The Rainbow Bridge

“Some dogs come into our lives and leave paw prints on our hearts, and we are never the same”

While sorting through daily emails, we typically see scheduling requests, vaccine records, and new applications come through. Every once in a while, we get a message that we weren’t prepared for.

A client has informed us that their canine companion, their best friend, has crossed the rainbow bridge.

We gently break the devastating news with the rest of the team. We get a rush of sadness, followed by all of the memories we’ve made with this pup. We think of the life they lived, how happy and spoiled they were by their loving family. All the friends they made and fun they had at daycare. We remember their first day and how much they’ve grown since then. The birthdays we celebrated, the pampering sessions, the special treats, all the fun activities they enjoyed. This heartbreak reminds us that we never know when we may see one of our four legged friends for the last time.

The dogs in our group that day can feel our sadness, and suddenly all of them become our personal therapists. They briefly stop playing to snuggle up to their favorite handler and lick their tears away. One of us sends flowers and a card, and the others take turns going through photos. We pick our favorite ones to print for our grieving client.

The client. The person we’ve come to know over the years and have learned so much about. We know the joy they shared with their pup, the struggles and training they’ve gone through during the puppy phase. How proud they are of the progress made since then and the wonderful bond they shared. They were always so excited to see their best friend at pick-up, and we loved how excited the pup was to see mom or dad after a day of play. How are they handling this grief? What can we do to help? Will we see this client again someday?

To get through the days ahead, we remind ourselves of how loved and happy this dog was, and what a wonderful life they lived in a short time. We hope our client finds comfort knowing how much we loved their best friend, too. We will reminisce often to keep their memory alive for many years to come.