For me, my dogs are not “just pets.” They’re beloved members of my family. Meeting my first puppy was the single best moment of my life. Losing him was among the worst. I’m sure more than a few of my readers can relate.
When I lost my little Thumper to cancer, I was inconsolable. I spent a solid 48 hours sobbing while clutching his slobber-soaked duck-duck toy. When I put myself together enough to face the world again, I found that some of my acquaintances gave me little more than a tiny pout and an obligatory “sorry-to-hear-that” before launching into a story about whatever stuff was going on in their life. How could they not understand that I just lost my baby?
It’s important to note that these people WERE NOT pet parents.
There isn’t much you can do to make a friend who’s just lost their dog or cat feel better. We covered a heartwarming story of a boyfriend who immediately gave his girlfriend this gift when she had to put her doggie down, but sometimes, folks just need time to grieve.
In my darkest hours, the classic Rainbow Bridge poem was like a tiny ray of light. It gave me hope. Curiously, most of the illustrated versions of it online are kinda cheesy and I didn’t feel they did represented the sweet relationship I had with my pup, Thumper. Recently, The Pope revealed to the world that all dogs DO go to heaven… So I thought this was the perfect time to share a poem by an unknown author that best describes what I think happens to our pets after they pass away.
I worked with my friend Maya to come up with THIS version that I’ll hope you share with your friends. Please SHARE this special poem if you’ve loved and lost a pet who took a little piece of your heart to The Rainbow Bridge…
Illustrations by Maya Borenstein for LittleThings.com
