Do our pet animals (even all dogs and cats and fish and all other animals) really go to heaven? Given all the problems in the world today, that may seem like a rather trivial question, but it deserves an honest answer just like any other question about our Catholic faith. We pet owners love our animals. They’re part of our family, and just like anyone else in our family, we want to see them again in heaven when we die.
So what does our faith say about this important topic? Admittedly, it doesn’t say much. Catholicism is all about what we need to do to get to heaven, so God has not told us a ton about the rest of creation other than what we need to know to fulfill his will for us.
However, I don’t think we are entirely out of luck here. I would suggest that our faith does in fact give us a glimmer of hope for our furry (or scaly or feathery) friends after they die. It is not all that explicit, but it is there if we reflect carefully on a key aspect of God’s relationship with his creation.
The Typical Answer
Let’s start by examining the typical Catholic answer to this question. If you try looking it up online, most Catholic websites are going to say that animals don’t go to heaven (or anywhere else) when they die. They’ll say that we humans have spiritual souls that survive the death of our bodies, but animals only have what they call material souls. This basically means that when their bodies die, their souls die as well, and we know this because animals can’t do anything that transcends the limitations of mere matter.
Take rational thought, for example. Matter alone cannot think rationally. That requires a spiritual component, so since we humans can think rationally, we know that we must have spiritual souls that can survive the death of our bodies. However, animals just act on instinct, so they don’t need spiritual souls. Instead, they are purely material beings. There is no part of them that can survive their physical death, so when they die, they’re gone forever.
A Binding Teaching?
Most places that give this kind of answer simply present it as the Catholic answer without any further nuance, but that is not really correct. See, this isn’t in the Bible, nor is it a doctrine or dogma of our faith. It is not official Church teaching, so it is not the Catholic answer. Rather, it is just a human philosophical opinion.
Granted, it is the most popular opinion among Catholic theologians and philosophers going back centuries, so it is a very old and venerable tradition, but it is not binding on the faithful. We Catholics aren’t obligated to believe it the way we are obligated to believe things like the Trinity and the Immaculate Conception, so we are free to disagree with it if we do not find the reasoning convincing.
And in my opinion, we should disagree with it. I don’t want to get too bogged down with the details, so I’ll just give one reason why I find it unconvincing. While animals cannot think rationally, they are conscious and they have feelings, and I would suggest that those traits also transcend the limitations of mere matter. As a result, animals must have some spiritual component as well. Granted, this still leaves open the question of what happens to that component after they die, but it shows that the typical Catholic answer does not close the book on this question.
No Official Teaching
So where can we turn to find a better answer? Does the Bible say anything about what happens to animals after they die? Unfortunately, it does not. While Scripture is clear that human beings are very different from animals (for example, we’re made in God’s image and likeness, but animals aren’t; see Genesis 1:20-28), it does not say or imply much of anything about what happens to them when they die.
Sure, it says that there will be animals in the new creation that will come about when Jesus comes again at the end of human history (for example, Isaiah 11:6-9, 65:25), but that doesn’t necessarily mean that animals’ souls survive their deaths the way ours do. It could just mean that God will create new animals to fill the renewed creation.
And we find a similar silence when we look to the teaching of the Church. The Church teaches that we have to respect all of creation and that we can genuinely love animals (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2415-2418), but it doesn’t say anything about what happens when they die.
The Role of Love
So are we entirely out of luck here? Are there any clues that point one way or the other, or do we just have to accept that we’re completely in the dark on this one? In my opinion, the safest stance to take on this issue is an optimistic agnosticism. In other words, we can’t know for sure whether animals will be in heaven, but I have a strong suspicion that they will be. And here is why. I have a cat, and I love her to death. I don’t want her to cease to exist. I want her to be a part of the eternal bliss that I hope to share with God and the saints after I die.
And if I feel that way about her, I can’t imagine that God wants her to be in heaven any less than I do. She is his creature, and since he is love (1 John 4:8, 16), he has to love her infinitely more than I ever could. And if that is the case, he also has to want her to be with him in heaven infinitely more than I ever could, so I have a hard time believing that he would just let her cease to exist when she dies.
Admittedly, I am far from infallible, so I can’t guarantee that my reasoning here is foolproof. As much as I wish I could assure you that your pets will definitely go to heaven when they die, I can’t do that. I can only say that we have good reason to believe that they very well might. God’s love gives us hope that we may see them again some day, and if you ask me, you can’t really go wrong betting on God’s love.
32 thoughts on “Do Our Pet Animals Go to Heaven?”
I know a sweet elderly Catholic woman whose husband died 3 years ago. Her dog, Stevie, was her faithful companion, and was a great source of comfort for her. Stevie helped her cope with immense grief and loneliness. Sadly, Stevie passed away recently and my friend is still grieving for her. She wants to be buried with Stevie’s pillow.
Last spring, my dad’s old deaf dog Raven ran away during a thunderstorm. My father had a realistic dream where Raven (a black dog) was glowing white and joyfully greeted my father . He petted her, and then she ran off happily. He did not know that she was already dead (hit by a train). He believes her spirit was visiting him and telling him she was happy and okay. Raven had been dumped on my dad’s farm. She would have starved but he took her in and loved her.
We care for our pets deeply, and they love us in turn. I cannot imagine that our loving Father would not allow them to be with us in Heaven.
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Thank you for writing this, it’s exactly what I believe too. Your 2nd to last paragraph sums up my view perfectly. Some of us humans love animals so it’s safe to assume God, who created them, loves them infinitely more. Why WOULDN’T he take them to heaven when they die? Especially the ones who have known little else but suffering & abuse their whole lives. So what if they’re incapable of grasping the concepts of sin or redemption? Isn’t God still able to bring them to heaven if he wishes, simply because he loves them? Yes. Yes he is able to do that.
I think that the meaning of “in heaven” must be more precisely defined. We are distinguished from animals by our freedom of choice in thought, word and deed which the animals indisputably do not have. (Otherwise, they would have built cities, created inventions, written literature, etc as do we.) Therefore, only we are capable of the beatific vision because only we are truly capable of accepting or rejecting Christ’s gift of salvation. But on the other hand, why would Our Lord create a new earth as well as heaven after the General Judgment unless earth were to be home to material life? Is it reasonable to suppose that rock, soil, water, air, sunlight, etc should exist eternally, but not animal and plant life, both of which are higher types of creature than inanimate matter? Would that animal and plant life not include the animals and plants that were part of our life before the Resurrection? Seems that the above conclusion must logically follow the teaching that God will renew and continue the material creation after the Judgment. Otherwise, why not do away with materiality entirely and just have God, the angels and the souls of the saints in heaven, with the demons and the damned living on in an eternal state of exclusion, with nothing else in existence?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and here are three quick thoughts that I have: (1) Yes, God is love – He is perfect love. However, love is never forced. If it is, it is not true love. We have free will, and we can accept or reject God’s love (both now and for all eternity.) Does your pet have free will to choose the good or a sin, to accept or reject God? (2) Humans have a unique capacity to love that is not shared by animals. Traditionally love is defined as “willing the good of the other.” While it seems like pets show a loyalty and do acts of sacrifice, these come from the realm of affection, attachment, and animal instinct. Case in point – can your pet love its enemy? (3) Heaven is not so much a place but a state, a state of fully and perfectly living in the the mystery of God’s love for all eternity. If your pet cannot accept/reject God, if it cannot ponder/wonder the mysteries of life (or the faith) here on earth, is it reasonable that God would have your pet immersed into His mystery for all eternity?
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JP-Good on you, over 20 comments and counting. You have made us think. 5th grade, St Peters Elementary, Sr Mary Margaret, then living saint, now in heaven: Heaven will include what makes you happy so long as not in conflict with God’s will. Makes sense to me-He does not want anyone on heaven unhappy. So me and maltese Buddy just might see you there. Or not, depending on which theology God agrees with. Merry CHRISTmas! to all and God bless us, everyone. Guy, Texas
“we can’t know for sure whether animals will be in heaven, but I have a strong suspicion that they will be. And here is why. I have a cat, and I love her to death. I don’t want her to cease to exist. I want her to be a part of the eternal bliss that I hope to share with God and the saints after I die.”
Unfortunately you have fallen into the spirit of this age like so many others: “I love X, therefore if God loves me He will let me have it.” X can be a pet or other material possession, a human or my favourite sin.
God never promised us “I will give you whatever you want.” Consider the fact that IF you or I make it to heaven, it is extremely likely, almost certain, that one or more people whom we loved in this life will be in hell. And we won’t care, we will be infinitely happy because we are with God and the others who are saved. How much more does this apply to a pet we loved. We won’t need or want it.
At a time when Catholics are engaged in a massive struggle against powerful forces trying to destroy and supposedly re-define marriage and the family, it is most unhelpful to begin with the emotive/poetic but factually incorrect claim that our pets are “part of our family”.
Perfect, Peter! For some reason, people try to raise their pets’ status to that of a human being. Then they treat their pets better than they treat most humans. Pathetic!
They may not be a part of your family, but they are most definitely a part of my family. You have no right to say otherwise because you simply do not know.
Maybe. Maybe not.
How does Jesus judge our behavior in this life? Take a look at Matthew 25: 31-46. No mention of pets.
Animals can think rationally. At least the higher primates can. The following example stands out because I heard it directly from the famous primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, during a college guest lecture in the 70’s.. Dr. Goodall was able to communicate with chimpanzees after teaching them American sign language (ASL). As small part of the studies, Jane signed the names of the various parts of the body, hand, wrist, arm, head, etc. These names were learned by the chimp subjects and were used in subsequent conversations. On one occasion a chimp noted she was wearing a ring. This was unusual in that researchers seldom wear jewelry while working in a lab setting. A curious chimp inquired what the “ring” was. Jane, using ASL, signed back “finger ring”. Where after the chimp signed back “finger ring” to confirm understanding. Some weeks later, Jane was wearing bracelet. The chimp noted the object and inquired, “wrist ring”? This is clear evidence of rational and abstract reasoning. It is just one of the hundreds, if not thousands, of examples of rational thought which were documented from this and similar studies. The topics of the conversations with our primate friends also encompassed subjective matters such as “how are you feeing” etc. Please read the primate study scientific literature. While it won’t answer the question of whether animals go to heaven, it may give you a much broader more informed perspective.
Thomas, this study does not prove conceptual thinking. It only proves that higher form primates can memorize sign language, jewelry, and body parts. The chimpanzee, after being informed by Goodall about her ring, was able to identify the ring using sign language that Goodall taught him. The chimp then recognized another ring on Goodall’s wrist and signed two words he had memorized – “wrist” and “ring.” This is not conceptual thinking. He was unable, and will forever be unable, to understand ringness (aka the purpose/s of rings) or any other “-ness” for that matter. 800 years ago, Thomas Aquinas wrote that animals could recognize and memorize objects. Other philosophers before him understood this as well. This is not new information. This chimp did not take his newly acquired, human-taught knowledge and pass it along to other chimps, thereby creating educational systems that teach concepts and purposes. Never happened, never will. Again, chimps, and all other nonhuman animals, cannot conceptualize truth, love, justice, eternity, etc. Thus, they cannot understand who God is and cannot seek him. God did not reveal himself to monkeys. He revealed himself to beings he created, whom He knew would recognize and understand, even if not perfectly, his eternal attributes and be able to share them with others. Something no animal can do.
Regarding the “how are you feeling” question, Goodall trained the monkey to ask the question. The monkey never understood the purpose of the question. For instance, if the monkey asked Goodall how she’s feeling and Goodall responded, “I have a headache,” the monkey would not have known to retrieve aspirin and water and give them to Goodall to relieve the pain, unless Goodall trained him to do so. Therefore, a conversation base on memorized words and actions does not equal conceptualization of remedies and finding a cure. As I stated previously, lower form primates have been around much longer than humans and yet they have never advanced to higher cognitive abilities without human intervention. By the way, the Goodall study says more about Goodall than about the monkey. Goodall, a human, was able to train a nonhuman. The nonhuman did not train Goodall.
God can do anything. I hope and pray to be with my pets again, and why not? Does my love and care for them not glorify God?
JP, That’s funny, we both might have been thinking the same thing during Monday’s reading:
“A highway will be there, called the holy way; No one unclean may pass over it, but it will be for his people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray on it. No lion shall be there, nor any beast of prey approach, nor be found. But there the redeemed shall walk, And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; They meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning flee away.” Isaiah 35
But then there’s Isaiah 11:
“Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall graze, together their young shall lie down; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the viper’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. They shall not harm or destroy on all my holy mountain.”
What do you think Isaiah 11 is revealing to us?
Likely for our pets a velvet darkness, as Churchill believed his own death would be.
Let me say something similar; suppose you have been married twice (in church) and both former spouses are in heaven. Which will be No. 1? Neither; God will be No. 1 and will be our full happiness beyond measure. We will not need anybody but Him. I believe that in God we will also see the past and the answer to all our questions, and if so, we will see all those creatures again that made us happy on earth. What do mystics say?
All things end as all thing must:
The stars burn down and go to dust.
And all men make shall be erased
Within this bound of time and space.
And so we bow our heads and weep,
But darling child, this secret keep:
They live; all that was bright and loved
Forever in the mind of God.
This is such a beautiful poem! Who is the author?
Pets and animals are often present in near death experiences. I have always been fond of CS Lewis’ portrayal of the Kingdom of Heaven in “the Last Battle” and find that many people with near death experiences describe a similar place.
I think that I prefer the description from John, the Apostle, in the Book of Revelation.
I have pondered this question for many years. In my life I have shared it with 4 dogs and a cat. The uniqueness of cat and dogs cannot be dismissed by associating them so clearly with plants and fish. Some animals have a more advanced reasoning power (yes reasoning) Dogs, cats and horses come to mind. What is clear is is the experience of relationship. The bonding relationship with our pets and us is two way. It is not just a dog fulfilling my need for companionship. Although that need exists the relationship transcends this. If we unconditionally love God (the Holy Trinity) which is untarnished by sin we can hope to be united following physical death. That same truth is applicable to our pets. They love us unconditionally. Many who have the skills will fight and die to protect us. The strength of that relationship will be united to our salvation. They are part of us and in a sublime way define part of us (if we let them). Thus as we awake before the splendor of heaven we bring all that defines us that is good. That unconditional love we shared with our pets is part of it. This love is from God. Fear not God will give us the love we have already given.
Sorry, but the primary basis for our faith, contained in the Bible, would seem to contradict your arguments.
Jesus said in Luke 20, “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those judged worthy of a place in the age to come and of resurrection from the dead do not. They become like angels and are no longer liable to death”.
Doesn’t it sound like marriage relationships are affected by the change that takes place at the last trumpet, revealed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15: 50-58? If so, why would relationships with pets remain intact?
Drgfiles – You say, “Some animals have a more advanced reasoning power.” I don’t think anyone is contending that all animals, birds, fish, etc. have the same cognitive abilities. Rather, no animal, bird, fish, etc. has the ability to conceptualize. For instance they cannot understand what truth, love, justice, and eternity are. Thus, they cannot seek truth, love, justice, and eternity. They may “love” you for feeding, caring, and loving them, but they will never understand what love is. If animals had the ability to conceptualize, they would be able to communicate concepts and deepen their understanding of truth. They would share concepts, correct one another, create structureless educational systems, and generally move beyond their purely sensitive (as in the five senses) and instinctive natures. Despite many animal species being much older than human beings, not a one has moved beyond their instinctive natures.
You also say, “If we unconditionally love God (the Holy Trinity) which is untarnished by sin we can hope to be united following physical death. That same truth is applicable to our pets. They love us unconditionally.” Their is a great chasm between God loving a creature designed to know and love Him and a creature designed for temporal actions. God loves them, but they don’t even know He exists. Again, no animal seeks love, truth, justice and eternity, but humans do. We do this because God created us to seek these things. Now, it would be entirely vain if God created us to seek these things (God being the eternal and perfect personification of these concepts) only to rip us away from them at the end of our earthly journey. For animals, however, God rips nothing from them, because they have no understanding of these things to begin with. They simply cannot seek what they cannot understand. Thus, they have no immaterial soul and there no reason for them to have one.
Proverbs 3:5-10
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
on your own intelligence do not rely;
6 In all your ways be mindful of him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes,
fear the Lord and turn away from evil;
8 This will mean health for your flesh
and vigor for your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with first fruits of all your produce;
10 Then will your barns be filled with plenty,
with new wine your vats will overflow.
Having recently lost our 17-year old Schnoodle, I get the sentiment of your article. However, as you pointed out, there is nothing in scripture to support the “rainbow bridge”, often mentioned by pet lovers. Neither does church doctrine or Catholic tradition, or comments allegedly attributed to the current pope.
When I hear or read such suggestions, I’m reminded of Paul’s instructions to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-4.
No doubt we love our pets and want to be reunited with them. But Jesus shared many words of guidance with us, and none of them dealt with pets. Instead, He asked us to make Him the center of our lives.
Thanks for the article, JP! I have to respectfully disagree. Is loving anther living organism evidence for that organisms eternal spiritual soul or bodily transcendence after death? People love cows, trees, grass, worms, etc. Are you saying that all these organisms go to heaven? Also, are animals designed to know and love Existence and Eternity (God)? No. Are animals designed to be used by human beings for food, clothing, lower lifeform companionship, etc.? Yes. So, their purpose is temporal, to serve humans. Whereas our purpose is eternal, to serve God. Animals are not designed to behold God in the Beatific Vision. They simply don’t have the intellectual capacity to understand love and truth. Humans do. Additionally, if animals, plants, etc, have eternal souls, should we be killing them? Morally, I don’t see how we could justify it. Thus, animals, plants, fish, birds, reptiles, etc. don’t go to heaven, or hell for that matter. Finally, you say, “I don’t want to get bogged down in the details.” Of course not. The details are where you arguments crumble. Have a blessed week!
You have presented excellent argumentation for the proposition that only human beings can experience the beatific vision in eternity. I agree, as I said in my own post above. However, you fail to prove that an inability to fully experience the beatific vision automatically means they will have no existence at all, and no reason to be present in eternity. You have not established–and in fact it cannot be established from public revelation–that it is an either/or proposition. For one thing, providing incidental increase in the happiness of the saints (as will the companionship of other saints and the angels) is certainly a worthy purpose. For another, it is an article of faith that God will transform creation at the end of the world (as we know it now)–not that he will destroy creation and that we will all continue to live eternally in an immaterial realm. We know that we will be reunited with our bodies–but why would that be necessary if we no longer have need of the physical, the material, the corporeal? You fail to note that God does not destroy what he creates. Right reason would indicate that if the physical creation is to persist in a perfected state, rather than be annihilated in favor of a purely spiritual existence, then all forms of life must remain a part of it. Finally, there is occasional anecdotal evidence which gives one pause. I am thinking particularly of Saint John Bosco’s mysterious dog Grigio. Some would say that Grigio was simply an angel in disguise, but I don’t find that credible, because other witnesses, such as boys who were Bosco’s students, encountered the dog, petting it, etc. It seemed to be physically solid, and appeared in all respects an ordinary animal, except it was never seen to eat or drink, and came and went mysteriously–and also reportedly lived an unnaturally long life. I don’t think an angel would assume the identity of a dog to that extent. It causes one to wonder.
I can’t imagine my pets not waiting for me when I get to heaven. Hoping I do! They have been part of my life since childhood. They have been there in the good and the bad when there was no human to help.
And I cannot imagine God depriving me of that joy of being reunited with the menagerie that has been part of all my life.
So there!
Wonderful piece. Thank you!
I agree with your conclusion. As you say, it is not the typical Catholic answer to the question of animal souls, but I think it is a valid response.