Heaven has no dogs...?

[Samwise]

It's an oldie, but a goodie:

A man and his dog were walking along a road.
The man was enjoying the scenery,
when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years.
He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road.

It looked like fine marble..

At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.

'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

'Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.'

The man gestured, and the gate began to open. 'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveller asked.

'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed.

There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book....

'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'

'How about my friend here?' the traveller gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump,' said the man.

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveller filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

'What do you call this place?' the traveller asked.

'This is Heaven,' he answered.

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveller said.

'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'




(I don't know who to credit for the text)

But if heaven had no dogs....would that mean it was still heaven?

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[RockysMum]

Oh so true, that brought a tear to my eye, I've never heard it before but it's lovely.

[only-borders]

I never tire of reading this. Thanks Samwise.

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."
Will Rogers

[Michelle]

Quote:But if heaven had no dogs....would that mean it was still heaven?

Not to me, it wouldn't.

[jocap]

It couldn't be called Heaven if it wasn't perfect for us, so yes- dogs included!
Martin Luther said something like that about his little dog- and even you will have a little golden tail to wag.
Jo.

[trickytrip]

"The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man's." - Mark Twain, Letter to W D Howells, 4/2/1899

[GreensMom]

I have never read this before. It is lovely. I can't add anythig the others haven't said.
Thank you for sharing it

[jocap]

smithdwsn Wrote:Yes, you are right. There is no heaven for dog. But dog is the great animal because it is very honest animal on the earth. So there is no require heaven. Nobody wants to it.

I'm not quite sure if you're meaning that there's no heaven for dogs because they have given enough on earth.
Some people believe that animals can't go to heaven because they don't have souls....because of the Genesis verse about man having dominion over all living things. That is a human belief, but we're not God. Dominion over all animals has meant suffering in the name of religion, in some cases- look at the Spanish galas where cats are thrown from church roofs, or donkeys are sat on by the heaviest person....all in the name of a saint. Not having souls is a serious cop out!
Dominion means rule, or authority, not deciding whether an animal can go to heaven. In my thinking, anyone or anything which can love, is a serious contender.
Jo.

[Brandon M]

I have not read any religious texts all the way through but from what I have read, animals not being allowed into heaven wouldn't make sense.

"But if heaven had no dogs....would that mean it was still heaven?" -

Maybe for some it would be. Not for me. I wouldn't want to hang around with only human souls for eternity. One thing I am sure of is that my dogs have as much of a soul as I do. No if's, ands, or buts about it. I don't care what it might say in a book... to me it's quite obvious.

[jocap]

Exactly.
Some things are just pure common sense.
At different times, man has believed ridiculous things.
Certain cultures believed that slaves had no souls. The vicar of the church in Whitehaven would baptise slaves brought in from the colonies, where they'd been treated as animals ( the servant of G.Washington's grandmother is buried near her in W.haven churchyard).
Many cultures believed that mentally challenged were the same- soul-less.
Women would have a lesser place in heaven- etc.
Common sense, and straight thinking win out in the end.
Heaven couldn't be Heaven without perfection. And that means dogs!
Jo.

[trickytrip]

I'm crossing the rainbow bridge when my time comes, even if I have to tack on a tail.

[only-borders]

Love it TT.

[dhobbit]

Rayeanne, that would definitely be my choice. I have a few friends waiting for me there.

[LadyDaniela]

yah, I have a good half dozen ferrets I need to see. Better start workin' on my tail now.

[LJS1993]

Personally I believe we will all be reunited with both the people we love and the animals which we have cherished so greatly when it's our time to go. I just don't see how heaven, the light, other world, whatever you may call it in your own personal beliefs, wouldn't have dogs, cats, otters, etc...oh yes and of course ferrets.