Do dogs have souls? That question comes up a lot and gets conflicting answers. Some say animals in general don’t have souls, and some say they do. In a couple of minutes, you’ll have your answer. But first, a story.
The Mishap With Our Dog, Ralston…
My sister, Kim, used to take our dogs, Ralston, Zebco, and Regina for long walks. One evening when they got home, she took off their leashes and let them sniff around in our front yard, like she did after every walk.
Soon, they went into the house and vegged out with the tv. Kim fell asleep on the couch, where she spent the night. The next morning, she couldn’t find Ralston. She looked everywhere, then in sheer panic she opened the front door.
There he was, curled up on the front porch. He was mad, mad, mad! He went straight to the bedroom without even looking at her, and pouted for quite some time. Of course, Kim felt horrible. She tried to give Ralston treats, but he would simply turn his head and refuse them.
Dogs And Their Emotions
We know that dogs have emotions. We see them every day, mostly love, happiness, and excitement. They also experience jealousy, fear, frustration, loneliness, disappointment…you name it.
Those that say dogs, and other animals, don’t have souls are often confused about the Bible. They state they’ve studied it and are convinced that only humans have souls, but to prove a point, I’m going to bring in a few Bible verses myself.
First, I looked up the definition for spirit and this is what I came up with – the immortal nonphysical part of a person (or creature) which is the seat of emotions and character. Do our dogs have emotions? Do they have character? Heck yeah, they do!
(We’ll include cats for all you cat lovers out there. We know that “Cat-i-tude” is an emotion too!)
James said, in verse 2:26 – “the body without the spirit is dead.”
So…our dogs have spirits or they’d be dead, right? Right!
Dogs Are Souls
To paraphrase Genesis 2:7. When the first man, Adam, was created, he was not given a soul but “became a living soul.” And what does a soul consist of? You’re right – a body and a spirit!
Now for the Big Breakthrough! Dogs don’t just possess souls – they are souls. There are more scriptures in the Bible that state that humans and animals are souls, but I think we have plenty right here.
Another Important Question. Do dogs go to Heaven?
Dogs going to heaven has been a big controversy due to the verse Ecclesiastes 3:21.
BUT when you look at Romans 8:21 “…that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay (resurrected) and brought into the freedom and glory (heaven) of the children of God (men/women).” (parentheses added by yours truly)
I read a couple of accounts where people that have had near death experiences have seen beautiful butterflies and animals in Heaven. And they have been reunited with their beloved pets that have gone on before them.
After searching for the information I needed to do this blog, I am quite assured that our pets ARE Souls and we will again be reunited with our dogs, (and other pets) after we leave this mortal earth.
Remember, there are no bad dogs, so, if we want to be with them again, we better be good!
Until next time, Carol
Feature Photo: Dog by Susanne by Susanne Nilsson