Award Winning GENESIS SCHOOL OF MUSIC

➡️As a child growing up, we always had dogs, mostly mutts – dogs that would show up on our front porch, or maybe a dog my sister would drag home. Our dogs lived in the backyard, they ate leftovers from our table, and at night, they slept in their dog house.  To be honest, I’m not sure if I’ve ever given it any thought if those dogs would be in heaven or not. They were just animals who lived in our backyard.

However, my children have been raised with three different dogs, Lady, Max and our current dog, Cooper. Cooper, unlike my childhood pets, doesn’t sleep in the backyard, he sleeps by our fireplace. He doesn’t eat leftovers from our table, he eats special dog food purchased just for him. He’s a part of the family. I may not think much about my childhood dogs going to heaven, but my kids want their dogs to be in heaven – Cooper, Max and Lady.  And as a good father who loves my children, because they want their dogs in Heaven, I want it to.

So…do dogs go to heaven?  Here’s three things we know about animals in Heaven:

1…There were animals in the Garden of Eden, and there are animals in Heaven – I say that because Heaven is the Garden of Eden restored.  The perfect peace, community and friendship Adam and Eve had with God will eventually be given back – just like it was in the Garden of Eden. 

According to Genesis 2:20, “Adam gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.”  The livestock would be the sheep, cattle, goat, chicken, horse, duck, rabbit, turkey, and goose.  The birds in the sky would simply be any bird found today in the sky.  And the wild animals would be the bear, moose, deer, cat, dog, wolf, and the serpent. These all would be examples of animals in the Garden of Eden. 

According to Isaiah 11:6-8, here’s animals found in Heaven – the wolf, lamb, leopard, cow, bear, and the ox.  And Revelation 19:11 says that “Jesus rides a white horse”, and in verse 14, Revelation says “the armies of heaven also rides white horses”.  

Bottom line – there are several animals in Heaven. 

2…Animals spoke in the Garden of Eden, and animals will speak in Heaven. 

In Genesis 3:1, the Bible says that “the serpent SAID to the woman”; and in Genesis 3:2, it says that “the woman SAID to the serpent”.  Here’s a clear picture of a human and an animal having a conversation – there was never anything said how this was odd, or that the woman seemed surprised to hear an animal talk.  It’s written as a common everyday occurrence – animals and people had conversations.  

And just like in Eden, Revelation 5:13 says, “Then I heard EVERY creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, SAYING: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!’”  Who said this?  Every creature in Heaven – including the wolf, lamb, leopard, cow, bear, ox and horse.  Revelation doesn’t say that he heard the cow mooing, or the horse neighing – he said he heard every creature speaking. 

3…God is a perfect Father – if you want your pet in Heaven, it will be.  Back to Matthew 7:11 – it’s one of my favorite verses in the Bible – it’s actually one of my life verses: “If you, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

If you want your little doggie in Heaven, ask God – he will be there. I’m not sure about cats, though:)

I love the Bible – and remember the Bible is always right!