Suppose nature is offering me a dog’s body. If I say “No, no, I will not accept this,” no, you will be forced to accept it. That is nature’s law. But you can save yourself if you follow conscientiously. That is Krsna consciousness. If you keep yourself in Krsna consciousness and act accordingly, then you will be saved. Otherwise there is no saving. Tatha dehantara-praptih. You will have to accept another body. And what is that body? That is not stated. That will be decided at the end of your life, at the time of your death, at the condition of your mind and intelligence at that time. If, at that time, you are thinking of your pet dog, “What will happen to my pet dog? How he will live? Let me leave some of my property in his name,” (laughter) then you can leave the dog with some property, but you are going to be dog.

This is laws of nature. You may love your dog very nicely and leave some property, but where you are going, sir? That is under the nature’s law. You cannot say that “I given so much property to the dog. Why shall I accept the…?” No. Because your mind is absorbed in the thought of dog, therefore you must take the dog’s body. This is nature’s law. Therefore we have to train up our mind. Instead of dog, you must train up your mind to think of God. Then you will be saved. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam [Bg. 4.9]

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.7
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Honolulu, June 15, 1975,
Sunday Feast Lecture