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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

a lot of psychics I have read and seen shows on say that their pets of the past have visited them.

As a Wiccan witch I believe in Reincarnation. The beliefs of what we can reincarnate as varies from sect to sect, but I am solitary and believe that we can incarnate as any living thing anywhere in the universe, not just earth realm. In researching past life experiences, I have found the stray articles from those who have the abduction dreams, only they are not the abductee.

So, yes, I believe that every living thing (and most things do live in some form or another) have what most refer to as a soul. I call it "inner essence" or "life essence". It is the part of us that comes from Divine and will return to being part of that cosmic Divine when we are thru learning and ascend to become a part of The Powers That Be again.

pets are surely a blessing from god in some cases they are the better half of us. love is forever

I have to have to say yes animals do have souls. Every living being has a life force. I have seen a pet rat after it had passed. I have seen many animal souls.

I have absolutely no doubt that animals do indeed have souls, I believe that every living organism, no matter how big or how small has a soul including plants and trees though when it comes to the plants and trees that is merely my belief, I have no personal experiences with spirit trees or plants but I do have experience with the spirits of beloved pet that have moved on to the afterlife. I've had several of my pets visit me and my family after they'd passed on. I'd catch sight of my beloved cat Tiva out of the corner of my eye and once I saw her while looking directly at her, my beloved dog Bobo would make his spiritual presence known through smell. Bobo lived to be 20 years old before he had to be put to sleep and in his extreme old age and failing health he had acquired quite the pungent order about him. Bobo's favorite places to sleep were at my feet when I was sitting at the computer or under my bed when I was in my bedroom. After he passed I would be sitting at the computer or on my bed and suddenly out of nowhere I would smell Bobo. I know it was him coming to visit me because the smell wasn't there every time I sat at the computer or on my bed, just every once in a while at random moments.