Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together …
Author Unknown
Please feel free to comment with stories of your pets waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge … I know there are wagging tails and doggie smiles waiting to see me again someday. ❤🌈
RUFUS
I was blessed to adopt Rufus, a Chow/Aussie mix, when he was already six years old back in March of 2008. People asked me why I would adopt a dog already considered a senior by some, but I knew that he was meant to be my boy, my dog soulmate. He turned out to be so much more, saving my life more than once. He traveled the country with us when my husband was in the Navy and was waiting at home to meet my two oldest kids when they were brought home from the hospital. He had the funniest dance when you would scratch his butt, his tail only curved to one side when it wagged and he made noises like Barry Gibb when he was excited. He suffered a stroke in March of 2016 and passed away in my arms at home at the age of 14 on Good Friday. It was one of the most painful losses I had ever experienced and I missed him so much I could hardly stand it. Those who have lost a pet understand that pain … they may not be human, but they’re family and he was an important part of my everyday life. Someone asked me, “Why would you want to get another dog? You’ll go through this again.” But I wouldn’t have traded my eight years of happy memories for the pain I felt when I lost him. He made my life better and I will always thank God that He let me borrow Rufus before bringing him home to be with his fellow four-legged angels. I’ll see you again someday, Ru … at the Rainbow Bridge. 🌈❤
ERNIE
I first met Ernest Hemingway (aka Ernie and the one on the left!) at the amazing IndyCLAW Rescue back in April of 2018, but we weren’t in the position to adopt him just yet. I couldn’t get this sweet little fluffball out of my mind and when we were finally able to add another fur baby to the family, we brought Ernie home in February of 2019! He used to belong to someone who owned an antique shop and was in the rescue for quite awhile because no one wanted to deal with his hair! He was one seriously mellow bun … nothing fazed him, whether it was my kids, the dogs, the vacuum or thunder. Unlike a lot of bunnies, Ernie loved to be held and we used to have a standing date for bunny snuggles while watching This Is Us every Tuesday night. Ernie was the first bunny I had ever owned and I, quite simply, adored him. Unfortunately, he became extremely ill in May of 2021 and we had to make the difficult decision to help him cross the Rainbow Bridge. I still miss him and his sweet fuzzy snuggles, but I know I’ll see him again someday … across the Rainbow Bridge. 🌈❤
ELSIE
One of the toughest parts about doing this blog is seeing all of the amazing animals that need forever homes and not being able to save every single one! While posting for a Wild Wednesday back in 2019 I saw this incredibly adorable Lionhead lop available through the Indiana House Rabbit Society and thought she might make a good bunwife for our sweet Ernie. He’d never been a husbun, but I figured with his sweet personality he would have a great chance of bonding! Unfortunately, Elsie was adopted to someone else and I moved on, but I never quite forgot her. Fast forward to December of 2019 and I saw she was back at IHRS .after being abused and/or neglected by her owners and she needed some TLC before being adopted again. I brought in Ernie to IHRS in January of 2020 and it was love at first sight for Ernie and Elsie, so we adopted her. We had some challenging behavioral issues with her for awhile, but she was a very happy and content bun, even with the loss of her husbun in 2021. She was such a sweet fluffball and we were blessed to be her forever home! Elsie unexpectedly passed away at home in my arms in July of 2022 and we’re sure she’s doing binkies across the Rainbow Bridge. 🌈❤
GEORGIA
My husband, Gabe, and I had barely been married a month back in July of 2007, living in our one-bedroom apartment up at Purdue the summer after I finished my degree and while Gabe was still a student, when we decided to look for a dog. I’d had in mind I wanted a dog like the one I’d had as a kid, a Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever mix, but I wasn’t having any luck finding one online, so my husband suggested we just pop in at a local rescue across the river in Lafayette. Back then it was known as Tricia’s Pet Savers, and when we first walked through the door and saw Georgia, we knew we had to bring her home. She wasn’t at all what I thought I’d wanted, a seven month-old Basset Hound/Sheltie mix, but it turns out she was exactly what I needed. She had been brought by to the shelter in a plastic bag, the person dumping her saying that if the rescue wouldn’t take her he would just kill her. I’m thankful to this day that the rescue took in our girl because the moment she saw Gabe, she jumped into his lap and that was all there was to it. She was spayed that day, we picked her up the following morning and she was with us the rest of her life. Our girl went all over the country with us during our time in the Navy, also being present when we brought all four of our children home from the hospital. Georgia was diagnosed with kidney failure at the end of 2021 and we were blessed to have her another 11 months before we had to make the painful decision to help her cross the Rainbow Bridge in November of 2022 at the age of almost 16. We miss her every day and will always love our Georgia girl … I know she’ll help keep Rufus company until we meet again across the Rainbow Bridge. 🌈❤
GUS
It took me longer than I expected after losing Rufus for my heart to truly be ready to adopt another dog, but in January 2017, about 10 months after saying goodbye to one dog soulmate, I met another one. I had seen Gus (known as Grizzly at the shelter) on Petfinder and saw he was at the Marion Animal Care and Control facility, so I called and asked about him before making the trip. The story I was told was that he had been wandering a nearby neighborhood over Christmas and residents who saw him assumed he’d gotten out while his family was out of town, so they fed him and gave him water and he continued living on the streets. When it seemed apparent no one was looking for him, animal control was called and he was taken to the shelter. I will always believe God led me to the shelter at the exact day and time I needed to be there because he won me over instantly with his big brown eyes and gentle nature. My kids immediately loved him and he was good with Georgia … you could tell he just wanted to love and be loved. He was my shadow, my snuggle buddy (he didn’t mind if he was big spoon or little spoon) and he was so patient and loving with my kids. He has a special bond with my youngest two, probably because I got pregnant with my third shortly after adopting him and Gus would rest his head against my belly and he knew I was pregnant with my last child before I did! Gus’s age was a mystery and he was maybe anywhere from three to five when we adopted him, but we were beyond blessed he became part of our family. He started experiencing pain in his back end around the time we lost Georgia, but we discovered he had permanent damage to the lower discs in his back in March of 2023 and had to make the painful decision to help him cross the Rainbow Bridge. Gus left a huge hole in my heart when it was his time to go, but I have faith I’ll see him again someday … across the Rainbow Bridge. 🌈❤
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