[quote:2dse9hn2]I’m heartbroken at the loss of my Border Collie. We were together for more than 14 years – I lost her suddently to cancer in May. I need to know if she will be with me when I die. I don’t know of anything that says she will – but I can’t imagine God giving us such devoted companions in this life without the opportunity to reunite with them in heaven.
-CLH[/quote:2dse9hn2]

[b:2dse9hn2]Dear CLH[/b:2dse9hn2], I am very sorry to hear about you losing your border collie. It sounds as if she was very loyal and a loving companion. Your question about heaven is a very common one and I am thankful that you asked about it. According to Catholic teaching and the teaching of most other traditions is that pets, unfortunately, do not go to heaven with us.

Us humans, unlike the animals, were created in God’s image meaning that we have an actual soul that is nourished by God’s grace. This soul is the main thing that separates us from the animals. Entering heaven and being in heaven is the ultimate reward for our lives on Earth and no earthly pleasure can compare to the love and grace of God especially spending eternity with Him. Being with God forever is more blissful than anything anyone has experienced here. This is the teaching of the Beatific Vision. More information can be found on that here. I hope this helps!
-Jon Jakoblich