Do All Dogs Go to Heaven?

Catholic Studies Chelsea J. King intertwines ecology, science, morality and theology to explore the afterlife of animals.

From the Spring 2025 issue of Sacred Heart University Magazine

Lucy arrived when I was in middle school, and she was at my side through some of the toughest moments of my teenage years. A playful and kind Chipoodle (a Chihuahua-Poodle mix), Lucy was more than just a pet; she was a constant source of comfort and unconditional love who was always ready to curl up beside me, but just as eager to steal my socks whenever she got the chance. Her sense of humor and spark of mischief made her unforgettable.

My family had two other dogs and quite a few cats. Charlie, a German Shepherd, was almost like a sister to Lucy. Misty, a black cat with a knack for always landing on her feet, lived past 20. Having so many animals around shaped my understanding of companionship, responsibility and love. It also meant experiencing loss. After they passed, I couldn’t accept the idea that their lives just ended.

“Are they somehow still with us?” I wondered. “Do they have souls?”

Those questions stayed with me. As I grew older, I found myself drawn to theological and philosophical reflections on the place of animals in God’s creation.

Lucy died in 2020. I struggled to process the loss of this small dog with a big personality. I missed little things: how Lucy tilted her head when I spoke to her, how she greeted me with boundless enthusiasm, how she found joy in the simplest routines.

As a Catholic studies professor at Sacred Heart, I had an outlet for my grief and my reflections on the deep bond we share with animals: teaching. So, during the summer of 2021, I created a class named after one of my abiding childhood questions (and a popular animated film I watched growing up): Do All Dogs Go to Heaven?

For me, the goal of the class isn’t to push a single answer but to encourage students to think critically, explore perspectives they may not have considered before and recognize that this question—like so many big theological questions—isn’t just about doctrine. It’s about love, longing and how we understand our place in creation. Whether they leave the course with the same belief they started with or a changed perspective, I hope they deepen their appreciation for the animals in their lives—and the mystery of existence itself.

I also want students to walk away with a sense of responsibility. In Laudato si’, Pope Francis calls for an “ecological conversion,” a shift in both heart and mind that moves us toward greater care for creation. My hope is that through engaging with this and other texts, students not only deepen their understanding of animals and the afterlife but also recognize their role in shaping a more just and sustainable world.

Many students are often surprised by the depth and urgency of Pope Francis’s papal writings. We explore how caring for the environment is not just about conservation but is deeply intertwined with care for the poor, social justice and the moral responsibilities we have as stewards of creation. The pope makes it clear that environmental degradation isn’t an isolated issue; it’s part of a much larger web of human and ecological suffering.

Ecological Conversion Journal

After Lucy passed away, I found myself paying closer attention to nature: to the birds outside my window, the way the seasons changed and the small but meaningful ways life continues around us. That attentiveness became a kind of spiritual practice, a way of grounding myself in the present while also reflecting on deeper questions about creation, loss and connection. I wanted my students to experience something similar—to develop a habit of paying attention to the natural world and the creatures within it. I call it the Ecological Conversion Journal to show how observation can transform the way we see the world.

In the Do All Dogs Go to Heaven? course, students observe an animal or a place in nature for the entire semester, documenting their observations in a journal. They describe everything they notice in 15 minutes; this goes on for about seven weeks. At first, they may only detect surface-level details—how a squirrel scurries up a tree, how the wind moves through the grass. But over time, patterns emerge, and their perception deepens. They begin to see not just what is happening, but how and why. This practice is directly tied to the concept of ecological conversion and speaks to a transformation in how we relate to the natural world. It’s not just about acquiring knowledge; it’s about shifting our hearts and minds, recognizing our interconnectedness with creation. By engaging in direct, sustained observation, students cultivate patience, curiosity and a sense of wonder. They move from being passive observers to active participants in the world around them.

“In a world that moves quickly, taking the time to truly see another creature fosters patience, humility and even reverence.”

Science and Religion

One of the core aspects of this course is exploring the relationship between science and religion, particularly in how they each approach questions about animals, the afterlife and the broader natural world. Of course, science cannot answer the question, “Do all dogs go to heaven?” But it does give us insight into animal intelligence, emotions and even their capacity for suffering and joy. On the other hand, religious traditions provide narratives, symbols and ethical frameworks that shape how people have historically thought about animals and the afterlife.

I encourage students to see how science and religion can be in dialogue with one another, rather than treating them as opposing forces. By bringing these perspectives into conversation, students begin to see that faith and reason don’t have to be at odds. Indeed, they can enrich each other.

Science helps us understand the physical realities of animal life—evolution, cognition, ecosystems—while theology and philosophy invite us to reflect on meaning, purpose and the moral and spiritual significance of our relationships with animals.

Students generally come into the class with varying degrees of comfort in discussing these topics. Some have never really thought about how science and religion intersect, while others may assume they are naturally in conflict. I try to create a space where they feel comfortable asking big, sometimes difficult questions, and where differing perspectives are respected. Once they see that they don’t have to “choose a side” but can instead engage with both—critically and thoughtfully—they become much more open to the complexity of these questions—and willing to keep asking them.

Genuine Transformation

One of the most surprising and rewarding aspects of teaching this course is seeing how students engage with the question of whether animals go to heaven. Most students come in hoping the answer is yes. They already feel that their pets are more than just biological creatures, and they take the class to explore theological and philosophical reasons for that hope. But every semester, there’s at least one skeptic: someone who firmly believes that animals don’t have souls, or at least not in a way that would allow them to have an afterlife.

I always welcome those perspectives because they create an opportunity for deeper discussion. Some students hold fast to their beliefs, arguing that only humans, as rational beings, have an eternal soul. Others wrestle with the idea, finding that religious traditions aren’t as clear-cut on the matter as they assumed. And then, occasionally, a student undergoes a genuine transformation.

One of the most memorable examples was a student who entered the class unsure but open-minded. At the start of the semester, this student wasn’t convinced that animals had souls. But as the course went on, they began engaging more deeply with theological arguments, particularly those that emphasize God’s love for all creation and the idea of a renewed and restored world in which nothing truly good is lost. By the end of the semester, they were emailing me, convinced that dogs must have souls and that their presence in the afterlife makes perfect sense.

Students who have had deep bonds with animals—especially those who have experienced the loss of a beloved pet—tend to come in with a strong emotional connection to the question. They want to believe that their pets continue to exist in some way after death, and they often take the class to explore theological and philosophical reasons to support that hope. For them, this isn’t just an abstract question; it’s deeply personal.

On the other hand, students who didn’t grow up with pets often approach the topic more analytically. They may be more skeptical of the idea that animals have souls or an afterlife, simply because they haven’t had that same firsthand experience of animal companionship. While they may intellectually appreciate the ethical and theological arguments about animals, they sometimes struggle to grasp the emotional weight of the question in the same way their peers do.

A New Lens

Do All Dogs Go to Heaven? is not just a class about abstract theological debates. My greatest hope is that students walk away with a deeper sense of attentiveness, wonder and ethical responsibility toward the world around them.

First, I want students to develop a habit of paying attention. Through the Ecological Conversion Journal, they practice sustained observation of an animal or a place in nature, and in doing so, they begin to notice the complexity, beauty and individuality of nonhuman life. In a world that moves quickly, taking the time to truly see another creature fosters patience, humility and even reverence.

Second, I hope students leave with a greater appreciation for mystery. The question of animals and the afterlife is one we can’t answer definitively, but exploring it allows students to engage with theology in a way that is deeply personal and meaningful. It teaches them that faith is not just about having all the answers. It’s about learning to ask better questions, to engage with tradition thoughtfully and to remain open to new ways of understanding.

Finally, I want students to recognize the ethical implications of how we treat animals and the environment. Whether or not they leave the course convinced that animals have souls, I hope they come away with a stronger sense of responsibility for how they interact with the nonhuman world. Pope Francis called for an ecological conversion, a shift in heart and mind that leads us to live differently—more thoughtfully, more justly and with greater care for our common home.

Dr. Chelsea J. King is an assistant professor in Sacred Heart’s Department of Catholic Studies and director of the Laudato Si’ Office of Sustainability & Social Justice. She is training to run the Chicago Marathon in October and raising money for Second City Canine Rescue.