It's a Dog's Afterlife: Pope Francis Hints that Animals go to Heaven

The pontiff’s remarks were interpreted by some as bringing ‘hope of salvation … to animals and the whole of creation’

Animals, too, go to heaven. That, at least, was one interpretation of remarks made by Pope Francis in his weekly general audience in the Vatican.

The endlessly controversial 77-year-old pontiff said: “The holy scripture teaches us that the fulfilment of this wonderful design also affects everything around us.”

The pope went on to quote from St Paul, St Peter and the Book of Revelation in support of the view that “what lies ahead … is therefore a new creation”.

He added: “It is not an annihilation of the universe and all that surrounds us. Rather it brings everything to its fullness of being, truth and beauty.”

Italian daily Corriere della Sera was in no doubt about his meaning. “It broadens the hope of salvation and eschatological beatitude to animals and the whole of creation,” wrote the paper’s Vatican specialist in an article published on Thursday. 

Others were not convinced.

“We all say that there will be a continuity between this world and the joyful one of the future, [but also] a transformation,” said Gianni Colzani, an emeritus professor of theology at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome.

“It is the balance between the two things that we are not in a position to determine. For that reason, I think we shouldn’t make [Pope Francis] say more than he says.”

Though a noted cat-lover, Francis’s predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, seemed to close the doors of heaven firmly to pets and other animals in a sermon he gave in 2008. “For other creatures, who are not called to eternity, death just means the end of existence on Earth,” he said.

Certainly, the Catholic catechism holds out little hope for the animal kingdom in the next life – and not much for it in this life either. The keynote is the absolute primacy of mankind as the species which, according to Christian doctrine, was created in God’s image.

“Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity,” it says, while cautioning that “animals are God’s creatures”, and therefore “men owe them kindness”.

Man Chooses Homelessness Rather Than Abandon Pit Bull

Dave is a homeless man living by the side of some railroad tracks in Linden, New Jersey.  He cannot find a proper place to live because of his dog Petey, who is a pit bull.  Dave says Petey is his son, and he’d rather be homeless than give him up.

Dave has been out on the streets for a long time.  People remember seeing Dave pushing Petey in a cart when he was only a puppy, and he is two now.

To read more on this story, click here: Man Chooses Homelessness Rather Than Abandon Pit Bull 

Guinness World Record Holder - Beloved Two-Faced Cat Dies of Cancer at Age 15

A cat named Frank and Louie who was born with two faces, two mouths, two noses and three blue eyes has died at the age of 15.

The Telegram of Worcester reports that 'Frankenlouie' died Thursday at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton.

The cat's owner, Marty Stevens, said veterinarians believe the cause of death was cancer.

The cat's owner, Marty Stevens, said veterinarians believe the cause of death was cancer.
Frank and Louie made it into the 2012 edition of Guinness World Records as the longest-surviving member of a group known as Janus cats, named for a Roman god with two faces.

Janus cats almost never survive, and most have congenital defects.
They usually only live a few days.

A breeder brought the rare feline to Stevens, a vet nurse, to be euthanized in September of 1999.

However Stevens, not believing the cat would survive, decided to take him home with her and care for him.

She fed Frankenlouie using tubes in both mouths, soon realizing that only the 'Frank' side was connected to his esophagus.

He did, however, eat enough for two.

Stevens said her cat quickly developed a strong personality and loved to walk around her neighborhood in North Grafton.

"He’s just so affectionate and sweet he usually wins people over," she told The Telegram-Gazette in 2011.

He functioned as a regular cat.

While blind in his center eye, both his outer eyes worked fine, and while he had two noses and mouths, he had only one brain.

Stevens is now understandably devastated to lose her pet of 15 years.

She said her fell quite ill around Thanksgiving and she took him to the Tuffs University clinic.

The vet told her it was best to euthanize him, because he was in quite a lot of pain.

Stevens says once her sadness passes she wouldn't mind looking for another Janus to bring home with her, just like she did with Frankenlouie in 1999.

"I would love to do it again," she said.

You Can Help Animals at Christmas with Just a Facebook "Like" - Coolridge Animal Hospital Will Donate a 1-Pound Bag of Dog/Cat Food to an Animal Rescue for Each "Like" - Only 51 More Needed!

Help us reach 500 Facebook likes by end of 2014, we need 51. for every new like we receive from now till 12/31/2014, we are donating 1lb of dog/cat food for every like we receive to a Animal Allies Rescue Organization.

Help us reach our goal and we will help pets in need .... Share our page to help us reach this goal

Think about it…that's 51 pounds of dog food!

Ready to "like" and help pets in need? Click HERE! 

Please Share!
Thank you from The Pet Tree House

Watch As Shelter Staff Do Their Adoption Entrance Dance For A Dog Leaving The Shelter (Video)

This dog can't dance in excitement at being adopted, so the employees do it for him!

The hardworking rescue employees and volunteers who dedicate their time and life to saving animals get pretty excited when an animal gets adopted. Not only do they love seeing someone go to a loving home, these wonderful people really know how to make a dog’s day! This video may be long, but I promise it is worth it at the end!

See their hilarious and talented tribute to an adopted dog below!

Dog Escapes at National Dog Show, Devastates Dog Handler

The National Dog Show has been pretty much like every National Dog Show -- an opportunity for everybody in the country to watch puppies on Thanksgiving -- except for one adventurous miniature pinscher, who got away.

To read more on this story, click here: Dog Escapes at National Dog Show, Devastates Dog Handler

National Dog Show 2014 Results: Nathan the Bloodhound Wins Best in Show

It was a very jowly Thanksgiving, as Nathan the Bloodhound took home Best In Show at the National Dog Show.

Nathan licked pretty much everybody possible, including NBC's Mary Carillo. He had won Best in Group at the Westminster Dog Show, but hadn't taken the top prize. He's a rare winner from the popular breed, as the bloodhound had never won at the National Dog Show and still has yet to win in the 100-plus years of Westminster.

The winners of each group were:

Hound group: Bloodhound

Herding group: Bearded collie

Working group: Samoyed

Terrier group: Smooth fox terrier

Toy group: Affenpinscher

Sporting group: Gordon setter

Non-sporting breeds: French bulldog

For the most part the dog show went off without a hitch ... except for the one part where a miniature pinscher got away from its handler and made a run for it. We've never seen that one before, and the handler did not exactly handle it well.

Australia Is Terrified That This American Snake Could Give Birth In The Wild

There’s concern this morning that a pregnant American corn snake is on the loose in Queensland, Australia, and a search is being mounted to find it before she gives birth.

Sunshine Coast snake catcher Ritchie Gilbert told Business Insider he was sent a number of photos from a local vet to help identify the snake on Wednesday.

To read more on this story, click here: Australia Is Terrified That This American Snake Could Give Birth In The Wild

Funeral Service Takes Unfortunate Turn When Dove Launched Into the Air by Pastor Plummets Straight to the Ground with a Thud After Suffering Heart Attack

This video shows the unfortunate moment a dove died at a funeral after being thrown into the air by a pastor.

The funeral, held for a man called David, took an unexpected turn when the pastor released the dove - a symbol of the deceased's spirit ascending to heaven.
Seconds after being tossed into the air, the bird plummeted back to earth, shocking mourners as it came down with a thud.

To read more on this story, click here: Funeral Service Takes Unfortunate Turn When Dove Launched Into the Air by Pastor Plummets Straight to the Ground

Washington Humane Society - Black Friday/Saturday Deal - Today and Tomorrow ONLY, Take a Look at Some of the Animals Available for Adoption for Just $10

The only Black Friday deal you will ever need. Today and tomorrow ONLY, take home any animal with black spots, stripes, or full black coats for just $10! All other animals will have their adoption fees reduced by half. Our locations will be open today from noon to 7 p.m.

See our cats, dogs, guinea pigs, bunnies, and others at www.washhumane.org/adopt.


Please read: Steps to Adopt


Take a look at some of the animals available below:

Carl

Animal ID: 24239678
Species: Dog
Breed: Terrier, American Staffordshire/Mix
Age:1 year 25 days
Sex: Male
Size: Large
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location:  Adoptions Kennel

Little Lady

Animal ID: 24272313
Species: Dog
Breed: Terrier, American Staffordshire/Mix
Age: 9 months 21 days
Sex: Female
Size: Medium
Color: Black/Brown
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Adoptions Kennel

Luna

Animal ID: 24318904
Species: Dog
Breed:Terrier, American Staffordshire/Boxer
Age:1 year 15 days
Sex: Female
Size: Medium
Color: Black/White
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Adoptions Kennel

Sox

Animal ID: 24294410
Species: Dog
Breed: Terrier, Boston/Mix
Age: 10 years 12 days
Sex : Female
Size: Medium
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Dog Holding Kennel

Marshmallow

Animal ID: 24077918
Species: Dog
Breed: Pointer/Retriever, Labrador
Age:1 year 1 month 14 days
Sex: Male
Size: Large
Color: White/Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Main Kennel

Pepper

Animal ID: 23753517
Species: Dog
Breed:Terrier, American Staffordshire/Mix
Age:1 year 2 months 24 days
Sex: Female
Size: Medium
Color: White/Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Adoptions Kennel

Lena

Animal ID: 23817280
Species: Dog
Breed: Border Collie/Terrier, American Staffordshire
Age: 6 months 10 days
Sex: Female
Size: Medium
Color: White/Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Adoptions Kennel

CATS

Four Seasons

Animal ID:16301217
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Medium Hair/Mix
Age: 2 years 10 months 16 days
Sex: Female
Size: Large
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Adoption Room

Mocha

Animal ID: 22837969
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 11 years 5 months 30 days
Sex: Female
Size: Small
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding 1

Kai

Animal ID: 22868529
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age:1 year 21 days
Sex: Male
Size: Small
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site:Washington Humane Society
Location: Isolation

Salt

Animal ID: 23112295
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 5 months 14 days
Sex: Female
Size: Small
Color: Black/Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Hallway Adoption Area

Darla

Animal ID: 24079173
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 3 months 14 days
Sex: Female
Size: Small
Color: Black/Orange
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Hallway Adoption Area

Belme

Animal ID: 24363800
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age:1 year 9 days
Sex: Female
Size: Medium
Color: Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding

Sprinkle

Animal ID: 24384426
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 3 months 6 days
Sex: Female
Size: Small
Color: Black/Buff
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding 2

Starlight

Animal ID: 24387813
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 9 months 5 days
Sex: Male
Size: Small
Color: Black
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding 1

Ton

Animal ID: 24388194
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 3 months 5 days
Sex: Female
Size: Small
Color: Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Hallway Adoption Area

Ace

Animal ID: 24403604
Species: Cat
Breed:Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age 4 years 3 days
Sex: Female
Size: Large
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding 1

Ink

Animal ID: 24403626
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 4 years 3 days
Sex:  Male
Size: Large
Color: Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding 1

Jet

Animal ID: 24403631
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 4 years 3 days
Sex: Male
Size: Large
Color: Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding 1

Licorice

Animal ID: 24404341
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 4 years 3 days
Sex: Female
Size: Large
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding 1

Poe

Animal ID: 24404349
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 4 years 3 days
Sex: Female
Size: Large
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding 1

Wizard

Animal ID: 24404353
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 4 years 3 days
Sex: Male
Size: Medium
Color: Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding 1

Moby

Animal ID: 24412230
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 3 months 8 days
Sex: Male
Size: Small
Color: Black
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Cat Holding 2

Nicole Kitman

Animal ID: 22168859
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 2 years 8 months 24 days
Sex: Female
Size: Small
Color: Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Main Cattery

Azora

Animal ID: 23158347
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 1 year 4 months 24 days
Sex: Female
Size: Medium
Color: White/Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Main Cattery

Tboz

Animal ID: 23449440
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Medium Hair/Mix
Age: 2 years 3 months 30 days
Sex: Male
Size: Medium
Color: Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Main Cattery

Brandon

Animal ID: 23887668
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 4 years 8 months 6 days
Sex: Male
Size: Medium
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Cattery II

Dodger

Animal ID: 23988538
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 3 years 1 month 26 days
Sex: Male
Size: Large
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Main Cattery

Heki

Animal ID: 24008899
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 2 years 1 month 23 days
Sex: Male
Size: Small
Color: Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Main Cattery

Winifred

Animal ID: 24096074
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 2 years 1 month 13 days
Sex: Female
Size: Medium
Color: Black/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Cattery II

Zephyr

Animal ID: 24130238
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Medium Hair/Mix
Age: 6 years 1 month 7 days
Sex: Male
Size: Large
Color: Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: 7315

Bambi

Animal ID: 24131057
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 4 months 5 days
Sex: Female
Size: Small
Color: Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Main Cattery

Velvet

Animal ID: 24348679
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 2 years 6 months 8 days
Sex: Male
Size: Medium
Color: White/Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Cat Holding

Suede

Animal ID: 24348800
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 2 years 6 months 8 days
Sex: Male
Size: Medium
Color: White/Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: WHS Georgia Ave
Location: Cat Holding

Rabbit

Oreo

Animal ID: 20735500
Species: Rabbit
Breed: Lop Eared/Purebred
Age: 5 years 3 months 13 days
Sex: Female
Size: Small
Color: White/Black
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: No
Site: Washington Humane Society
Location: Exotics Room

For locations and hours, click HERE! 

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