When a pet dies we can feel the same degree of pain and anguish as when a human dies and sometimes this can make us feel silly or awkward. We have been indoctrinated from a very young age to believe that animals were put on this earth for our pleasure and culinary pleasure and that when they die, or in the case of farm animals, when they are killed, then that is the end to it. Only humans have souls therefore it follows that we are the only beings that can enter 'Heaven'.

Because we have speech and other higher level skills that other animals do not have, we have put ourselves on a moral pedestal whereby we have declared ourselves 'king of the jungle' and every other creature is subservient to us and as such, does not deserve the same level of sympathy, empathy, respect and treatment as we humans.

The church is very coy about the question of animals and Heaven, for they all disagree as to what we as humans must do to enter through the Pearly Gates, so the entry of animals into the Kingdom of Heaven is a non-starter.

This viewpoint is of course utter tosh as every animal has a soul and is a sentient being in its own right. Whether you believe in Darwin's theory or in the Big Bang it matters not for we were created all from the same materials, we all have DNA, we are mostly water, we feel pain, we can love, we feel fear etc. I could have been describing a dog , cat or horse there, for they all have the same attributes as we do.

Animals are like children, they need to be cared for and loved and in return they will give back unconditional love and companionship. So when they do die it is only natural that we should feel grief and a great sense of loss. It is a misconception however, perpetrated by the church, that animals do not go to 'Heaven'. Unlike us who kill for pleasure and/or ex-girlfriend revenge, who wage wars upon each other, commit genocide and other such crimes against humanity, animals are free from what we call sin and as such can enter into 'Heaven' unconditionally. There is no such thing as a 'bad' animal - there are only bad owners. Animals have no hidden agendas, they are pure in heart, and as such have a higher moral standing than we do. Humans are always planning, cheating, bitching, complaining, are vain, self centred amongst other things so how can we seriously think that we have a divine right to enter Heaven?

When our pet dies we can rest assured that it has gone to 'Heaven' and that when our time comes, we will meet them again and they will remember us. Therefore to grieve for your pet is as natural as grieving for a relative or friend. Do not feel guilty or anger when your beloved animal dies for it has come to the end of its journey in this earthly plane and has simply gone home to wait for you. Feel sorrow for your loss and for the temporary loss of your friend. This sorrow should not go on indefinitely for your pet has gone onto a better place where there is no pain or anguish and therefore you should feel comforted in this knowledge.

Every animal, large or small, deserves the same respect and treatment as we ourselves deserve and if we followed the maxim of ' Do unto others as you would have done to yourself' then perhaps we would be pure in heart as our pets are and the question of entry into 'heaven' would be a redundant one.

At goldendaysremembered we really do care about all animals, and this site restores our faith in human nature.

http://www.goldendaysremembered.com