Do animals have souls?

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

A priest in white and gold robes blesses a ginger cat perched on a person's shoulder during the San Anton animal blessing at a church in Madrid.

Intricately cut and painted mizrah by Israel Dov Rosenbaum, featuring a central architectural motif, lions, birds, floral patterns, and Hebrew inscriptions in each corner.

A decorative dove in a synagogue or church

A priest in white vestments sprinkles holy water to bless a small dog held by a woman in a pink sling, surrounded by people outside a church in Mexico City.

A girl in a pink dress sits on the ground creating a colorful rangoli pattern with powders to celebrate the Pongal festival in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India.

A Nepali woman kneels to feed and honor a cow adorned with marigold garlands and red powder during the Tihar festival rituals in Lalitpur, Nepal.

Monks in orange and brown robes stand on a boat, releasing a fish from a green basket into the sea as part of a ritual, with green hills visible in the background.

A woman helps a child release fish into Victoria Harbour from a net, joined by others along the waterfront as part of a Buddhist practice in Hong Kong.

Jain nuns wearing masks to avoid accidental ingestion of small insects

Digambara Jain monk seated nude on a mat beside a low reading stand and peacock-feather whisk in Shravanabelagola, India.

Do animals have souls?: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

Charles Preston
Charles Preston is Associate Editor for Religion at Encyclopædia Britannica.

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Added media for Buddhism and Jainism sections.	Charles Preston	Nov 03, 2026
	New article added.	Charles Preston	Sep 30, 2026