Do animals have souls?

Tough question, right?

In Hinduism, all life forms, including animals and insects, are sacred. Hindus believe in reincarnation, where animals and humans are on the path to enlightenment (or progression of the soul). If you are Hindu, you even avoid stepping on insects, which may be reincarnated humans.

The Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions imply that only humans have souls.

What qualifies someone or something as having a soul? Does that mean you can show love, think, experience sadness, feel emotion, be compassionate, show altruism and mourn loved ones? I'm sure we all can find examples of these attributes in animals.

Elephants cry, mourning loved ones. What about the cat who ran into a burning building six times to move her kittens to safety?

Binti Jua, a female lowland gorilla at Brookfield Zoo in Illinois, saved a 3-year-old boy when he climbed over the fence and fell 20 feet onto the concrete, knocking him unconscious. Binti walked over to the boy, keeping the other gorillas from harming him. She cradled him like a baby and carried him more than 60 feet to an entrance so zoo personnel could take the boy to safety.

In one of James Herriott's stories, "The Card Over the Bed," the English vet comforts an elderly woman on her deathbed. She's afraid she won't see her animals in heaven because of the belief that animals do not have souls. Herriott reassures her that they do. Who can doubt they feel love and loyalty? Relieved by his answer, she passes away shortly after.

I cannot argue with one of my favorite authors. I believe animals have souls, too.

Animal lover Leslie Kawamoto has been with The Advertiser for 18 years, or 126 in dog years. Check out her blog at www.islandtails.honadvblogs.com