Do Pets Go To Heaven?

by Adam Lustig

For as long as I can remember, after becoming a Christian, the question often arises "will my pet be in heaven with me?

It's a good question for those of us that are pet lovers, because of our attachment to our pets. I also am a pet lover who has lost two dogs and am now the owner of a terrier/dachshund mix named molly who loves our family to death.

To bring some clarity to this question, of our pets being in heaven with us, I have gleaned some thoughts from Jack Wellman, a Christian author, and pastor of Evangelical Free Church in Udall, KS. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read what pastor Wellman has written on this subject if this is a question you are struggling with. And as always, in advance, Thanks for Listening.

DO OUR PETS GO TO HEAVEN? 

Almost everyone has lost a beloved pet. They become part of the family and many couples who are childless consider their pets as their own children. So what happens to pets after they die? Do they go to heaven? Will we ever see our dearly departed pets again? What is their fate? What does the Bible say about animals after they die? These precious loved animals including dogs, cats, horses, and even a few unorthodox pets that families have grown to love and grieve after they are gone. Let's see what the Word of God says about whether or not animals or pets go to heaven?

Pets are part of the Family

Are pets part of the family? This may seem like a trivial question for some people but for those who have pets, this is a question that has been asked particularly after the death of their pets. The Bible is clear that babies, young children, infants, or toddlers that die before they are able to accept Jesus Christ as Savior go directly into the presence of the Lord. When a parent loses a child, they can be comforted with this fact, but this does not mean that they will not grieve them. I can remember losing pets and losing them is painful; our family has grieved these who were lost too. They are part of the family. They are treated as a child and I have had few pets that thought that they were human too in the way they acted.

I know of several couples that were unable to have children and so they were especially close to their pets and loved them as they would their very own children if they were able to bear them. Many elderly couples and those who have had a spouse die are left only with their pets and animal's companionship has sustained them through many lonely days and long nights. A pet's love is so often completely unconditional. They don't care what your day was like, what went wrong at work, what your mood is when you come home. They are always ready to jump up into your lap and are so full of joy at seeing you that they display this love in their actions. How often have I come home from a hard day at work only to see my beloved dogs or cats run with joy to greet me. Their sheer joy at seeing me often makes me forget what a difficult day I had because they are there to meet with eager expectation.

Famous Christians Who Believe Pets Go To Heaven

Randy Alcorn in his book called "Heaven" believes that animals will be present in the Kingdom of Heaven. Famous Christian authors who believe that pets go to heaven include C. S. Lewis, Peter Kreeft, Sylvia Brown, Niki Behrikis Shanahan, James Harriot, and dozens and dozens of others; the list goes of Christian pastors, theologians, and clergy is too long to list here. Suffice it to say that a lot of Christians believe that pets do go to heaven and that there will be animals in heaven.

What the Bible Says About Animals

Let's take a look at the scriptures that relate to animals and what is said of them:

Ecclesiastes 3:18-21: "As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both; As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath (literally "spirit" ); humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"

Job 12:10 "In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath ( literally "spirit" ) of all mankind."

Luke 12:6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God."

Animals In Heaven

The Bible indicates that animals will exist after Jesus's return and the beginning of the Kingdom as Isaiah 11:6-9 reads, "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra's den, the young child will put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Here is the Word of God declaring that animals will still exist in the future after Christ's reign begins.

The Conclusion

Upon examining the scriptures we just don't have biblical support to say this with certainty whether or not our pets will be in heaven, however, it does appear that animals will exist in the Kingdom of heaven ( Isaiah 11: 6-9 ). If our pets will be resurrected or not, we just cannot say for sure.

Epilogue

Some closing thoughts from me, Adam. The most important question is "are we going to be in heaven?" God wants us to have a relationship with Him so we can be in heaven and then we will know for sure if our pets are in heaven. As I have studied scripture over these many years I am told that I am made up of Body, Soul, and Spirit once I receive Jesus Christ in my life and it is my Spirit and new body that dwells with Christ. Our pets are only made up of a Body and Soul but not a Spirit.