The Rainbow Bridge

Updated March 8, 2009

Rainbow Bridge and the Puppy Angel

edited/revised by Zara Heartwood

Whenever a puppy is born on earth, a guardian angel waits nearby to welcome the puppy into the world and take it under her heavenly wings. The guardian angel makes herself very small and snuggles in close to the soft, warm fur, telling her puppy how much it is loved and that it has come into the world for a special purpose.

Even though the puppy's eyes are closed, it feels the fluttering wings by its heart and knows its guardian angel is there. All puppies come into the world with unique gifts. As time passes and the puppy grows, the guardian angel helps her puppy to understand what makes it so very special. Whether they are destined to become fast runners, soulful singers or peaceful sleepers, each puppy is perfect and the angel loves it just the way it is.

The day comes when the puppy must go into the world and start traveling down its own special path. For the lucky ones, the path leads to a loving home, where a family is waiting to take their new four-legged friend into their hearts. And the guardian angel is happy, knowing her dog will always have friends to play with, bones to chew on and someone to cuddle up next to at night.

Angels like to visit when their dogs are dreaming. You may have seen a dog's paw moving while it is asleep. Perhaps it is dreaming of being on a high hill in a faraway place, dancing with its guardian angel. All dogs bring the gift of love to the world. In that way they are very much like angels. Dogs will share their love with anyone. They don't ask for anything in return. But if someone takes a moment to scratch a dog under its chin or tell a dog how special it is, you can be sure its guardian angel is smiling.

From time to time, when a certain person and a certain dog meet, something happens that is just like magic! It is as if they have known each other before. Each knows what the other is thinking and feeling. They will be together always. And the angel smiles on the two with love, knowing their dog has found its forever person and the person has found its forever dog.

A forever person and their forever dog will share many experiences over a lifetime, like listening to favorite stories and taking vacations together. They will watch hundreds of sunsets from up on the hill. But the greatest gift these friends will share is knowing what is in the other's heart. Side by side, looking up at the sky on a starry night, they will share all the secret hopes and dreams that are only told to a very best friend.

As the years go by, you and your dog may find yourselves going more slowly as you take your daily walks. The time may come when your dog is in such earthly suffering that he asks you to help him. In your courage and compassion, you make that decision to let your beloved friend go, to leave your side and cross the Rainbow Bridge to be with his guardian angel.

A dog can never really be separated from its forever person. Neither time nor space can ever come between them. So when the dog comes to the end of its earthly life, and must go on ahead without its person beside them, the guardian angel stretches her arms across heaven and becomes a part of the Rainbow Bridge that connects the two friends for as long as the person remains on earth.

On a clear night, soon after your dog has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, you will go out to that place where the two of you watched the night sky together. Looking up into the dark firmament, you will see one star twinkling brighter than all the rest. It seems to be a message to you. And so you are told by his special star that your beloved friend has reached the other side of the Rainbow Bridge and is at peace. The star is his promise that he is again happy, healthy and free of pain, running in fields of flowers, chasing butterflies and eating lots of treats that were forbidden here on earth. Your dog will wait there for you to join him.

Sometimes dogs will come back across the Rainbow Bridge and visit the earth while they are waiting for their forever person to join them. You can never be certain where they might turn up. You may feel four paws padding along next to you when you are in the park. Listen carefully, and you might hear a familiar voice joining in when you go holiday caroling.

So if you see the blanket rumple softly after you've curled up for an afternoon nap, it's very possible your forever dog has come back to visit and is napping beside you.

Nothing brings your forever dog more joy than knowing you are happy, especially when that means bringing a new animal companion into your life. Your forever dog lovingly remembers the special place it had in your life on earth. He is delighted to know you will share the love that he taught you to give all the way from the bottom of your heart. In fact, thanks to those lessons in love from your forever dog, there may be many animals who will share your life during the remaining time you are here on earth and many of them may also go ahead of you across that Rainbow Bridge.

One day, the Rainbow Bridge that your forever dog crossed so many years earlier will appear to you, the Angel beckoning in a halo of heavenly light. And with the happy heart of a person who is returning home, you will go with the guardian angel across the Bridge. As you reach the other side you will be welcomed by a crowd of all the animal friends you made when you were on earth.

In the middle of all that love, suddenly you will see your forever dog coming running to you, yipping with joy! It will be like the day you first found each other on earth. Having been joined on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, nothing will ever separate you again. And the angels will be happy, knowing a forever person and their forever dog have found each other once more.

White coral bells upon a silver stalk,
Lilies of the Valley deck my garden walk.
Oh, don't you wish that you could hear them ring?
That will happen only when the Fairies sing!
Anonymous - Traditional

Azarel Shetland Sheepdogs
Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada