[emuffette]

i'm a bit out of date with what information is where, but i remember animals being discussed in depth a couple of times on the yahoo forum - might be worth doing a search of the archive to get some differing opinions?

my apologies in advance for a stumbling reply that oversimplifies your question, but my general thinking is that as pet 'owners' we are only the caretakers of them in their current incarnation. they are on their own journey of development too, and, in general, at a differnet stage in their journey than us.

my understanding is that the souls who incarnate as 'pets' are on a fast track to 3d, benefiting from their interactions with us in developing their growing sense of self-awareness. i'm sure anyone who has had a close bond with an animal knows of souls who seem more human at times that people we may encounter. however, i do not believe that they will ascend with us - rather they will move further along their own path.