I recently lost my beloved Australian Shepherd and Border Collie mix, Skippy, who was with me for 13 years. Skippy was not just a dog, he was a part of our family. He was a remarkable dog; he didn’t require training or discipline. He was the most mellow, gentle, and loving animal I’ve ever encountered—almost human in his demeanor. Many of you can likely relate to that experience. He was kind to everyone, especially children, and often let them ride on his back. 
Skippy was a permanent fixture in our home; wherever we looked, he would be sitting or lying down in the room. Only at an advanced age did he occasionally leave the room to rest, but for the most part, he was always nearby, close to the family. I have never known such loyalty from any living creature. The Lord was kind, allowing him to pass away peacefully. He lived a full life and will always hold a special place in our family. Skippy will be greatly missed.
In this article, I hope to discuss what the Bible says about dogs, explore God’s view of dogs and animals in general, and consider whether dogs go to heaven. Ultimately, I aim to explain that we should rely on God’s character and principles when the Bible is silent on specific topics. Love was genuine. So what is the role of an animal, especially a domesticated pet, and where do they go after they die? Are they here to enhance our lives, or is it the reverse? I will attempt to tackle this question, but in the end, this may all be speculation because the Bible is unclear.
Dogs in the Bible
The question of where dogs go after they pass became a reality when my dog was nearing his end. My mind was pondering this question as we were driving our dog to the hospital for the last time. My initial reaction was yes, of course they go to heaven. They don’t sin; Only people sin. But then I thought of Adam’s sin, which caused a curse on the earth. Adam, representing all creation, committed one sin, which changed the world forever. Adam’s sin not only brought death and suffering upon himself and his wife, but all of creation must suffer the consequences of the original sin and experience death (Gen 6:7). Does that mean all creation is doomed to Hell? I would say no. The Bible explains that God created Hell for the Devil and his demons. God did not make Hell for people. Hell is a place of eternal damnation and judgment. It is an absolute separation from the benevolent grace of God. Hell exists for the disobedient and fallen angels.
People end up in Hell because they would instead follow the devil and his lies, rather than God and His truth. Animals, on the other hand, are a different story. Animals do not sin or have spirits, but they obey God. How do we know that animals live in obedience? God gave the Law for Adam to follow. God placed the laws of nature within each animal species “in its kind” (Gen 1). Animals act according to their design. Animals do not rebel or turn from God’s command because God never gave them a law apart from their natural state. With Adam, God told him to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:16-17). Adam intentionally disobeyed God’s command in favor of satisfying his appetite (Gen 3:6). He chose himself over God, which is what summarizes what original sin is. Dogs are being dogs. They don’t act in opposition but live out their natural state according to God’s natural law.
With this background, let’s examine what the Bible says concerning dogs. The Bible clearly defines what it teaches, and dogs are no exception. In Proverbs 26:11, the writer explains the pattern and behavior of sinners using dogs as a metaphor. “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” Philippians 3:2 says, “Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers…” about false teachers and hypocrites. They were wicked people out to deceive and take advantage of others. Lastly, Revelation 22:15 explains, “Outside are the dogs…” using dogs as a metaphor for the morally corrupt. These verses describe dogs in a negative light. Dogs are known to be wild, vicious, and sometimes dangerous. But that was not the case for all dogs.
In the Middle Eastern world, calling someone a “dog” is a great insult. However, this negative view of dogs is not the only description in the Bible. Dogs are practical, helpful hunters and shepherds, serving society in many ways (Job 30:1, Isa 56:10-11). Dogs played a significant role in society. Their companionship and loyalty surpassed other animals. Significantly, dogs would help round up the herd when shepherding. In Luke 16:21, we read of a dog licking Lazarus’s wound. Dog’s would do this to heal and help. Like humans, there are good and bad dogs, but this begs the question, how are dogs saved, and do they need saving? Does the blood of Jesus cover the sins of all creatures? We need to look at how God views His creation to answer this.
God loves animals
We know God is love, and all living have the imprint of the holiness of God. People expect God to do good things because He is good. In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. After God completed each day of creation, He blessed what He had made and called it good. Only once did God say it was “not good,” and that was when Adam did not have a companion. God made Adam a companion suitable for Him and created Eve.
The key word is “suitable.” Before God created Eve for Adam, Adam’s companions were animals; as he named them, he spent time with them. It may be speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Adam had a dog companion before Eve. Why do I say this? Because God saw that Adam had companions, but none suitable/fit for him. Companionship can happen between species, but they will never be fit for each other. Only within the same species will they be fit and suitable. The point is that Adam must have had relationships or at least companionship with animals as he discovered the new world. Being loyal and helpful, dogs would be good companions for the first man.
All creation is loved by God equally, except humanity. Humans are the only creations in which God has uniquely imprinted His image. People are the only ones created in the image of God, and God gave Adam the Spirit of life as God breathed into his nostrils. There is no record of any other creation receiving this breath of God.. We have a special obligation with this image bearing responsibility. We are to imitate and behave in godlike manners. We must use our creative minds to create technology, homes, and everyday living needs. Every time we create something new, it reflects God’s creative genius as image bearers.
Animals do not have this image of God imprinted. God commands us to rule and reign on this Earth as God rules and reigns over this universe. Our responsibility is within the scope of our world. We are to care for and preserve the animals in this world. We are to oversee the well-being of all creatures. We are to love them as God loves them. Where does it specifically show that God loves animals? Let’s look at creation. God created in six days all that exists to give to humankind for their enjoyment. People were not an afterthought. God intended to prepare the world for humans to live with animals. Even though animals play an essential part in the lives of humans, they were not created just to please humanity. God loves all of His creation, and God created dogs for companionship with people.
We see places in Scripture where God displays his love for animals. In the days of Noah, God preserved all of His creatures so they could reproduce and repopulate the Earth again. He made a point to have Noah build a massive Ark to hold all the animals in the world. God could have wiped them out and started over, but he preserved and kept them. God had Noah build the Ark, which took many years. He could have made a smaller boat just for Noah’s family, but instead had him build a gigantic ship.. Even when God’s judgment was coming, He preserved a few of his beloved creations. Rather than destroying them all, God preserved all the animals through Noah’s flood. The preservation of Noah’s family and two of all animals displays God’s love for His creation.
In the new Kingdom, the Bible describes how animals will be a part of the new world order (Isaiah 11:6–8; Isaiah 65:25). Isaiah’s passages describe animals dwelling with children and playing together. Although dogs don’t appear in the text, I would assume dogs would be one of the animals. If dogs are such a large part of people’s lives in our world, how could we assume that there would be no animals in Heaven? God is creative, and He is the Creator. Living creatures are what make up this world, and it would be an enormous mistake to believe that Heaven only includes dead saints and angels. In my opinion, that is grossly undermining God’s creative benevolence and beauty. Heaven is supposed to be better than Earth, so any imagination that Heaven is dull is a misunderstanding of Heaven. Since God preserved animals through the judgment of the flood, it is safe to believe God will have animals in Heaven. Also, the Bible clearly states that animals dwell in Heaven in the new world, as we can see in the Isiah passage.
Salvation for dogs?
Let me be clear on this point before we continue. Jesus did not die to save animals, but only humans. Jesus loved animals as He taught about seeking for the lost sheep, and feeding the birds of the air (Matt 18:12; 6:26). Animals were not ignored but an intricate part of human life during the biblical times. However, God gave man His own image, and Adam was the responsible party for upholding that image. We are to create and preserve the world. Salvation is only necessary for those who sin. Dogs and animals are living under the curse of Adam’s sin, but are not technically sinners. Animals live in obedience to God. They live according to their created nature. I don’t believe animals can disobey God’s commands and the laws of nature. Any evil that we consider evil from an animal is just a reaction to their inborn behaviors. For example, a shark attack is horrible and scary for anyone, but is the shark committing an evil act against God’s will? Or is the shark just doing what it does: swim, eat, and survive? The shark is unaware of doing good or bad, and they do not make decisions based on morality. If they are hungry, they will eat; If a person swims near them, they will eventually think the person is a seal. We cannot blame animals for their behaviors. They are living in obedience to God (Job 38:39-41). As we discussed at the beginning of this article, God created Hell for the devil and those who follow him, but animals are not living in disobedience. Animals are obedient to God’s law. My point is that Hell is a place for disobedient sinners and angels. Because animals live in obedience, no salvation is required. Logic follows that sinless animals would be allowed in Heaven.
Conclusion:
So what do we make of all this? Can we conclude that dogs go to heaven? I would be wrong to say that all animals go to heaven without solid proof. It would also be wrong for me to say that the bible doesn’t teach that animals go to heaven. So what should we make of this? Are we back to square one? Can we expect to see our beloved pets in heaven, or will we be disappointed? I highly doubt disappointment is even an option in Heaven. I cannot say whether dogs go to heaven or not, but I can say that God is good, and because God is good He gave us our Skippy in the time that we had him. Skippy enhanced our lives in many ways and everyone who has ever met him will agree that he was a special dog. Do I hope to see him in heaven? I do. Will I? I don’t know the answer to that. I do know that my God is good and that it was good to save all animals through the flood of Noah. If this same God cares enough for His creation, then who are we to say He would not preserve animals in His way? Ultimately, Heaven will be a place too glorious and wonderful to imagine. Regardless of our pets being there, I don’t believe we will be disappointed.
Taking care of our rescue dog was our human responsibility to obey God. God commanded us to care for the land and all the living things. My family was allowed to care for and love Skippy with godlike kindness and love. He was there to help us learn about God and how God loves all his creation, even a simple dog. God’s heart is close to those who show kindness and compassion to His creation. I don’t know if I will see my Skippy again in heaven, but I know that in the presence of my Savior Jesus, it won’t matter. All things will work out for the good of those who love God (Rom 8:28).
