The Rainbow Bridge: saying goodbye to a pet

By Jeanne Beechwood

So, what happens when your best friend dies? It is one of the most difficult things you may ever experience. The emotional and physical distress experienced after pet loss can manifest itself in many ways. Sadness, loneliness and even guilt and anger arise. Is it normal to grieve for a pet like a human? Absolutely. The pet is around you all the time, your constant loyal companion. 

There isn’t a right or wrong way to grieve the loss of your pet. You have to learn to live a new normal. That might involve keeping the ashes of your  treasured pet in a beautiful urn on the mantel,  the collar around a potted plant or the body buried at the local pet cemetery

Kansas City has two pet cemeteries: Wayside Waif’s Memorial Park and Rolling Acres. 

Wayside Waif’s Memorial Park, once known as Top of the World Pet Cemetery, was founded in 1946 and has more than 12,000 pets interred on the three pet burial grounds located at 3901 Martha Truman Rd.  

Rolling Acres pet cemetery is located in north Kansas City (and is associated with the crematory Trusted Journey in Martin City). Rolling Hills offers pet cremation services, burial services, visiting and visitation services, online obituaries, pet compassion call line and grief support resources.  

There are many support groups on the internet for pet loss. Licensed pet loss therapists are available for individual sessions at a relatively affordable fee. Resources can be found at www.petloss.com as well as www.pet-loss.net.

Some folks believe their dog’s spirit visits them and this offers solace. They might experience a familiar smell,  a change in temperature or suddenly spot special butterflies or birds often associated with the passing of a beloved pet. 

Some pet owners may experience comfort by visiting with afterlife animal communicators, if open to this thinking. Sources can be found on the internet. Some animal communicators are intuitive healers and have many years of hands-on experience. Holly Jacobs  is a Kansas City-based animal communicator and says she has experienced telepathic communications since she was a child. She holds a Masters of Education Counselor degree which helps facilitate a more harmonious outcome in animal communication, whether a pet is living or has passed.

As for the stages of grief over the loss of a beloved animal family member, everyone handles this situation differently. Some choose to not adopt or rescue again. Some choose to adopt or rescue after months or even years when they feel they are ready. Some cannot emotionally take the heartbreak and loss from losing their pet and do not rescue or adopt again.

The poem, “The Rainbow Bridge,” was written by Edna Clyne in 1959. She was from Scotland and her poem is considered one of the most influential pieces of mourning literature for pet owners ever written. Edna at the tender age of 19 had just lost her first dog, Major. She wrote the endearing poem about pet loss the day after he died. 

“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 the Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill or old are restored to health and vigor. One day you have been spotted and you and your special friend finally meet never to be parted again. Once more you look into the trusting eyes of your pet long gone, but never absent from your heart. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge…together.”

Jeanne Beechwood has rescued over 55 small senior dogs since 2014. Over 42 pets have left her arms to travel to the rainbow bridge where she hopes to meet them again.