š¶ All Dogs Go To Heaven? Well, Maybe Not All, But These Owners Say Theirs Will š
Weekend Plug-in š
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OKLAHOMA CITY ā Iām not a dog person. At least thatās what Iāve always claimed.
But about three months ago, a basset hound named Frannie came to live with my wife, Tamie, and me.
Letās just say that maybe I was wrong about at least one particular canine.
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I love Frannieās enthusiastic greetings when I come home from work and how she tries to sneak toys outside to bury in Tamieās flower beds.
Sometimes I look at those droopy ears and into her soulful eyes, and Iām certain: All dogs go to heaven.
I first contemplated that old adage two-plus decades ago as religion editor for The Oklahoman, the daily newspaper in Oklahoma City.
But lately, Iāve wondered on a more personal level.
Frannie enjoys time outside in her Oklahoma City neighborhood. (Photo by Tamie Ross)
I know Iām biased, but itās impossible not to love Frannie, who turns 6 on Sunday. She has the sweetest disposition in spite of a pretty rough first 5Ā½ years of life. She came to us through a Tulsa-based rescue organization called Helpless Hounds.
Concerns about Frannieās health, specifically a positive heartworm test, initially made my wife reluctant to proceed with the adoption. But then Tamie made the mistake ā not a mistake at all, actually ā of meeting Frannie via video when she was with a foster family. Any thought of waiting for a healthier pup was entirely forgotten.
Frannie was a little nervous when she came to us, and on her first day she even jumped into a bathtub trying to find a space that felt right.
āShe doesnāt know how to be a pet,ā Tamie lamented when Frannie first arrived.
But Frannie proved a quick learner, and within a couple of days she had mastered the art of living in a climate-controlled environment eating yummy treats, enjoying plenty of affection and sleeping in a fluffy bed Tamie made just for her.
Tamie Ross takes Frannie for a walk on a cool fall morning in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Bobby Ross Jr.)
When one of us walks into a room, she immediately lies down and rolls over on her back, expecting a belly rub. When she hears the sound of the garage door opening, she immediately heads to the pantry and waits ā¦ confident that one of us will walk through the door ā¦ and give her another belly rub.
On walks through the neighborhood, she insists that everyone she meets ā from children exiting the school bus to UPS drivers making deliveries ā stop and show some affection to her, preferably in the form of a belly rub.
Are you sensing a theme here?
āSheās got the funniest tail wags ever,ā Tamie noted. āThereās the circle wag. Thereās the half-wag. Thereās the windshield-wiper wag. And thereās the thump-thump-thump when sheās just lying there being happy.ā
Spoiler alert: Tamie is a bit smitten with this hound. Maybe I am, too, even though Iām not (allegedly) a dog person.
Our adult daughter, Kendall, has a basset hound of her own, our āgranddogā Frankie. Frankie is a little more rambunctious than Frannie, but they enjoy playing and wrestling with each other. I guess, technically, Frannie is Frankieās aunt, although they are not related by blood.
Frannie, back, and Frankie eat ice cream treats on a play date. (Photo by Kendall Ross)
As a Christian, I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and Iāll spend an eternity in heaven.
But will dogs be there, too? A creature as loving and innocent as Frannie definitely makes me curious.
People of faith hold widely differing beliefs on this subject. Some Christians say that animals, unlike humans, have no immortal souls, so they will not be resurrected. Others say that God made animals and insist all creatures will spend an eternity with him.
My friend Lisa Brewer, who lives in North Carolina, cared for her beloved Boone, a redbone coonhound mix, for over 11 years. Widespread cancer and congestive heart failure claimed his life earlier this year.
āI hope BooneDoggie found friends in heaven,ā Brewer wrote in her prayer journal a few days after he died. āThatās ridiculous. He makes friends everywhere, probably more so in heaven.
āHe drew people to himself in a remarkable & magical way & cleared a path for me to be friends with them,ā she added. āProbably, we wouldnāt have spoken otherwise! Boone was good like that!
āWe should all be more like Boone & other good dogs.ā
Maybe dogs donāt have souls, Brewer acknowledged to me.
Then again, she said, āMaybe they have better souls! After all, they have to demonstrate love and loyalty with actions, not words.ā
If there are animals in heaven, Brewer predicts separate mansions for the cats.
Frannie goes for a ride with Tamie Ross. (Photo by Tamie Ross)
Speaking of which, my friend Dan Williams, a retired preacher, professor and marriage therapist who lives in Tennessee, noted that nearly every congregation has a ācat lady.ā
He joked that he told one such woman that ādogs will go to heaven, and cats will go the other direction.ā
āWhen she started to protest, I said: āThink about it, Gayle. When have you ever heard of a cat rescuing someone from a burning house or fending off an attacker or helping to find a lost child? Any time you walk through the airport, youāll see people using service dogs. Have you ever seen a service cat? Can you imagine a cat on a leash leading a blind person? Cats are selfish ā thatās why I canāt imagine them in heaven.āā
Somehow, Williams told me, he and Gayle remained friends.
āWe never did come to a firm conclusion on whether there will be animals ā of any kind ā in eternity,ā he said.
My friend Steve Holladay has no doubt there will be.
Holladay, who leads a national ministry called Ultimate Escape, has owned a handful of Rottweilers that have helped in his presentations.
āIf God works through dogs in this life to help accomplish his will, I imagine dogs also have a place in heaven,ā Holladay told me, specifically mentioning two of his late beloved pets. āI donāt know about all dogs, but Iām expecting to see Baby Ruth and Legend when I get there.ā
Count my wife among the believers that dogs ā including Frannie ā will find their way past the pearly gates someday.
āAnimals are capable of love, and God is love,ā Tamie said, explaining her reasoning. āWe may be made in Godās image, but he knew we would need different kinds of companionship in life.ā
And in the afterlife, too, many pet owners are sure.
Iām not certain, but I am hopeful.
Right, Frannie? Youāre a good girl.
Bobby Ross Jr. plays with Frannie. (Photo by Tamie Ross)
Inside The Godbeat
The Dispatchās Michael Reneau produces an excellent religion news roundup that publishes each Sunday.
He was kind enough to mention Weekend Plug-in in last weekās newsletter, so I thought Iād return the favor.
The Final Plug
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Iām blessed by the opportunity to write this column every Friday, but I couldnāt do what I do ā and Religion Unplugged couldnāt produce all the excellent journalism it does ā without the support of generous readers.
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Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.
Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for Religion Unplugged and serves as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 18 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.