will come to you so they may remain alive. For your part, take some of the edible food and store it away—these stores will be food for you and the animals. Noah did all of this, precisely as God had commanded.

Genesis 6:19-22 it says,

“ You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.  You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.” Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

I may be wrong on this, but if animals weren’t created to be fully enjoyed by Adam and Eve and humans, then why would God have created them in the first place. He would never have created them if there wasn’t a greater purpose for them.

The question about if dogs will be in Heaven has been a long time question and the Bible doesn’t specifically say they are there. Bible theologians and scholars also agree that there isn’t anything that says they are there or not there.

I don’t think there is going to be a direct answer to this question. It will have to be something that we just have to wait and see. I hope and pray they are there.  While we are living here on earth, we won’t know that answer nor answers to most everything else. People have asked me what is the one question I would like to ask God when I get there. As I think about that question, I would have to say that it wouldn’t be important since I will be there. I will be so overwhelmed by just standing before Christ, that no question I have here on earth will be important.

Because He is our Heavenly Father who has nothing but our best interests at heart and wants nothing more than to show us how much He really does love and care for all of us. If there is one other verse that I would hang my hat on for the argument that our pets could possibly be resurrected for us, it would be this verse:

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withheld from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)

In closing I want to say that animals such as dogs and cats are very special. The way they were created, how different they all look, how they all have different personalities, and how they all add that extra element of love and surprise into our lives. And again, God already knew all of this before He even created us.

I believe God created millions of animals and creatures before He even created us. He knew how much we would really love, enjoy, and appreciate some of them.