Rainbow Bridge (pets)

The Rainbow Bridge is a place often referred to by people whose pets have died. It is the theme of a work of poetic prose written some time between 1980 and 1992, which has gained wide popularity amongst animal lovers who have lost a pet.

The belief as told in the story is that the souls of deceased pets go to a green meadow paradise just outside of Heaven. Once the pets arrive, their bodies are cured of any illnesses or injuries. They run around and play with other pets, missing only one thing – their owners. One day, the pet spots its owner arriving, they reunite and cross the Rainbow Bridge and go into heaven together, never again to be parted.

Although no major religion specifically refers to such a place for pets, the belief shows similarities with the Bifröst bridge of Norse Mythology. Its source is a story whose original creator is unknown.

In many pet-related communities and animal-related organizations, pets who have died are often referred to as being "at the bridge" or "ATB".

The written story itself is often treated by the public as effectively being public domain, not only because no confirmation of authorship and provenance has been definitively attached to it, but also because of its wide circulation and republication worldwide. [A Google search for notable phrases from the poem indicates that as of December 2006, the poem has been republished in full some 25,000 - 28,000 times on web pages, and around a further 700 times on newsgroups.] Copyright resides in an authored work and would be enforceable if provenance and authorship were ever to be definitively decided.

Authorship and background

Having been circulated and attributed sufficiently widely around the world, the original authorship of the poem is now uncertain. "About.com suggests that there are three known contenders at present:
* Paul C. Dahm, a grief counselor in Oregon USA, said to have written the poem in 1981, copyrighted it in 1994, and published it in a 1998 book of the same name.
* William N. Britton, author of "Legend of Rainbow Bridge" (1994, ISBN: 0964501805)
* Dr. Wallace Sife, head of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, whose poem "All Pets Go to Heaven" appears on the association's website as well as in his book "The Loss of a Pet". [cats.about.com, [http://cats.about.com/od/lossandgrieving/a/rainbowbridge_2.htm Rainbow Bridge] ]

The first mention of the "Rainbow Bridge" story on the internet is a [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.pets.dogs/browse_thread/thread/296f9182afe238a0/368bccee5dd282fd?lnk=st&q=%22cross+the+rainbow+bridge%22&rnum=13&hl=en#368bccee5dd282fd post] on the newsgroup "rec.pets.dogs", dated January 7, 1993, quoting the poem from a 1992 (or earlier) issue of "Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League Newsletter", which in turn is stated to have quoted it from the Akita Rescue Society of America. [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.pets.dogs/browse_thread/thread/ad01fbda620bb6f4/3b24ad2002e3e12b?lnk=st&q=%22cross+the+rainbow+bridge%22&rnum=6&hl=en#3b24ad2002e3e12b Other posts] from 1993 suggest it was already well established and being circulated on the Internet at that time, enough for a single line quote to be expected to be recognized by other newsgroup readers.

Natural and mythical Rainbow Bridges exist elsewhere, for example, the natural Rainbow Bridge National Monument in Utah, and the Rainbow Bridge legend told by the Chumash people of Santa Cruz Island. [See: [http://cats.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=cats&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rain.org%2Fcamp96%2Fchumash_myth3.html Chumash Myth] ]

Rainbow Bridge

quotation|1=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…"
2=Author Unknown

References

ee also

* Animal love
* Animal loss
* Affectional bond
* Animal euthanasia