The fact that all dogs have great big hearts full of love and joy is an indisputable fact. There is however, some debate on whether or not animals have souls.

For the purposes of this article, I did a quick Google search, typing in "soul definition" and at the top of the page the following words appeared:

 "the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or    animal, regarded as immortal"


The theory is that upon death, the soul will continue to live on in one form or another. According to catholic.com however, the souls that exist within animals will cease to exist at the same time that the body expires. Thought processes around the matter of of animal souls and where they go after death or in fact if they exist in the first place of course vary from person to person and from belief system to belief system.

Those of us closest to animals, be it dogs, cats, horses or bats, likely hold the understanding that there are in fact souls living within the depths of those bottomless loving eyes.  If it were true that animals don't have souls, how could it be that personalities and behaviors are so different in each animal? Even litter mates make their own unique individual selves known within days of birth.

Do we collectively believe that our dogs are joining us in Heaven or are they crossing the Rainbow Bridge and continuing on their lives there with other animal spirits that crossed before them? 

From the Guardian we read:

“Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures,” Pope Francis was said to have told a young, grieving boy who had just lost his dog this week. Turns out, it was actually Pope Paul VI who said it years ago."

So what does that mean exactly? And, for those among us that follow no particular religious belief, where does that place us in the animal afterlife debate? From the image to the right we can see that there is quite a diverse way of looking at the soul or lack thereof in an animal.

For many of us, the bonds we share with our fur babies is so deeply sentimental, how can we not believe that we will see our beloved pets in the "afterlife".

For, no matter what cultural and/or religious beliefs people hold dear, for the most part it is agreed upon that there is an ascension into another realm.

Of all beings deserving of an afterlife, our companion animals must certainly be at the top of the list. For all they do, the unbridled love and affection, the soft unspoken acceptance of all  that we their human parents do.

For all these reasons and, because heaven just wouldn't be heavenly without our fur babies, let's cross our fingers, make a wish or, say a prayer, that all dogs (and cats!) go to heaven. 

*An exciting update from The Pope was posted on July 23rd by the New York Daily News:

All dogs, and cats, and pigs, and goats, and cockroaches go to heaven: So says Pope Francis

In many communities, it is unacceptable or even illegal to have certain kinds of dogs in residence. Some historically feared breeds may come as a shock to us now as the stigma has evolved and dissipated over time. Take for instance the much loved family dog, the German Shepherd. At one time German Shepherds were subject to human fear and zoning regulations because of perceptions derived at a time when the breed was utilized for guard and protection services.

The current most demonized dog at the top of the list of "most feared" and "most aggressive" dog is the Pit Bull.

I live in a city that specifically bans Pit Bulls. According to winnipeg.ca, the following dogs are listed as "prohibited" within city limits:   

1. American Pit Bull Terrier
2. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
3. American Staffordshire Terrier

In order to bring one of the above breeds within city limits, a temporary permit must be obtained.  Local rescues are forced to seek fosters and adopters that live outside the city for all 3 of the Bull Terrier breeds listed above, making it extremely difficult to bring deserving dogs into care.

 Aside from having to deal with zoning laws for "dangerous" labelled breeds, neighbours and community members may also prove difficult to negotiate with due to a long standing reputation of aggression of  certain breed types. Additionally, insurance for your home may increase or be difficult to obtain in the event you open your home to a pit bull or other breed that makes people nervous to be around.

A lack of education and experience is largely responsible for public opinion and reaction. Very few will take the time to research why certain breeds get such a bad reputation and even fewer will go so far as to rescue or adopt a "dangerous" breed. To put dog specific judgements in perspective, it's important to view what history tells us about dangerous and banned dogs.

A stunning evolution of feared dogs has taken place over time with certain breeds being targeted through the years. Human intervention is the causal force behind breed hatred and banning, with the focus shifting much in the same way that fashion changes depending on what is currently in vogue.

To drive this point home,  the Pit Bull was at one time a highly popularized family pet due to its intense loyalty and caring nature towards its humans. Due to the manipulation of the breed by nefarious persons including dog fighting groups, the breed has seen a swing of the pendulum from being beloved and cherished  to highly demonized.

Alongside the previously mentioned German Shepherd breed, Rottweilers and Doberman Pincers were all victimized in the past for being aggressive breeds. Over time the stigmas directed at these breeds has dissolved away with the results being that families are once again integrating this type of dog into their families with no bias. Mastiffs were also on the K9 blacklist and again the force behind these breeds being held in a negative light was human use and manipulation of the breed.

When a dog is enlisted for purposes such as guarding or protection and is trained specifically for these tasks, the fallout may be that these breeds are perceived by the general public to be dangerous and not well suited to family life . The truth is that these dogs / breeds are simply doing their jobs as requested, and, as a result, bear the brunt of extremely bad press while the humans responsible for them usually wash their hands of the situation.

Additionally, when incidents of aggressive dogs do occur, little is done to examine the care and control that the dog was under. Given enough provocation or, subject to overwhelming abuse, even the kindest and sweetest dog will eventually lash out.

The most telling and stunning example of the true nature of the heart of a "vicious" breed and a story many are familiar with, are the fight dogs that were rescued from Michael Vick's dog fighting ring. Do we as a collective, sincerely believe that dogs WANT to face off against each other and do battle while surrounded by jeering crowds betting money on the winner and loser? The answer is absolutely not.  

Some other breeds listed as "dangerous" may come as a surprise as they are now seem as great family pets and have become beloved members of many families.  Huskies and Great Danes although sweet and loving and great family dogs also appear on Top 10 most vicious or feared dog lists. Some dogs are feared because of their sheer size alone.

Others have potentially earned a fearsome reputation due to being left to their own devices to survive and ultimately end up preying on domestic animals to sustain dietary requirements. This scenario is not typical of house reared dogs who have been properly trained and fed complete and nutritional diets.

list25.com quotes: "It is important to note however that most dogs are bred with the desire to please their masters. Thus most incidents involving dogs stem from improper training and harsh ownership."

It can definitely be said that some breeds require a certain level of expertise to train and manage. Some dogs are definitely harder to train, some are incredibly stubborn and wily and some, are super amenable and eager to please their owners. When it comes to breed selection, it is extremely important to do your homework prior to introducing a new dog into the home.

Part of your research should definitely include your community's bylaws with regards to breed specific bans. There have been many heartbreaking instances of families being forced to re-home a beloved pet because they were unaware that the pet they adopted is not permitted in their town or city.

There are many websites dedicated to detailing the behaviour patterns and quirks of dogs on a breed by breed basis. There is such as thing as taking on too much of a challenge when adopting so please take some extra time in the midst of your adoption process to educate yourself on which breed will fit best into your family. Consideration should be paid to personality, activity level, and, trainability.

With so many breeds already being affected by scenarios and situations beyond their control, dogs are reliant on the humans in their lives to protect them, exercise them, train them, vet them and, feed them properly. When all of these marks are being hit properly, the end result should be a well mannered and behaved as well as happy, pooch, regardless of breed.