Do Animals Have Souls?

I'm not sure that I would have considered this question anytime in the near future but it came up at our last book club meeting. I had thought a bit about it and honestly my conclusion was leaning more towards no. But considering the fact that I would rather do just about anything (keep in mind I haven't thought through all of the options included in "anything", I simply want to make a point) than join the ranks of PETA, my bias might be a bit strong for clear thinking on this topic. Recognizing this, I was delighted to stumble upon an article on Greg Koukl's website entitled "Do Animals Have Souls?" An excerpt:

" I can prove to you that animals have souls, and it's actually not very difficult. There are certain activities of our mental life that are clearly defined and are clearly not physical, therefore they cannot reside in our physical bodies. Those activities include beliefs, intentions, desires and sensations. In other words, we experience feelings. We have beliefs about things. Based on those beliefs we may have a desire that we feel also, and that desire brings forth an intention to fulfill that desire."

I'm not sold because of one article but I am a little bit more balanced in my thinking. I think meeting my friend Phillip's dog Parker (the cutest dog you've ever seen - sorry Ben, Bobbi, Mike & Rebekah... I'm partial to skinny dogs AND this one reminds me of the dog I had growing up :) ) recently also helped me to open myself up to the idea that animals could have a soul. So if you've ever wondered if your pet has a soul and have thought of doing some research, this article might give you a place to start.