I think they do. For the record, only humans ate from the tree of good and evil. There is no recorded Biblical story of a bird, mammal or insect eating from that tree. Only humans. So, according to my previous writing, animals are not separated from God, only humans.
Now, is that what most pastors think? Some do, but others are bound by doctrine. I remember one day i was listening to Christian radio and a mother of a little boy came on and asked if the little boy’s dog had gone to heaven. The pastor on the radio said, “No, and then went into some doctrinal nonsense. I wanted to scream. I am sure I said more than a few words which were not proper English and then turned off the radio. I rarely listen to Christian radio anymore.
That particular pastor reminded me of the Pharisees, whom Jesus detested because they were so caught up in being proper and righteous that they didn’t get that being spiritual is about being compassionate and caring.
So, what do the scholars say in general regarding this?
Christianity: The Bible doesn’t explicitly state if pets go to heaven, but it speaks of a “New Earth” and a restored creation. Isaiah 11:6 famously describes a peaceful kingdom where “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb.” Many theologians, including Pope Francis, have suggested that because animals are part of God’s “very good” creation, they may be included in the eternal joy of paradise.
Judaism: There is a strong tradition (notably in Kabbalah) that animals have souls (nefesh) and return to their Divine source after death. Some Jewish philosophers, like Saadia Gaon, argued that animals are rewarded in the afterlife for any suffering they endured on Earth.
I think one of the sweetest responses I have ever heard regarding this question was from Billy Graham, A man who knew the Bible inside and out and spoke not with condemnation but compassion. When a child asked him if his pet would be in heaven, his response was,
Yes, Billy Graham believed that if people need their pets to be perfectly happy in heaven, God will provide them there, citing the Bible‘s descriptions of a peaceful new earth with animals (Isaiah) and God’s care for all His creation, suggesting that our reunion with beloved pets is likely for our perfect joy in heaven. He often said God will prepare everything for our happiness, and if our dogs are part of that, they’ll be there.
Now that is a man I can listen to!