Do Animals Go To Heaven?

The Bible never explicitly talks about whether pets and other animals have souls, leaving many of us wondering if we’ll see our dogs in heaven…

However, we can shed some light on the question by taking a closer look at the Bible!

Let’s jump in.

Animals have the breath of life

The Bible clearly establishes that both humans and animals have the “breath of life,” signifying the essence of living beings:

7 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7, NIV

And for animals:

30 “And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

Genesis 1:30, NIV

However, us humans are set apart because we were created in the image and likeness of God, which animals aren’t:

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Genesis 1:26, NIV

This means that we, in the image and likeness of God, are similar to God in certain ways:

• We have spirituality
• We have a strong will
• We have emotions
• We have a mind

Now, animals show those things too, but to a much lesser degree than humans.

So, logically we could say that if animals have a soul, it would be different and of lower quality than ours.

That could imply that animals’ souls don’t live on past death…

Animals in God’s creative plan

Regardless of the “quality” of animal souls, God created animals and declared them “good”:

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.

Genesis 1:25, NIV

This “holy endorsement” suggests the possibility of animals existing in the new Earth (read Revelation 21:1).

We do know that animals will for sure be in the millennial kingdom:

6 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.

Isaiah 11:6, NIV

But we don’t know for sure if those animals will be our earthly pets.

Final thoughts: will we see our pets in heaven?

The promise of God’s justice assures us that His decision on the matter will be good, and we’ll be in total agreement with Him when the time comes.

It’s hard when the Bible doesn’t explicitly give us the answer, especially one so important for our beloved pets, but it’s cases like this where we need to trust Him and accept the outcome.

Personally, I believe that our pets will be waiting for us in heaven based on the few clues the Bible provides us with.

God wants what’s best for us, so let’s enjoy our furry friends and take care of them as God intended.

Shoot us a message if you have more thoughts on this, we’d love to hear them!

And make sure to check out some of our other articles:

• What Are The Names of God In The Bible?
• Where Did Cain’s Wife Come From?
• Tithing In The Bible: Should Christians Tithe?
• Where Is The Garden Of Eden?
• 40 Best Christian Rock Bands

FAQs