I certainly don't have the answers (no one does). But I would point out several issues that I never see addressed in these types of threads:
First, animals wouldn't *need* to be "saved" to go to heaven; they are not sinners.
Second, God never intended for any animals to die. The animals were created before Adam and Eve, and thus before sin and death entered the world.
Finally, people talk about heaven as though all the redeemed are going to spend eternity floating around as spirits. Heaven is only going to be a temporary stop. Man will spend eternity on the (new) earth, in a (resurrected) physical body.
The new earth will likely be much like the current earth, in that it will be populated by plants and animals, as in the Garden of Eden. Now, which animals will populate the new earth? New animals who never existed? Or will God bring back animals who lived and died on this earth? Seems to me that, since God never intended animals to die in the first place, He just might bring back animals who had to die on this earth through no fault of their own.
Food for thought....
Animals are the biggest part of my life....I love them more than 99% of the people I know....so for me, God knows this and it would not be Heaven for me without them....so I know that “IF” I go to Heaven, my animals will be there too.
bttt