Product Description

Most people believe in Heaven and hope to see their loved ones there, but what about our pets? Is there any hope for a reunion with them also "on the other side"?

Will My Pet Go to Heaven? contains the real-life story of newlyweds Steve and Kristin Wohlberg, of their tiny dog, Jax, and of the heart-ripping accident that ultimately led to their pet's untimely death on Halloween night, 2001. Shortly thereafter - as a result of unexpected emails from friends - Steve began an unplanned search into the pages of the Bible for hope that they might someday see their furry friend again. You'll be amazed at what he found!

In addition to its timely, spiritual, and hopeful message, Steve's book has an added spark of being filled with contemporary quotations from such notables as Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Laura, Carly Simon, Elizabeth Taylor, Will Rogers, and many others. Beyond this, it also contains real-life reports of animals that saved the lives of their owners, plus a story that didn't make CNN headlines - but should have - of specially trained Therapy Dogs comforting shell-shocked humans immediately after September 11 in New York at Ground Zero.

In a nutshell, Will My Pet Go to Heaven? is a heart-warming, sensible, and truly insightful book, "whose time has come." If you love animals, and if your heart is open to the things of Heaven, you will appreciate its spiritual message. A great gift-idea for neighbors, friends, and loved ones.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #423884 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Americans seem to have a deep and perpetually unresolved theological question: Will our pets be with us in the afterlife? In Will My Pet Go to Heaven?, the latest gauntlet to be thrown down in the will-Rover-find-Elysium debate, evangelical Christian Steve Wohlberg comes down firmly in favor of the idea that our furry friends will indeed accompany us to some paradisiacal Valhalla. Readers should come armed with Kleenex for the inevitable stories of pets who save humans' lives, return to their owners despite moves and accidental separations or try to communicate with their loved ones from beyond the grave. Wohlberg opens the book with an account of the devastating loss of his own dog to a car accident in October 2001. These personal stories are heartfelt and memorably told, but they do not compensate for the book's poor biblical analysis, which consists of simplistic proof-texting.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Creation Illustrated, Fall 2002, Vol. 9, No. 3, p. 35-36
Will My Pet Go to Heaven? offers a covey of insightful discoveries about animals as revealed in Scripture.

From the Publisher
As the publicist of "Will My Pet God to Heaven?," I would like to clarify a couple of things from the Publishers Weekly review. The book in no way advocates that people should seek communication with their dead pets and strongly warns against such activity. Secondly, the author does not promise unequivocally that people's personal pets will be in heaven. He looks at the heart of God in His design of the earth before sin, where man lived peacefully with all animals, and also the Scriptures that talk about the new earth where the "lamb will lie down with the lion." Emphasizing God's loving character, the author gives reasons for hope, yet whether those future kingdom creatures will be newly created animals or our own personal pets remains the decision of the Creator alone. Our hope is in His goodness already demonstrated in creation and throughout the Scriptures. The author's use of Bible texts is sensible and insightful.

Customer Reviews

My Pets May Very Well Be in Heaven
Will My Pet Go to Heaven?This book does not try to prove without a doubt, but instead gives a preponderance of biblical evidence that weighs heavily in favor of our pets being with us in heaven and on the new earth. This is the perfect book to share with someone who has lost a beloved pet. The author teaches the basics of salvation and how as Christians we don't need to grieve our loss like the rest of men who have no hope, because our hope is eternal.

This book confirmed what I had felt in my heart for years.
Ever since I was a small child, I visualized animals in heaven. After all, God did make them first, my little girl mind rationalized. As I got older and had many animals come and go in my life, I needed conformation that my belief was in fact true. I could not imagine a perfefct place that DID NOT include my beloved pets who had passed on. Then on a recent Sunday morning, I was watching a pastor give a sermon on television. He made the mistake of telling his congregation and his television audience that animals do not survive beyond death; that only humans occupy heaven with our Lord. I began a search. The Bible talks little about the direct question: Are His animals to live forever? But after all, the bible was written for human salvation. The animals cannot sin and don't need to be saved. They already are perfect in God's eyes. Jesus has said that He was going to prepare a place for us - his children - and a place for me would not be complete unless all my wonderful and beloved animal children are there with me. And then I found Steve Wohlberg's book! This book has confirmed to me what I have known since a child. Animals do, of course, go to heaven. Steve has given biblical references in this book and explained in a way that only a man of the clergy can do in pointing out God's love for and eternal existence of animals. This is a wonderful book and should be included in bible school curriculums. Every person who has ever loved an animal needs to read this book. And those who preach that animals "die and go into the ground forever" and wrong, wrong, wrong. I wrote and told that televison pastor so and used Steve's book as a reference. He has since recanted his views.

Good book, but a lot of room for improvement
What I liked about this book:
Most importantly, the book is based on Scripture. I you are a dedicated agnostic, hoping to find a story to make you feel better, based on a bunch of other people's opinions, you won't find it in here. Wohlberg has searched for the truth on this topic, and wants to share with his readers what he has found. He admits that he is not sure whether or not our pets will go to Heaven, but he tells us why he thinks there is a strong possibility that they will indeed be there. I also like that the book is written in a simple, understandable format. There's no deep theology or "Christianese" that's not explained clearly. Due to the writing style, and some of the other topics covered in this book, it could be a great evangelistic tool - a wonderful book to give to your non-Christian friends when they are struggling with the loss of a pet. I also like the little quotes Wohlberg has scattered throughout the text.
What I didn't like about this book:
Wohlberg only actually spends 9 pages in the book answering the question "Will my pet go to Heaven?"!! The rest of the book is about human-animal bonds, his own personal (and tragic) loss of his pet that led him to write the book, God's love for animals, animal sacrifice, and other somewhat-related topics. Most of this material is good, but I found the chapter entitled "Pets, People, & Priorities" to be inappropriate. Although I agree with the basic idea ("people come first, then pets") I do not think this book was the appropriate place to discuss it. Wohlberg seems to have a particular soft spot for dogs, horses, and cats, or what he calls "God's more intelligent" animals. He is somewhat exclusive. I know I'm not the only person with a pet leopard gecko! I also found several typographical errors, and for a book that is only 94 pages long, I believe this is pretty bad. Doesn't someone proofread these books before they publish them?