When an animal dies, that
pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. The following is the story of the Rainbow Bridge:-
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....
The Rainbow Bridge ( inspired by a Norse legend)
By the edge of a woods, at the
foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where
time stands still.
Where the friends of man and
woman do run,
When their time on earth is
over and done.
For here, between this world
and the next,
Is a place where each beloved
creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait
and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they
cross over one day.
No more do they suffer, in pain
or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their
lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their
health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with
strength imbued.
They romp through the grass,
without even a care,
Until one day they start, and
sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes
dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks
from the pack.
For just at that instant, their
eyes have met;
Together
again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these
friends from long past,
The time of their parting is
over at last.
The sadness they felt while
they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more
in each heart.
They embrace with a love that
will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they
cross over… together.
Beyond the Rainbow
As much as I loved the life we
had and all the times we played,
I was so very tired and knew
my time on earth would fade.
I saw a wondrous image then
of a place that's trouble-free
Where all of us can meet again
to spend eternity.
I saw the most beautiful Rainbow,
and on the other side
Were meadows rich and beautiful--lush
and green and wide!
And running through the meadows
as far as the eye could see
Were animals of every sort as
healthy as could be!
My own tired, failing body was
fresh and healed and new
And I wanted to go run with
them, but I had something left to do.
I needed to reach out to you,
to tell you I'm alright
That this place is truly wonderful,
then a bright Glow pierced the night.
'Twas the Glow of many Candles
shining bright and strong and bold
And I knew then that it held
your love in its brilliant shades of gold.
For although we may not be together
in the way we used to be,
We are still connected by a
cord no eye can see.
So whenever you need to find
me, we're never far apart
If you look beyond the Rainbow
and listen with your heart.
C.G. 1995
Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends, the animals, especially for animals who are suffering; for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death. We entreat for them Thy mercy and pity, and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion, gentle hands, and kindly words. Make us to be true friends to animals and so to share the blessings of the merciful.
The best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its' clouds upon our heads.
The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, when the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master, as if he were a prince.When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its' journey through the heavens.
If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger to fight his enemies; and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its' embrace, and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.
(The above piece is attributed to Senator George
Graham Vest during the 1870 Burden v. Hornsby court case in Warrensburg,
Missouri. Sen. Vest's oratory (Above is only a portion of Sen. Vest's speech;
the latter half of it has been lost to history.) won the case of Charles
Burden, whose favorite dog, Old Drum, had wandered onto the property of
Burden's neighbor, Leonidas Hornsby. Hornsby made good his promise to shoot
the first dog that wandered onto his property; that dog being Old Drum.
He did this even though he had previously hunted with the dog and acknowledged
him as one of the best hunters he'd ever seen. Burden sued Hornsby for
damages. Following several appeals, the case reached the Supreme Court
of the State of Missouri. Burden received an award of $50.00 in damages
for the loss of his canine. The Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce and dog-lovers
around the country had erected a statue of Old Drum on the lawn of the
Johnson County Courthouse lawn in Warrensburg on September 23, 1958. It
is said that this speech provided the origin of the phrase, "A man's best
friend is his dog.")
The above two passages come from http://www.mathco.com/cheechwizard/animals/tribute.html
Last Modified: February,
2002
(Background is from
Boogie Jack's Web Depot at http://www.boogiejack.com/)
Compliments / Complaints to: Rob