Will There Be Pets in Heaven?

As you might imagine, I receive a lot of questions about heaven through my work as a pastor and through our ministry at Turning Point. What you might not know is that many of those questions are about pets rather than people. The big one is: Will I see my pet again in heaven?

One Sunday after I preached about the return of Jesus, a little girl came up to me with a big smile on her face. “I know there will be animals in heaven,” she said confidently.

I smiled back and asked, “You do? Well, how do you know that?”

She didn’t even pause. “Easy. You told us that when Jesus comes back at the end of the Tribulation, He’ll be riding a white horse. Right?”

I nodded. “That’s right.”

“Well, where do you think He got the horse?” she said. “From heaven, of course!”

I think she made a pretty good point!

So let’s get to the elephant in the room—pun intended. Will there be pets in heaven?

The Bible doesn’t address that question directly. We are never told that specific animals will rejoin us in eternity, nor are we told they won’t. Therefore, we need to do a little digging to look for principles that can help us make an educated guess.

The Bible doesn’t address that question directly.

For starters, we know there will be animals on earth with us during the Millennium. More than that, we know the relationship between humans and the animal kingdom will be completely repaired during that time. According to the prophet Hosea, “In that day [God] will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground” (Hosea 2:18).

Remember, too, that there were animals in the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world: “So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field” (Genesis 2:20). The new heavens and new earth will be more than a replica of God’s original vision for creation—they will be a glorious expansion of that vision.

So, is it possible that God’s expanded creation in the new heavens and new earth could include specific, unique animals such as your own beloved pet? Yes, the Bible suggests that such an outcome could happen! Of course, I’m not guaranteeing that your specific pet will be waiting for us in the eternal state. I simply believe God recognizes genuine love in many forms, and that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

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For more on this topic, see chapter 28 from Dr. Jeremiah’s book, The Promise of Heaven: 31 Reasons to Get Excited About Your Eternal Home