Animals in Heaven

I was just wondering what you people think about animals in heaven. When I was very young, I remember telling my mom that I loved our dog. She told me that I could not "love" the dog because dogs do not have a soul and they won't go to heaven. I was devastated. For me, her opinion about loving animals is completely wrong. I know I love my dog, and many other animals that have been in my life. But as far as animals being in heaven, I hope she was wrong about that too. Scripture, to my knowledge, does not address animals in heaven, except for horses.

Revelations 19 talks about a white horse: 11 ⁷
Then I saw the heavens opened, and there was a white horse; its rider
was (called) "Faithful and True." He judges and wages war in
righteousness. 12 His eyes were (like) a fiery flame, and on his head were many diadems. He had a name ⁸ inscribed that no one knows except himself. 13 He wore a cloak that had been dipped in ⁹ blood, and his name was called the Word of God.Revelations has been explained to me as the interpretation of a 1st century person who explained what he saw using concepts that he could relate to, since much of what he saw was very futuristic. So, I'm still confused about whether animals have a "soul" or not. I know they have a life force, and I know that God cares about even the sparrows in the field. So, wouldn't it stand to reason that animals would be in heaven too? This logic is, of course, coming from a very terrestrial 21st century thinker who loves her dog beyond belief. I love horses too, and can't wait to ride a white beauty when I get there!

The Church doesn't state formally one way or another. However, ALL living things have souls. A soul is what makes a living thing alive. When the living thing dies, it's soul is separated from it's body.

Human souls are different from plant and animals souls. Animals souls, however, differ from plant souls, in that they have emotion and instinct. Human souls have what animal souls do not... that is intellect, free will, and reason. Animals do not have the ability to choose between God's will and their own. Their souls are mortal and die when their bodies die.

Human souls are immortal...

Animals are given to us here for many different reasons: food, clothing, companionship, etc. We are to take good care of them and to value them... I imagine, when we die, we will not need animals for these things as God will fill us with so many other wonders we cannot even imagine!

However, I don't think we can assume that animals are NOT in heaven. Anything is possible with God. I think we are free to hope... God knows the desires of our hearts... Either we will see our beloved pets in heaven or He will fill us with so many other good things, we won't even know to miss them!

This question is answered on the Catholic Answers forum here:
http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=14030

I was also taught that animals do not have souls. I guess the nuns meant souls like humans have.

From Quick Questions, This Rock magazine, November 2000:

Q: Do animals have souls?

A: Yes, they do. All living creatures have souls. Plants have what are called vegetative souls, which enable them to grow and reproduce. Animals have what are called sensitive souls, which allow them to feel. Humans have what are called rational souls, which allow us to engage in thought. Only the latter kind of soul survives death.

http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0011qq.asp

i did not know this.I don't recall(doesn't mean they didn't)the nuns teaching us either way. Am going to post this at our board.This question comes up quite frequently among Catholics and Protestants alike.

Ppl who cherish their pets usually want to know.
As for the book of Revelation;there is a lot of symbolism in this book.

The NAB footnotes explain the passage:

² [1-17] This chapter provides a
symbolic description of the contents of the sealed scroll. The breaking
of the first four seals reveals four riders. The first rider (of a
white horse) is a conquering power (Rev 6:1-2), the second (red horse) a symbol of bloody war (Rev 6:3-4), the third (black horse) a symbol of famine (Rev 6:5-6), the fourth (pale green horse) a symbol of Death himself, accompanied by Hades (the netherworld) as his page (Rev 6:7-8). Rev 6:8b
summarizes the role of all four riders. The breaking of the fifth seal
reveals Christian martyrs in an attitude of sacrifice as blood poured
out at the foot of an altar begging God for vindication, which will
come only when their quota is filled; but they are given a white robe
symbolic of victory (Rev 6:9-11).
The breaking of the sixth seal reveals typical apocalyptic signs in the
sky and the sheer terror of all people at the imminent divine judgment (Rev 6:12-17). * [1-8] The imagery is adapted from Zechariah 1:8-10; 6:1-8.
³ [2] White horse . . . bow: this may
perhaps allude specifically to the Parthians on the eastern border of
the Roman empire. Expert in the use of the bow, they constantly
harassed the Romans and won a major victory in A.D. 62; see the note on
Rev 9:13-21. But the Old Testament imagery typifies the history of oppression of God's people at all times.

Good to find this answer here. Really had no clue.God Bless,