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Author Shares Solace In Her
Book On Pet Eternity
Published In the Tampa, Florida Tribune: September 28, 2002
When her beloved cat, Petey, died, Niki Behrikis Shanahan looked to her Bible for solace.
Chapter by chapter, verse by verse, she sought reassurance that God would open his kingdom to animals as well as man.
Throughout the book, she found the words she was looking for.
``It brought me a great deal of comfort to know that I will see [Petey] someday in heaven,'' she said recently from her home in Tyngsborough, Mass.
``The Bible says that God preserves man and beast, or animals. We know that this statement was not meant for this life, since we are not preserved here. It refers to a life in heaven someday.''
Petey's Legacy
Petey died at 21 from a heart attack. He had suffered from kidney failure for a couple of years, and Shanahan and her husband, Jack, had given him intravenous fluids daily.
``We would have done that forever if it meant that he would have stayed forever,'' she said.
The gray, tiger-striped cat died in Shanahan's arms on their way to the veterinarian. The Shanahans buried Petey beneath a marble marker in their back yard.
Wanting assurance that she would see her pet again, Shanahan searched the Internet for essays and answers. It only frustrated her.
``I found a host of answers while reviewing material from various ministers on the Internet,'' she writes in her book, ``There Is Eternal Life for Animals'' ($11.95, self-published).
``The range of responses included `They do not know,' `They do not think the Bible says anything on the subject,' `They do not see why not,' `Yes, they believe so, according to Scriptures,' and `No, they do not believe that they receive eternal life or that animals go to heaven.' ''
So she searched the Bible herself.
``I always felt that God would allow them, but it is so disturbing that so many in the ministry teach that there is nothing in the Bible that says that animals will go to heaven,'' she said.
Many ministers are reluctant to tell pet owners that their animals are in heaven because they never have experienced that bond, she says.
``But the Bible never indicates there is something wrong in loving an animal. And many people belittle you because you love an animal as much as you do.
``But I believe that animals have souls and spirits. And when you look at a pet, you see God in everyday life.''
Ministers worry about how their colleagues will view them if they say animals go to heaven, she believes.
``I think many of them are afraid of ridicule from their peers,'' she says.
She hopes her book will encourage them to at least consider the idea.
Shanahan was convinced she found her answer when she came across Psalms 148, which she says notes, ``God preserves man and beast.''
``Obviously, he's not preserving them in this life. He's referring to when Jesus comes back and we're all resurrected. Beast means any kind of animal, and if God says he does it, he does it.''
Book Based On Bible Verses
Knowing that many pet owners wondered if they would see their beloved pets again after their deaths, Shanahan decided to compile her research into a book.
The 116-page paperback is filled with Bible verses that refer to animals. Each verse is followed by an explanation.
Shanahan cites verses as proof of God's love for animals and his willingness to have them share eternal life. She examines God's relationship with animals, evidence that they have souls and spirits, and people's near- death experiences.
``I didn't set out to write a book,'' says Shanahan, who has a pair of cats, Lukie and Joey. ``I was just looking for an answer. I needed to know if I'd see Petey again.''
She hopes her book will help others who hope to be reunited with pets after death.
``I just want to help people know that they will see their pets again,'' she says. ``I have a tough time and miss Petey every day. But I have hope. I have something to look forward to.
``For all eternity I'll be with God and Petey.''