To many people studying the Bible, dogs don’t seem to enjoy a great place in the honored animal list.
After all, they have been described in unfavorable terms such as being unclean, or as scavengers.
Does this mean God does not love dogs?
That would be shocking to dog lovers who think of them as man’s best friend.
Moreover, the affection shown by dogs to us is unequaled by any other animal.
Why would God cause dogs to have such affection and yet deprive them of love?
Although dogs are not frequently mentioned in the Bible, we can infer God’s attitudes towards dogs from what the bible says about all animals in general.
God Desires to Save Dogs
The greatest hint that God loves anything is when he wants to save it.
For example, God loves humans, so he seeks to save them.
Wouldn’t he also be showing love if he saves dogs?
In 36:6 of Psalms, it says, “O Lord, you save man and beast.”
This shows that God has a twin interest in saving both people and animals.
Noah’s flood is a good example where God showed love for both people and animals (including dogs) by saving them.
The flood destroyed many animals, but God saved at least one breeding pair of all land animals and birds.
This was an act of love showing he didn’t want them to go extinct.
So, all our modern dogs have God’s love to thank for still being around.
God Makes Covenants with Animals
We often hear about covenants being made between God and people in the Bible but did you know that God made covenants with animals too?
Covenants in the bible are agreements that represent a special binding relationship between God and a second party.
God would never make a covenant with you unless he loved or valued you.
In a covenant, God makes promises of good things to you as the other party.
Through such promises, God shows he wants your best interests.
After the flood which destroyed both people and animals except for those in Noah’s ark, God made a covenant with the survivors or “every living creature of flesh.”
He promised never to destroy the earth again by flood.
He followed this up with a sign which is the rainbow.
This was an unconditional covenant in which God would fulfill his promises to all animals including dogs without requiring anything from them.
Related: Why Did God Take My Dog?
God Cares for the Lowliest of Animals
According to Jesus, God can be surprisingly concerned with tiny details about things that we may consider to be trivial.
For example, he said: “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.”
At the price of just two pennies for a pair of sparrows, sparrows were dirt cheap and almost worthless in Israel’s economy during the time of Jesus.
Despite this low human estimation, God attaches great value to the sparrows even though they are of far less value than humans.
This tells us that even dogs are of value to God even though some of us may think of them as worthless.
Related: Is it a Sin to Kill a Dog?
God’s Treatment of Animals When he sent Prophets Balaam and Jonah
A prophet called Balaam was sent on a mission to the king of Moab, Balak, who was an enemy of Israel.
Along the way, God’s angel blocked the donkey’s path so that it had nowhere to pass.
So, it stopped prompting Balaam to angrily hit the donkey.
This made the angel ask Balaam, “Why did you hit the donkey?”
This was a rebuke against Balaam for hitting the donkey for no good reason. And this showed God’s concern for the donkey.
In another episode that showed God’s love for animals, God sent a prophet called Jonah to condemn Nineveh for sinning.
When they repented, God reconsidered them, which angered Jonah who preferred Nineveh to be punished since they were enemies of Israel.
However, God said: “And should I ‘not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are 120,000 people… and much cattle?” (Jonah 4:11).
God showed sympathy for both man and animals and wanted to spare them from destruction.
Deuteronomy Verses for Animal Protection
The book of Deuteronomy carries a series of detailed instructions that provide for animal welfare.
These show that God cares for and loves animals.
For example, donkeys and cattle were not to be yoked together as this could injure the animals. (Deuteronomy 22:10).
Since the donkey and the ox are different species and so are built differently, there is a mismatch in their strengths.
The ox is shorter, has a shorter stride, and is also stronger.
When yoked together, they tend to pull in opposite directions which will exhaust and hurt the donkey.
Related: What Does the Bible say about Selling Dogs?
Dogs will be in Heaven
Even though theological views vary, there is good evidence in the bible that dogs along with other animals will be in heaven.
If true, it proves that God loves dogs.
In the book of Isaiah, the prophet speaks of a future paradise in which all kinds of creatures will live together, including animals that were formerly predators and prey to each other.
Babies will play with snakes, and lions will graze on grass.
This shows that no animals including dogs will be exempted from this paradise.
This inclusion of all animals in heaven shows that God loves animals including dogs.
Related:
Bible Verses about Dogs in Heaven
What is the Power of the Dog in the Bible?
God Regarded his Creatures as Good during the Creation
After creating animals, the Bible states that God was pleased and pronounced them as good.
For something to be good in God’s eyes, it means that it must be lovable and worthy.
Since God exempted none of his creatures from this description, we can conclude that all the land animals he created included dogs are loved by him.
You may also want to check: Why did God Make Dogs’ Lives So Short?
God Supplies Animals with Provisions
God supplies both wild and domestic animals like cattle, and dogs with food which indicates his love for the animals.
Psalms 147:9. “He gives food to the wild animals and feeds the young ravens when they cry.”
Jesus also said that animals don’t worry, unlike people who tend to be anxious about what they will eat in the future.
This is because God supplies their needs such as ravens which don’t gather or store their food supplies.
God Commands People to Care for Animals
Another indication that God loves dogs is his expectation that his obedient people should show the same love for animals.
It states in Proverbs 12:10 that “the righteous man takes care of the needs of its beast.”
This is contrasted with the wicked man for whom it says, “the kindest acts…are cruel.”
By caring for animals, we reflect the same character traits as God.
Related:
God instituted a Sabbath Rest for both Humans and Animals
In the creation, God set aside a weekly special day for people’s refreshment after 6 days of labor.
But he didn’t forget the animals.
This shows that God cared for the condition of animals that needed to rest from their labors just like people.
But Jesus added another interesting dimension to this care.
The Pharisees who were hypocritically scrupulous about keeping the Sabbath holy tried to fault Jesus for healing sick people on the Sabbath.
They considered the healing as work that violated the Sabbath.
Jesus challenged them saying: if a donkey fell into a well on the Sabbath, would you not pull it out to save its life?
Since this was not objectionable, Jesus asked why an animal could be shown such compassion, while sick people are denied despite some of whom had been sick for many years.
This showed that Jesus cared for animals just as he did for people.
Related:
What Does the Bible Say about Laying with Dogs?
What Does The Bible Say About Dogs in The House?
Closing Thoughts
God doesn’t love dogs or other animals as much as he loves humans.
But you would be mistaken to conclude from this that He sees no value in them.
He didn’t create dogs or other animals by happenstance or chance but with intentional purpose.
That’s a strong hint that he loves them though we may not easily discern it.
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