Will my pet go to Heaven? Do animals have souls?

While the Bible has plenty of clear-cut teaching on many questions that enter our minds, the question of whether or not our pets will be waiting for us in Heaven is unfortunately one that is not so apparent. However, we can take what the Bible is clear on to add some clarity while we tackle this question.

In Genesis, God says that both man (Genesis 2:7) and animals (Genesis 1:30; 6:17; 7:15; 22) have the "breath of life". Which is to say, both man and animals are living beings. The difference between the two arises in Genesis 1: 27: "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created Him; male and female He created them."

This is one of those times when the Bible is very clear! Both men and women are created in the image of God. In a nutshell, being made in the image of God means that we have, in essence, a soul, which is a spiritual being that will continue after death. If animals also have a soul that will live on, it is likely a lesser quality because they are not made in the image of God.

God created animals before the fall and declared that they were good (Genesis 1:25). He also tells us that there will be animals in the millennial kingdom (Isaiah 11:6, 65:25). Revelation 21:1 describes the new earth and leads us to believe that there will probably be animals in the new earth too.

This brings us around to the original question, "Will I see my favorite guinea pig in Heaven?" Sadly, the Bible is silent on a specific answer, but this much is true: His will far surpasses anything you or I can imagine. I know that whether or not our beloved pets will be there in Heaven, His decisions will be best. For now, we can enjoy our pets as a blessing on Earth and be grateful for these wonderful furry blessings we can share our lives with.