People thought I was silly to grieve so much over my cat Buffy when she died. Even I was totally shocked over the pain I felt. I had no idea it was going to hurt this much for so long.

Although I have had several pets as a child, Buffy was the first pet I ever had in my adult life. Since my wife and I did not have any children, Buffy became the main object of our affection. Very quickly she became a real part of the family.

From the time we brought her home I had made up my mind how a cat should act and live in my house. It didn’t take long for me to discover that Buffy not only was very intelligent, but she also had a mind of her own.

One time she was running through the house like a crazy cat. Margo and I both tried to get her to stop. This only seemed to make her more defiant. Then she ran behind the couch. Margo peeked over the top and saw these big eyes glaring back at her. In a firm voice she said, “Buffy, what are you doing?” Without hesitation, as if she understood English, Buffy jerked her head to the right, took a hold of the curtain in her mouth and just shook it. Then looking back at Margo as to say, “This is what I am doing” then she took off running. Margo laughed so hard. She said, “What a rebel.”

I began to realize how intelligent God had made these little animals. Anyone who said animals were dumb probably hasn’t had very much experience with them. This dear little friend of mine was very intelligent. I knew we had a friend and companion that we were going have fun with and enjoy for a long time to come.

Animals add so much to our lives. When I was gone to work, Margo had a companion to fill the lonely hours of the day. She used to run and hide, but Buffy would always seem to find her. She would then laugh as Buffy would run back into another room and hide while Margo came to find her.

From the time Buffy was a kitten, we used to take her for a weekly ride in the car so she would get used to traveling with us. We took her on all of our cross-country trips.

When Buffy died the pain and heartache were severe. Did I lose my little friend forever? I had to know. Will I see my Buffy in Heaven when I go there?

Most pastors and Bible teachers have little or no understanding about life after death for this part of creation. If God cares about the sparrow when it dies (Matthew 10:29), then surely He cares about all of His creatures. Since He does care, I thought certainly He has done something about it.

This is one subject the Bible is very clear about; death is an enemy of God. First Corinthians 15:26 emphasizes that, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” Did God create the animals to die? No! Definitely not! Death as an enemy is only a temporary interruption of His plan.

It was in 1994 when we felt forced to put Buffy to “sleep.” It was one of our most difficult decisions. Even though some would say she was “just a cat,” she was still very much a part of our family and our life. Guilt tried several times to condemn both of us. We shed many tears over her loss. When you really love someone, human or animal, their loss is a loss of love and fellowship. That is the cause for the deep pain.

Since Margo and I never had children, Buffy filled that need in our life. When we put her to “sleep,” it was like losing a child.

I have been a minister and Bible teacher for over thirty-five years. During my grief and loss I turned to God in prayer. Even while I was still praying, answers and scriptures began to flood my mind. What I found in God’s word brought healing to my broken heart. I also received very satisfying answers to the questions I had after I put Buffy, my dear friend and companion, to sleep.

In Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 King Solomon states that man and beasts (animals) have this in common, they both have bodies that return to the dust of the earth and they both have a spirit that survives death. He goes on to say that he didn't know if the spirit of an animal went to a different place than the man's did. In anothe place in the Bible when man was created he is called a living soul (Genesis 2:7), whereas animals are called living creatures in the King James Version of the Bible. Further examination of the original language shows the same word used for man and animals. They are both living souls. All the answers you are looking for can be found in this little book called, "Do Pets Go To Heaven? Now there's evidence you can believe in.". I went into great detail to prove the truth about animals going to heaven to the total satisfaction of the bible teacher that I am.

Countless others have suffered the same anguish that you and I have. We’re not alone. Use this book as a gift of compassion for someone you know who has lost a dear pet or for help in healing your own broken heart.

My hope and prayer is what helped heal my broken heart will be a comfort and assurance to you. You didn’t permanently lose your dear friend and pet but you really can have their companionship forever.