My answer to the question: "Do animals have souls?

Oh I couldn't agree more. My dog and beloved friend of 7 years passed away in 2011 and I feel that her presence is still here somewhat. Although, I do have to say that the experience of it all is quite different here in Japan from what I am used to from the states. Her body was with us overnight after she was put to sleep. Following this a man came, did a small ritual and took her to be cremated. A few hours later they returned with her ashes. I feel that while all of this let her "soul" leave her body naturally perhaps it predisposed her for feeling more connected to her things and/or us? I know it sounds strange but the whole thing had quite an effect on me lol.

Most of us can't picture a paradise of unspeakable beauty without flowers,
trees,and animals.would it be heaven for an avid birdwatcher if there are
no birds? would a fisherman want to spend eternity with no fish? and would
it be heaven for a cowboy without horses?

i say animals do have souls.

My answer to this is absolutely. I have always seen animals ghosts, but mostly just shadows & sounds. Until recently. One of our cats, Sam, passed away on the 24th. He is the only one of our furry kids that was born here and died here. My mother in law & I have both seen him sitting under his favorite tree and laying in the yard in the last couple weeks and have even seen our other cats walk around & interact with him.

The universal energy flows through everything, be it plants, trees, rocks, oceans, mountains, etc, so most certainly people and animals. Not that I think rocks or other inanimate objects have souls; but someone trained in psychometry could read a rock or tree just the same.

My pet cat Petey came to me in a dream after he disappeared. I knew wherever he was he was ok. He didn't have to tell me, it was sort of like a telepathic connection. Since moving into my house 5 years ago, I've crossed over the little white dog of one of the previous owners, seen a shadow cat, and a little over a year ago saw the ghost of a mouse my cats caught on Halloween. Now you're talking about someone with a severe mouse phobia, and I've dealt with some dark things before, but I've never almost fainted from seeing a ghost like with that little mouse. So yes,they have souls, they cross over, they can remain earthbound and they can be crossed over just like any other spirit.

So, here's my take on this. I believe that basically all things have some form of spirit. I guess it becomes a term of definition. The fact that we're here looking for answers and trying to find out where the truth lies within all this, means that on some level we believe that there is more than just the physical realm in which we live. Having said that, means that we believe there is more to this spark we call "LIFE" than the simple cells which constitute the brain.

If that is the case, then all living things to some extent would have this same spark, and so have the potential for continuing on past the physical. Sorry, I'm a scientist so I tend to explain in terms of absolutes, even if they are not concrete.

As such, I think your pets could also remain earth bound. I'm not so sure they perceive things in the same way we do, so they are probably less likely to remain here. But I do think they can live on, and I certainly hope they do because there are several I can't wait to see again someday.

I've read on several message boards people asking whether their pets have souls, and I believe that answer is a resounding YES! A recent experience confirmed to me that our beloved animals DO live on.

I have had the privilege of having several beautiful cocker spaniels in my life, and was forced to part with one of them this past August. His name was Lucky, and like all my cockers, he would 'thank' me for his dinner every night. My first cocker, Kina, would thank me by coming to me after her meal and licking my knee. My current cocker, Cocoa (who incidentally reminds me of Kina SOOOO much in personality) thanks me in much the same way. Lucky, however, was not so delicate in manners and would run to me after eating and give me thanks for his meal by offering up a deep, manly belch. The reason I share this info is because it plays into my reason for believing he did not cease to exist when his body died.

After I returned home from the vet's office without him, my son and I were in the living room talking about how much we were missing his little furriness and eccentricities when a small teddy bear toy I had on the end table suddenly activated. I say 'activated' because it is an interactive toy that will talk and make noises, but only if the buttons on its throat or its stomach are pressed. You cannot turn it on my shaking it, by simply touching it, or by making a vibration. No one touched this toy, but it suddenly giggled and began to burp - repeatedly. Burp-burp-burp-giggle-burp-burp...this went on for at least a full minute. Again, in order for this toy to activate, someone MUST depress one of the buttons on it, but no one touched it. My son and I both firmly believe it was Lucky sending us a message - that he was happy, he was still present, and the burping had always been his way of saying 'thank you'. I think he was thanking me for letting him go and releasing him from his infirmities. I think he was telling us he was okay, he was grateful to be where he was, and assuring us that he wasn't truly 'gone.'

I miss his physical presence in my daily life, but I believe he still visits me in spirit form, and that one day he will be there to welcome me to a life beyond this one.