My dog Dixie reading Brian Dodd On Leadership!!!
“Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.” – Proverbs 12:10 (ESV)
It has been said that you do not find your dog. Your dog finds you. I would wholeheartedly agree.
In 2005, our family had just moved into our new house. Like anyone moving into a new home and community, we visited a number of restaurants and shopping centers to develop our routine. We had heard good things about an Italian restaurant a couple of miles from our home. One particular Saturday, my wife Sonya, daughter Anna, and I had about 20 minutes to spare prior to its lunchtime opening so we walked through a pet store located next door.
As we entered the store, a marketing-savvy associate had placed the cutest 4-week-old Jack Russell terrier you have ever seen in a pin right by the front door. She looked up at us and immediately began wagging her tail and standing up on the cage. My wife and six-year-old daughter were immediately smitten, especially my daughter who had previously never had a pet. I walked right past to the back of the store to see the snakes. All the while I was pretending I did not notice this beautiful dog and its $400 price tag. After returning home from lunch, my wife and daughter spent the entire afternoon begging me to buy the dog. As many excuses as I tried to muster (cost, who will take the dog out, who will clean up after it, what about the new furniture), nothing melts the heart of a father like his six-year-old daughter wanting a pet.
I told Sonya and Anna I was going out for about an hour to get the oil changed in our car. However, I was actually heading back to the pet store to purchase our family’s first pet. You can imagine the excitement in our house when I returned home with 10 pounds of muscle and unconditional love. My daughter Anna named her new dog Dixie.
Over the next 13 years, Dixie brought immeasurable joy to our family. Anyone who has ever owned a Jack Russell knows the energy and playfulness this breed of dog has. Dixie became an integral part of our family. Anna is an only child. Dixie became my daughter’s de facto sister and sounding board for all the issues a growing girl has. She was also daily attached to the hip of my stay-at-home wife for over a decade. When Anna went off to college and Sonya back to work last year, Dixie sat across from me in my office each day listening to my conversations with pastors.
The only thing Dixie ever did wrong was love people too much. When you least expected it she would jump in your lap and immediately begin licking your face. This is not a problem unless you are a guest in our house. She was a living, breathing bundle of unconditional love.
This is why it was with great sadness when last Tuesday, February 13th at approximately 5:45 PM, Dixie passed away because of a cancerous tumor in her bladder, liver disease and failing kidneys.
My wife and I held Dixie as she took her last breaths and Anna was Facetimed in from college to say her final goodbye. After she passed, I held her one last time, told her goodbye, and wrapped her in a blanket like I had done thousands of times previously. It was a sad, sad day. And it has been a sad, sad week.
This experience is probably very similar to anyone reading this post who has had the privilege of having a pet they loved.
So the question begs – Do dogs (and for that matter all pets) go to Heaven? Will we see our beloved Dixie again?
There are two contradictory schools of thought for Christians.
The first school of thought is there will not be pets in Heaven. The thought process is human beings are made of three parts – Body, Soul, and Spirit. John 3:16 says, ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The belief in Jesus, the repentance of sins and accepting Him as your personal Lord and Savior results in salvation. This process known as Justification is when the Holy Spirit enters and resides in your Spirit. God literally now lives in and through you. The Soul is made up of your mind, will and emotions. As Christians, this is the salvation you work out (Philippians 2:12). When you more effectively live out your Christian faith, this is called Sanctification. And finally, Glorification is when you get your new body in Heaven. It is one salvation in three parts – salvation of your spirit, salvation of your soul, and then salvation of your body.
Those who do not believe pets go to Heaven understand animals have a body. They also have a soul – mind, will and emotions (often strong). They just do not have a spirit. Unfortunately, you cannot go to Heaven without a spirit.
The second school of thought is, of course, animals are in Heaven. After all, Jesus comes back riding a white horse.
Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven is the definitive work on the subject of Heaven itself. Alcorn spends 19 pages discussing the subject of are animals in Heaven. He says, “That’s why the question of whether pets will be in Heaven is not, as some assume, stupid. Animals aren’t nearly as valuable as people, but God is their Maker and has touched many people’s lives through them. He’s the giver of all good things, not the taker of them.” If you have not read these 19 pages, click Here and order Randy’s book today. It is truly a must-read.
Alcorn also quotes Joni Eareckson Tada who said, “If God brings our pets back to life, it wouldn’t surprise me. It would be just like Him. It would be totally in keeping with His generous character… Heaven is going to be a place that will refract and reflect in as many ways as possible the goodness and joy of our great God, who delights in lavishing love on His children.”
In short, we do not know for sure if our pets are in Heaven. But it would not surprise me at all, that when I arrive in Heaven and Jesus takes me to the place He has been preparing for me, I will open the door and find a 13-lb muscled, glorified body of unconditional love named Dixie greeting me.
But if there is no Dixie, Jesus will be more than enough. He is the one I have given my life to. Jesus is the one who died for my sins. He is the conqueror of death and giver of all good things. It is Jesus who is my Lord and Savior and I will be spending my eternity with Him.
We are so glad God allowed Dixie to be part of our lives for 13 years. The Dodd family is grateful for all the wonderful memories she gave us. Dixie will be deeply, deeply missed.