by Ayfer Selamoğlu

The Rainbow Bridge for dogs and cats: what the legend says

Mother: May love, we will meet again… Princess: Mom, I’m waiting on the Rainbow Bridge…

This is my first time losing a pet, and the pain feels like it will never go away…

I ask myself this question the most these days: Where does a pet go after it dies? 

The image of my Princess wanders around every corner of the house, in flowerpots, armchairs, coffee tables, and the bed… Her voice and scent, reminiscent of flowers, never leave the house…

Those who lost their pets would say, “It’s a great pain, they are not forgotten”. And they always said that they missed them very much…

I am now familiar with this pain… Yes, it is a massive, deep wound that will not heal quickly…

Life stops, and you are thrown into a vacuum. There is no world, country, or war agenda in that space… Only your pain, longing and regrets…

There is only one question: Good-hearted people go to heaven. So where did my angel go?

The answer is precisely the legend of the Rainbow Bridge, which has been handed down to us by the American Indian Tribes and is part of the myths about cats and dogs.

You will read it with tears and hope in your heart.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal that has been especially close to someone here dies, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills where all of our special friends 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 vigour. 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-her bright eyes are intent, and her-his eager body quivers. Suddenly, she-he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his-her legs carrying her-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 the Rainbow Bridge together…