People whose dogs have died often express an interest in knowing whether those dogs are in heaven. There are also people who seek to know whether dogs go to heaven out of pure curiosity. In this article, we will try to answer that question.
Do dogs go to heaven? Yes, there is a possibility that dogs go to heaven. Many belief systems hold that heaven is a joyful paradise, with all things that bring joy. And because dogs and other pets are among the things that really bring joy, it is not inconceivable that they would be in heaven.
There is scriptural support for the possibility of dogs going to heaven. In Acts 3:20-21 the Bible does talk about ‘restitution of all things’. There is a possibility of dogs, which really bring lots of joy to their owners, being among the things that will be up for restitution.
Then there is Isaiah 11:6-9, which talks about peaceable relations between humans and various animals in the new world and new heaven. This does mean, at the very least, that there will be animals in the new earth and new heaven.
Under that scheme of things, there is a possibility of dogs being there as well.
God has the power to make a dog go to heaven, if he wills it. True, if you are seeking a direct do dogs go to heaven bible answer, you may not get it. You really won’t find a direct do dogs go to heaven bible verse reference.
But by way of inference, we can make reasonable conclusions about the dogs and heaven subject.
Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and other belief systems also have their views, on the possibility of a dog going to heaven.
Where Is Heaven?
Before proceeding further in answering the do dogs go to heaven question, we first need to know where exactly heaven is.
Only after doing so can we proceed to deal with subjects like, are dogs in heaven, can dogs go to heaven, will dogs be in heaven and so on.
Most people who have opined on where heaven is tell us that heaven is above the earthly realm we live in. So it should be a glorious place: somewhere above, not below.
Heaven is where people who did the right things in this world go to receive their rewards for their righteousness.
It is also in heaven where people get to meet again with their beloved ones who preceded them in death.
And for purposes of this article, heaven is also a place where people may get to meet again with their beloved pets that preceded them in death: including dogs.
Do Dogs Have An Afterlife?
In answering the do dogs go to heaven question, it is important to first find out whether dogs have an afterlife.
That would also be essential in answering questions like, do dogs souls go to heaven, will my dog go to heaven and are there dogs in heaven.
Now there is a possibility that dogs have an afterlife.
Scriptures in many belief systems do talk about there being animals – possibly including dogs – in heaven. And if a dog went to heaven, this would mean that it has an afterlife.
Indeed, to the extent that we are trying to answer the do dogs to heaven question, it means that we already believe that dogs have an afterlife.
According to psalms 366 dogs go to heaven: at least that is how some people interpret it. That is where Psalms Chapter 36 verse 6 talks of God preserving ‘man and beast’.
Since the dog is a beast, it means that it qualifies for God’s preservation. And that brings about the possibility of it getting to heaven.
Ultimately, if we are to take that as biblical proof that dogs go to heaven then, by inference, it would also mean that they have an afterlife.
Of course, once we believe that dogs have an afterlife, other exciting questions are bound to come up. Those are questions like, do dogs have a heaven special for them? Or do dogs go to the same heaven as humans?
Other related questions would be like, is my dog in heaven waiting for me? Do all dogs go to heaven? Or does dogs go to heaven only when they meet certain qualifications, like humans?
All in all, we see there is a possibility that dogs do have an afterlife.
Do Dogs Go To Heaven?
After answering the do dogs have an afterlife question, the next logical question is on whether dogs go to heaven.
Here, we are seeking to establish, do dogs go to heaven when they die?
In answering the do dog go to heaven when they die question, we have to make reference to scriptures.
That is because the concept of heaven, for the most part, comes from scriptures. Thus, the do dogs go to heaven scripture answer is very important.
So, for instance, we ask ourselves, what does the bible say about pets in heaven? More specifically, what does the bible say about dogs going to heaven? Will dogs go to heaven, scripturally speaking?
For those who subscribe to other belief systems, reference needs to be made to the relevant scriptures. In the case of Muslims, for instance, the question would be, do dogs really go to heaven, according to the Quran, Hadith and opinion from Islamic scholars?
And for those who subscribe to the Hindu belief system, we would need to seek to know if there is a heaven for dogs, according to the Gitta and other relevant scriptures.
So, do dogs actually go to heaven? Is it possible to get a do dogs go to heaven yes or no answer from scripture?
Supposing dogs go to heaven, do dogs and humans go to the same heaven? And when dogs go to heaven, do they recognize their former owners? We can even stretch it and ask, can dogs talk in heaven?
What we shall now proceed to do is look at what the various belief systems hold, with regard to the do dogs go to heaven question.
Do Dogs Go To Heaven Christian Views
The most authoritative source for Christian doctrine is the bible.
Therefore in answering the do dogs go to heaven question in the Christian perspective, we need to make reference to the bible.
Does the bible say anything about pets going to heaven? More specifically, does the bible say dogs go to heaven? Actually what does the bible say about pets going to heaven?
The truth of the matter is that the bible doesn’t talk directly about dogs or any other pets for that matter going to heaven.
However, there are verses which suggest that pets like dogs may go to heaven.
Psalms 36 verse 6 does talk about God preserving man ‘and beast’. So according to that bible verse dogs go to heaven – at least that is how some people choose to interpret it.
There is also Acts 3:20-21, which talks about restitution of all things. There are those who view this as evidence that dead dogs may be restituted.
Going further, in Isaiah 11:6-9, we do find reference about peaceable relations between animals and humans in the new world and new heaven.
This means that, at the very least, there will be animals in the new world and new heaven. And this brings about the possibility of dogs being there.
Generally, if you seek direct biblical evidence that dogs go to heaven, it may not be forthcoming.
Does the bible say anything about pets in heaven? The answer is ‘no’. So there is no direct biblical proof dogs go to heaven.
Will there be dogs in heaven, according to the bible? Chances are that there will be, according to the inference from Isaiah 11:6-9.
Let’s go further, and seek both catholic and protestant perspectives on this matter.
Do Dogs Go To Heaven Catholic Perspective
Recently, when he was comforting a boy whose dog had died, Pope Francis reportedly said that there is a possibility that dogs, alongside all creatures God made, may manage to go to heaven.
The Pope said that at Saint Peter’s Square, in the Vatican.
Now this may be somewhat at divergence with the do dogs go to heaven catholic answers we get online.
Yet that do dogs go to heaven pope answer has some scriptural support. Doesn’t Psalms 36 verse 6 talking about God preserving both man ‘and beast’? And isn’t the dog a beast, under that definition?
All in all though, a catholic will want to know, what does bible say about dogs in heaven? And in that regard, it can be hard to get a specific bible verse about dogs in heaven.
In the bible does it say dogs go to heaven? Not directly. But there are verses from which we can infer the possibility of the presence of beasts, like dogs, in heaven.
Do Dogs Go To Heaven Protestant Perspective
If you are protestant, the key question for you would be, biblically do dogs go to heaven?
So, indeed, do dogs go to heaven according to the bible?
We have already mentioned several bible verses, which bring about the possibility of dogs going to heaven.
We talked about Psalms 36:6 – which is about God preserving man and beast. Further, we talked about Acts 3:20-21, which is about ‘restitution of all things’.
And then there is Isaiah 11:6-9, about there being various animals in the new world and new heaven.
Against this background, it would be hard for anyone to confidently assert that dogs don’t go to heaven at all, biblically speaking.
The recent Max Lucado do dogs go to heaven perspective makes a lot of sense. That is where Max Lucado makes reference to Revelation 5:13, to support the possibility of dogs making it to heaven.
Then there is the do dogs go to heaven Billy Graham perspective that is worth paying attention to. According to this perspective, in heaven, there will be all things necessary to bring perfect joy: possibly including beloved dogs.
Do Dogs Go To Heaven Islam Perspective
According to many Islamic schools of thought, dogs have souls. And those souls are eternal. This brings about the possibility of dogs going to heaven, in the Islamic perspective.
There is no mention of dogs going to heaven, according to the Quran or Saheeh Hadith.
But we do hear of dogs and all creatures praising God, Islamic teachings. And this brings about the possibility of them getting to heaven, as a reward for this.
But as Islamic Scholars always say in these sorts of affairs, ‘only God knows well’.
Do Dogs Go To Heaven Hindu Perspective
It may be possible for dogs to go to heaven, according to the Hindu perspective.
Consider the story of Yudhisthira. Probably on account of how he had lived, Yudhisthira earned his place in heaven. But on getting to heaven’s gate, he was told he couldn’t enter with this dog.
Yudhisthira then said that he wouldn’t want to enter heaven, if his dog couldn’t come along. Ultimately he was allowed to enter heaven with the dog.
This brings about the possibility of dogs getting to heaven, according to the Hindu perspective. That is especially if the dogs are what it takes to complete the happiness of their owners, as per the Yudhisthira legend.
There are of course those who believe that dog’s souls continue with the reincarnation cycles, until they hopefully attain enlightenment as humans: which is a form of heavenly existence.
Do Dogs Go To Heaven Buddhist Perspective
In Buddhism, there is the possibility of dogs being reborn as other beings – including humans.
Further, in Buddhism, through this cycle of rebirths, there is the possibility of dogs eventually attaining Nirvana as humans: which is a form of heavenly existence.
Therefore to the extent that dogs (when reborn as humans) have the possibility of eventually attaining Nirvana, they can ‘go to heaven’ in that way.
What may not be possible is a situation where a dog goes directly to heaven after dying, as per the Buddhist perspective.
Why don’t dogs go to heaven directly after death, as per the Buddhist perspective? This is because they need to complete the cycle of rebirths, to attain Nirvana – an enlightened form of heavenly existence.
Do Dogs Go To Heaven Other Perspectives
According to some new age commentators, dogs can make it to heaven. In fact, some will tell you that heaven is for dogs first!
You can browse through most of the do dogs go to heaven Reddit threads. There, you see that many people believe that dogs do go to heaven.
There is even someone who has written a book, to answer the do all dogs go to heaven question. The do all dogs go to heaven book by Roger D. Haber is quite a solid account.
So for sure, there does exist a do dogs go to heaven book. Actually there are several books on this subject.
Most of these books sync well with the do all dogs go to heaven bible perspectives. In them, you may even find opinions on what happens when a dog goes to heaven…
Another important book here is Beth Brown’s ‘All Dogs go to heaven’.
It is a fascinating tale. The dog breeds in all dogs go to heaven book, as well as the dog names from all dogs go to heaven book are fascinating.
Interacting with the dog with glasses all dogs go to heaven book illustrates is a comedic experience.
Ultimately, you will get a new way of looking at your dog from all dogs go to heaven book reading.
Do All Dogs Go To Heaven?
A key question that is bound to come up in this sort of discussion is as to whether all dogs go to heaven. Or whether heaven is for a select few dogs.
Now most of the perspectives we have on this subject seem to suggest that all dogs go to heaven.
There is really nothing to suggest a criterion on the basis of which one dog would make it to heaven while another one misses out.
Do Dogs Go To Hell?
So far, we have been looking at the possibility of dogs going to heaven. But heaven goes hand in hand with hell. So we also have to ask ourselves, do dogs go to hell?
More specifically, if dogs don’t go to heaven, does it mean that they go to hell?
The truth of the matter is that there is nothing to suggest dogs going to hell.
Most of the ‘bad’ things dogs do are because of their instinctual habits, rather than deliberate evil. So it is hard to see the basis on which a dog would be sent to hell, for punishment.
If dogs go to heaven, then it is probably all of them that do.
Final Verdict – Do Dogs Go To Heaven
There is a possibility that dogs go to heaven.
Heaven is a paradise with all things that bring perfect joy: including pets such as dogs. On that basis, it is reasonable to expect reunion with our beloved pets, for those people who manage to make it to heaven.
Various belief systems have different conceptions of heaven. But almost all of them provide a pathway through which it may be possible for beloved pets, such as dogs, to get to heaven.
Therefore if you have recently lost a beloved dog, you may take comfort in the fact that you may have a chance to meet with it again in heaven.
As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet dog a good and comfortable life!
Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️
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