Dead pets (dog) interceding for one in Heaven?

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mommy_k said:
My opinion is that if we are in heaven, we have eternal happiness…so if we had a pet or pets who died and we love, God would let us have the pet.

We have to somehow bring them or call them to us…I don’t know how though.🤷
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I think this makes sense.
 
Best answer: we don’t know if animals go to heaven. Many devout (“normal”) Christians believe they do; many devout (“normal”) Christians believe they don’t.

Personally I very firmly and comfortably believe they do.

I don’t think God discredits a person’s instinctive charity and love of His creatures. They are from Him. They reflect Him. They lead you back to Him. I also think charity toward others comes into play, especially if someone is grieving. It is the height of callousness to deride a person in that situation, not just in my eyes - I believe in God’s eyes.

I would use my usual insult and say that implacable insistence on the death of animal souls is more in line with harshness of the Puritans/Calvinists/Evangelicals, not Catholics… but you would be surprised at how many Evangelicals are quite believing/accepting of animals in heaven, and in the mystery of it all - they leave it to God, simple as that. Most I have known personally say yes animals are in heaven. Of course many Catholics do too - don’t get me wrong.

God knows when a person is loving Him through His creatures, creation, and when they are only loving creation, in a form of idolatry. There are two different way to love animals - just like anything else, a person, for example. Likewise, God sees who honors His will in the practice of faith and, on the other hand, those who impose their own will/judgement as if it were God’s - on this question just like any other. Prudence, prudence. Remember God has a soft spot for love, for obvious reasons…😉 Like likes like, or however that goes.
 
Michael_Mayo said:
What is any kind of “soul” but the breath and life of God and while it is capable of rational, sensitive and vegetative powers on earth, where else can it go upon death but back to God.
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Memaw said:
Animals do NOT have an Eternal Soul!! God Bless, Memaw
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A very interesting site and worth a read: mostholyfamilymonastery.com/catholicchurch/do-animals-go-to-heaven/#.V-_ixIgrLMw

And an interesting statement from that site:
The following article is our personal opinion on this subject. If there is a decision by the Magisterium in the future on this issue, or one from the past we have overlooked, we subject ourselves to it. Based upon papal teachings that MHFM has researched, we are not aware of any magisterial teaching on whether any animals can go to heaven.
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Where is the official Catholic doctrine on this matter? I’m curious. Thanks!
 
mommy_k said:
My opinion is that if we are in heaven, we have eternal happiness…so if we had a pet or pets who died and we love, God would let us have the pet.

We have to somehow bring them or call them to us…I don’t know how though.🤷
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Does that mean I’m gonna be surrounded by a pack of Dogs??? Oh my. God Bless, Memaw
 
Autumn_Smoke said:
A very interesting site and worth a read: mostholyfamilymonastery.com/catholicchurch/do-animals-go-to-heaven/#.V-_ixIgrLMw

And an interesting statement from that site:

Where is the official Catholic doctrine on this matter? I’m curious. Thanks!
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The Church doesn’t go around stating “Official Doctrine” on what it DOES NOT believe. Seems to me this whole idea came up after the movie. “All Dogs Go To Heaven”. Now isn’t that silly ?
We Do know and the Catholic Church does teach that Jesus died for OUR sins so we could be redeemed and spend Eternity with HIM !! I don’t recall HIM ever saying anything about animals being redeemed at the same time. Wouldn’t it be wonderful of we Catholics would spend more time studying what Jesus and HIS Church actually teaches, instead of trying to tell God what we THINK HE should do. God Bless, Memaw
 
Memaw said:
The Church doesn’t go around stating “Official Doctrine” on what it DOES NOT believe. Seems to me this whole idea came up after the movie. “All Dogs Go To Heaven”. Now isn’t that silly ?
We Do know and the Catholic Church does teach that Jesus died for OUR sins so we could be redeemed and spend Eternity with HIM !! I don’t recall HIM ever saying anything about animals being redeemed at the same time. Wouldn’t it be wonderful of we Catholics would spend more time studying what Jesus and HIS Church actually teaches, instead of trying to tell God what we THINK HE should do. God Bless, Memaw
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We aren’t telling God anything. Nor are we putting words in God’s mouth by proclaiming the destination or lack of it for animals. What could we possibly know about their souls? So we leave the possibility open and up to God who loves all creation.

One thing we do know:
Roman 8 20
For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
 
Michael_Mayo said:
What is any kind of “soul” but the breath and life of God and while it is capable of rational, sensitive and vegetative powers on earth, where else can it go upon death but back to God.
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My thoughts exactly.

"According to St. Thomas Aquinas, all of creation makes one big, circular movement from God and back to God, referred to by theologians as “The Great Circle of Being.” Aquinas writes: "*Issuing from the Primary Principle, creatures accomplish a sort of circuit, a gyratory movement, such that all things when they tend toward their proper end are returning to the Principle whence they came forth… "
*
St. Maximillian Kolbe said "Everywhere in this world we notice action… departure and return; going away and comig back; separation and reunion. The separation always looks forward to union, which is creative. All this is simply an image of the Blessed Trinity in the activity of creatures."

St. Maximillian Kolbe also said :"First, God creates the universe; that is something like a separation. Creatures, by following the natural law implanted in them by God, reach their perfection, become like him, and go back to him. Intelligent creatures [human beings] love him in a conscious manner; through this love they unite themselves more and more closely with him, and so find their way back to him."

(Taken from pages 55-56 in 33 Days to Morning Glory: In Preparation for Marian Consecration)

Because of what the saints quoted above have said, I believe that my deceased dog returned to God when she died. Now I don’t know if that means she will return to me someday when I die or not. But it is consolation to know that she has returned to her Maker. Therefore I would imagine she is at peace with or without me.

OP, I would not bring this topic up with your friend. I think it is too soon. The wounds are too deep & fresh. Perhaps ask St. Thomas Aquinas & St. Maximillian Kolbe to pray for him to gain peace & understanding.
 
JamalChristophr said:
Hi All, (long time since I’ve posted here, been on a long sabbatical of sorts)…Anyways…

I have this friend, a new convert, very very dedicated to prolife ministry whose dog recently died, a pet of 17 years or so…Weimereiner or however you spell it. Anyways, he’s a bit of a loner and was deeply attached to the dog. So he had to put his dog down. But now…

He seems to have gotten the notion that his dog is certainly in Heaven and even goes so far as to believe and espouse that his dog is interceding for Him and his causes in Heaven. He is pretty constant in mentioning his dog. This idea really isn’t in harmony with Catholic Doctrine is it?? Should I try to correct him which I already have or let him remain in his error or simply leave him alone and let him go through his grieving process which he is denying that he is even doing?? Thanks for your insights…it just seems llike excesive attachment to one’s deceased pet that I suppose is somewhat common in peaple. Thoughts??
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I have read many NDE of people seeing their pet dogs in Heaven some saw them as puppys.
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
There’s a website called something like “Church Signs” that allows you to put very realistic looking lettering on a variety of church signs. I don’t think those “photos” are real, but instead are products of that website.
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Oh…okay, thanks for the info!
 
e_c said:
If dogs can go to Heaven, they can go to Hell too.

youtube.com/watch?v=XXCY8HPFgv8

By the way - when we are raised from the dead, our unique and incorruptible immaterial soul, which is the seat of our identity, will be reunited with what was our flesh… How could that possibly work for animals whose souls are entirely dependent on flesh for existence? It would be just a new animation of matter - which would mean a new soul and a new “identity.”
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I have it from a reliable source that cats can go to hell, too.

http://www.adailycartoon.com/Grafix /Panel Cartoons/cathell.gif
 
Techno2000 said:
I have read many NDE of people seeing their pet dogs in Heaven some saw them as puppys.
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Me too. Another interesting story I read is where a man went to sleep one night with his dog by his side. During the night he had a dream and was told not to worry about his dog because he would be taken care of in heaven. When the man woke up the next morning, his dog had died during the night.
 
I think for those who have had cats or dogs, many would agree that they have a capacity to love, – It may not be as complete as human love, but love nonetheless. God is love, so these crenatures are connected to Him. Family pets also enhance the love of thier human owners.

Perhaps we all have mansions or our special place in heaven, where we can contain pets and things such as talents that bring us joy. Aything that is pure that brings this joy would also please God because he is the creator of all things good. This is why in my opinion too, we pray through our patron Saints, as they retain their talent in heaven… if everything was oneness, this would not make sense to me, kwim?

I think fleas, bacteria and things like thus do not have the capacity to love or cause loving feelings so they would not be there. Perhaps there will be flowers as these are also good and pure and brings joy.

Jesus tells us to be like little children, and this I know is a simple explaination that makes sense to me…it’s certainly not a church teaching, just a thought.
 
Wow, this thread has really exploded! Thanks to everyone for this thoughtful, lively, and humorous discussion.

Mother Angelica had an interesting series on Heaven that was available on DVD were she talked at length about what Heaven might be like.

Maybe this was all a test of my patience or at least my friend needed a little moderation as far as the intercession thing went. He just kept going on and on and bringing it up. The whole idea of Jake having a job in Heaven wit his “intercession” was just too much for me to take. I gave him my thoughts, which more or less reflect the general tone of this thread that we can’t be certain really. And then, I asked him pretty sternly to please not bring up his dog again. Probably a little insensitive of me, but that was the best I could do.

Anyways, I have loved one or two pets very dearly or at least been quite attached to them. But if they are not in Heaven, I seriously doubt I’ll miss them there.

That said, one of my favorite bible passages is in the elventh chapter of Isaiah:

***6The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
7The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
 
Memaw said:
HE did NOT say HE died for their salvation!!! God Bless, Memaw
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Exactly; thank you.

That was what I was hinting at when I posted that but was in pain and half asleep so could not follow it up last nights

As I was falling asleep last night,there came into my mind the Gadarene swine, the fatted calf, the passover lamb…

I do fully appreciate and understand the huge need of people who have and lose pets BUT there it stops,
 
Autumn_Smoke said:
“Without God” and “apart from God” – I think it means just that – we don’t know what it means. I think the interpretation I “like” is just as valid as those who have added their interpretation as “apart from God’s will” or “apart from God’s knowledge”. That verse says neither of those either.

I’ve found those people who don’t believe animals go to heaven tend to cling to verses that seem to support their viewpoints…s**ame as people who believe animals go to heaven. We don’t know for sure either way. **

Being vegetarian…that can be a very long discussion. I had a friend and we discussed this. He made a comment that I found interesting… He said that it is a principle that one life lays down one’s own for another. Maybe it is a spiritual principle in this fallen world of ours. Maybe all of creation imitates its creator–Jesus laying his life down for us. (my friend didn’t believe in Jesus–so I don’t know where his “principle” came from.)

But I know friends can agree and disagree with each other.

I love some of pictures I’ve seen: one was of a family picnic–a nice spread of food, a few people, and a solid but misty-looking dog–problem was, the dog was long dead. And another picture of a woman from the early 1900’s with a cat by her side–but the cat had died several years previous to that.

And several other stories of “dead” pets interacting with the living. Or other stories of people who could supposedly see spirits–one who saw a bird fall to earth, but saw its spirit soar to heaven. And other people who have said that when they put their pet to sleep, they saw a light ascending from their pet’s body.** Can ALL of these eye-witness testimonies be dismissed? **

But as I said, I believe that pets go to heaven, so I admit to being biased. 🙂
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But there are no such verses… and how then do you think re the Gadarene swine, the fatted calf an the sacraficial lamb?

Critters do not lay down their livesl they get killed and often in horrific ways

Pets are just animals. Not people, Not saved by Jesus… Sadly they can become child subsitutes and then there really are problems And delusions as you say. for they are delusions. So yes they can all be dismissed as emotional delusions and wishful thinking

Not eye witness accounts,
 
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