In the not-so-distant past, it was often considered unseemly for an adult to openly display grief for a pet who died. While Americans have long cherished their dogs, cats and other domesticated critters, the expectation for grownups was that they should bear a stiff upper lip in the face of animal loss and leave the grieving to children. Today, books and movies such as "Marley and Me" attest to the fact that times have changed. Not only do more people feel comfortable expressing their emotions publicly about the loss of a beloved pet, resources abound that offer emotional support as well as a variety of funeral services. There are those who believe that the shift creates an opportunity for people to explore some big spiritual territory, whether they align themselves with a specific religion or not.
The Great Beyond
C. Clifton Black wrote the essay, "Unexpected grief: Elegy for a border collie." In it, the Princeton professor of theology wrote about the death at 16 of Pinky, the family dog. Reader support was immense. Black wrote about the life lessons Pinky delivered to the family simply through his existence. Black admired Pinky's ignorance of, or disregard for, "an unfetchable past and an uncertain future." The professor also wrote that he looks forward to meeting Pinky again in heaven.
Many Americans join Black in that hope, but not all spiritual leaders are completely confident to come out and say that all dogs go to heaven. Rev. Jeff Lukacs is pastor of Mary S. Brown-Ames United Methodist Church. Both adults and children have asked if pets experience an afterlife. More specifically, they want to know if they will see their beloved animal companion in heaven. While Lukacs assures them that heaven holds everything they require, the Bible does not give him much to go on as far as pets.
Customizing Faith
University of Louisville communications director John Ferre has done research on books about pet heaven. Although these works are generally geared toward children, they address big issues about the meaning of life and death. Children may come to know death through the loss of a pet before they experience the loss of a human being. Their grief can be deep. It can also bring up questions about mortality and spirituality that can be difficult to answer. For many adults and children alike, it is inconceivable that a creature they loved and considered a member of the family merely ceases to exist. As with bereavement for a human being, some people cope with loss by imagining a reunion in the afterlife. While it may be difficult to find proof of pet heaven in Scripture, people point to other evidence of animal spirit, such as:
- Visitations from a pet in dreams
- Feeling as though a deceased pet is somehow present
- Unexplained phenomena, such as the sound of jangling tags or objects seemingly knocked off a table or shelf
Friends and Family
According to a 2011 Harris Poll, more than 60 percent of Americans have at least one pet. Virtually all of those surveyed considered their pets members of the family. In the United States, the configuration and size of the typical family has changed dramatically over the past 75 years. Households are smaller. Pets, particularly dogs and cats, have gained status within the family. They sleep on the bed and ride shotgun in the car. They often embody devotion, which may be why many are compelled to find a place for them at the spiritual table. In the earthly sense, pets may serve more than ever to remind human beings to connect with the living. As Black points out, "Dogs don't use Twitter; they need food, exercise, and affection. Parakeets tweet, but not in 140-character shorthand. They sing. Isn't that better for our souls?"
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