“If there are no dogs in heaven, then I want to go where they went.”
The loss of a beloved dog is heart-wrenching and excruciating. These beloved dogs didn’t come into their owner’s lives just to be a pet. They come to be our companions, our best friends, our emotional support, our little kids, and we can go on and on describing what our dogs are for us. So when the inevitable comes and it’s extremely difficult to let go of them. We know that we can never get over the loss of a dog. The sorrow and grief are sometimes so unbearable. For some dog owners, coping with the loss of a dog may take some time. Days may turn to weeks, weeks to months, months to years, yet the pain is still there. In this article, we will talk about the question that we often ask, “Is my dog in heaven waiting for me?
1. Do all dogs go to heaven?
We’ve all heard the quote, “All dogs go to heaven.” For some people, this may just be a cute quote that they often say to a dog owner who recently lost a beloved dog. But for dog owners, this quote is something that they can hold on to as they grieve for the loss of their precious dog. But do all dogs go to heaven or do they go to other places? Let’s answer this question from different perspectives.
Ancient times
In ancient Egypt, they believe that dogs have souls and they are allowed to go to heaven. So, a pharaoh buried his favorite dog and held a lavish ceremony that of a great man. His dog even has a ritual scroll so he can smoothly enter heaven. Crazy as it is, in different religions, dogs are considered psychopomps, which means, “guide of the soul” It is believed that when a person dies, it is his dog’s job to protect him and show him the way to heaven.
Catholics
On the other hand, the founding of a group that advocates the prevention of animal cruelty was greatly opposed by a Catholic pope during the 1800s. This Catholic pope argued that animals have no souls since it was never mentioned in the Bible. But of course, the Bible has several versions and people tend to interpret what they read in different ways. There are many accounts of Catholic saints that do mention animals going to heaven including dogs.
One good Bible verse that can lift the spirits of grieving dog owners mentioned suffering and the glory that will come right after. Many religious men and women pointed out that this verse means after the pain of death, one will go to heaven. In another verse, restoration of life in all creations was also mentioned.
Hindu
Hindu believes in reincarnation. They believe that animals have souls but can’t enter heaven because they need to reincarnate in higher forms until they reincarnate into human beings. Only then are they allowed to enter the gates of heaven. However, in a Hindu epic, there is a story about a noble young man who died and when he journeyed to heaven, his dog followed him. He was allowed to enter heaven but not his dog. So he who persistently pleaded to the Gods that they allow his dog to enter heaven with him and he succeeded.
Protestant
Just like the Catholic Bible, there are no known biblical verses particularly mentioning that dogs or any animals will be resurrected. But many scriptures do imply that Jesus Christ has prepared treasures that will wait upon his believers when they enter heaven. A lot of pastors say that these treasures include everything that we love. Then, it is safe to say that that includes our precious dogs.
Muslim
The Quran did not mention anything particular about animals going to heaven when they die. But there are certain references that one gets in paradise or heaven, he will be given everything that he asks for. So this indirectly implies that we can ask for our beloved dogs.
American Indian
American Indians believe that all living things are children of the earth and when the time comes, they will go back to their creator. That means there is an afterlife for dogs and they will be waiting for their owners.
Buddhist
Buddhism is a religion that believes animals and humans are interconnected. They believe that animals can reincarnate into human beings and vise versa according to what they did in their previous lives. Unfortunately, there is nothing direct about animals going to heaven but the fact that animals can reincarnate into human beings means they can go to heaven when they reach Nirvana. Although this might take several reincarnations and realms.
Rainbow Bridge
It used to be that people view mourning for the loss of dogs as too embarrassing or dramatic. So a poem came out between the ’80s and 90’s telling us that when dogs die, they will cross the rainbow bridge and wait for their human companions to pick them up and they will both cross the rainbow bridge to heaven. According to the poem, when dogs cross the rainbow bridge from the earth, their health is restored, they can run and play and have unlimited food and water.
2. Is My Dog In Heaven Waiting For Me?
Our profound love for our dogs is evident in how we care for them. We regard them as a part of our family. And so the agony of losing them can be compared to losing a loved one. When we tell people that we lost our dog, they’ll probably say that our dogs are in heaven, or our dogs are waiting for us at the rainbow bridge. But are our dogs in heaven waiting for us? If we look at the viewpoints of different religions, history, and tribes, we can say that most of them are saying that all dogs go to heaven when they die, thus your dog in heaven is waiting for you. To back up this answer, there are several accounts from people around the world who had near-death experiences saying that they were greeted by their dogs when they were at their death bed. If that is the case, how reassuring it is to know that our dogs in heaven are waiting for us.
Will my dead dog visit me?
Being assured that our dogs in heaven will wait for us is sometimes not enough for us as we face each day without our beloved dogs. We wanted more than assurance, we want proof and signs. That’s why we question, “Will my dead dog visit me?” The answer is a big “Yes”. A lot of people have recounted that they were visited by their dogs in their dreams and then they felt relieved and at the same time, they took it as a sign that it’s time to accept the reality and start to move on with their lives.
3. Final Thoughts
When we begin questioning ourselves about where do our dogs go when they die, if our dog in heaven is waiting for us, and will our dead dogs visit us, it proves that our relationships with our dogs do not end with earthly death. Our special bond with them is both emotional and spiritual. It is reassuring for us, as dog owners, to know that most people, religions, and even ancient people are telling us that our dogs will go to heaven when they die. This means they will be waiting for us when our time comes.
Lastly, it helps to know that our dogs will go to heaven when they die and that they will wait for us there. But did you know what the most important fact is? It’s the fact that you and your dog spent the most wonderful times together here on earth. You created your own little heaven with your dog here on earth and you did everything to show your dog how much you loved him.
