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Just Fur Fun: Rainbow
Bridge
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- Heaven
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- A man and his
dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying
the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that
he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog
had been dead for years. He wondered where the road
was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall
along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble.
At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall
arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing
before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that
looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led
to the gate looked like pure gold.
He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got
closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he
was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where
are we?"
"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.
"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the
man asked.
"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have
some ice water brought right up." The man gestured,
and the gate began to open.
"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come
in, too?" the traveler asked.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward
the road and continued the way he had been going.
After another long walk, and at the top of another
long hill, he came to a dirt road which led through
a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed.
There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he
saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading
a book.
"Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you
have any water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there" The man
pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside
the gate. "Come on in."
"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured
to the dog.
"There should be a bowl by the pump."
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there
was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside
it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink
himself, then he gave some to the dog.
When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward
the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," was the answer.
"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said.
"The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."
"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street
and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your
name like that?"
"No. I can see how you might think so, but we're
just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave
their best friends behind."
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- Rainbow Bridge (original)
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- There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It
is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors.
Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge, there is a land
of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass.
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- When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place.
There is always food and water, and warm spring weather.
The old and frail animals are young again. Those who
have been maimed are made whole again. They play all
day with each other. But there is only one thing missing.
They are not with their special person who loved them
on Earth.
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- So each day they run and play until the day comes
when one suddenly stops playing and looks up. The
nose twitches! The ears are up! The eyes are staring!
And this one suddenly runs from the group!
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- You have been spotted, and when you and your special
friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous
reunion, never to be parted again. Your face is kissed
again and again and again, and you look once more
into the eyes of your trusting pet. Then you cross
the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated.
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- ~~Anonymous
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- Rainbow Orphans I
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- At Rainbow Bridge
it has been said departed pets, who have been dearly
loved by owners in life, play and wait in meadows.
When they hear their loved ones call, they rush to
meet them and they cross Rainbow Bridge together,
never to be parted again.
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- What has not
been told is the fate of the orphans, the strays,
the unloved, abused or neglected fur babies who also
play in the meadows and wait for someone to call their
name and cross over the bridge with them.
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- In life, these
fur babies had no special person to love and care
for them. And even though they may have been
beaten, kicked, starved or otherwise abused or neglected,
their hearts are only full of love and forgiveness!
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- Every time one
of these special ones sees a human soul, they too,
become excited, hoping maybe this will be the person
who will love them and take them across the Bridge.
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- Sometimes, their
wait seems long, but suddenly one hears his name being
called. Startled, heart beating wildly, he looks in
the direction of the voice. All fear and sadness depart
and he runs eagerly to meet his new loved one. Tears
and licks, hugs and nudges abound.
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- The person who
has called his name also was unloved, abused or neglected
in life. Now they both have found the purity of unconditional
love that was missing in life and together they cross
over the Rainbow Bridge.
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- ~~ Author
Unknown
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- Rescuer's Bridge
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- Unlike most
days at Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray,
damp as a swamp and as dismal as could be imagined.
All of the recent arrivals had no idea what to think,
as they had never experienced a day like this before.
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- But the animals
who had been waiting for their beloved people knew
exactly what was going on and started to gather at
the pathway leading to The Bridge to watch.
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- It wasn't long
before an elderly animal came into view, head hung
low and tail dragging. The other animals, the ones
who had been there for a while, knew what his story
was right away, for they had seen this happen far
too often.
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- He approached
slowly, obviously in great emotional pain, but with
no sign of injury or illness. Unlike all of the other
animals waiting at The Bridge, this animal had not
been restored to youth and made healthy and vigorous
again.
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- As he walked
toward The Bridge, he watched all of the other animals
watching him. He knew he was out of place here and
the sooner he could cross over, the happier he would
be. But, alas, as he approached The Bridge, his way
was barred by the appearance of an Angel who apologized,
but told him that he would not be able to pass. Only
those animals who were with their people could pass
over Rainbow Bridge.
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- With no place
else to turn to, the elderly animal turned towards
the fields before The Bridge and saw a group of other
animals like himself, also elderly and infirm. They
weren't playing, but rather simply lying on the green
grass, forlornly staring out at the pathway leading
to The Bridge. And so, he took his place among them,
watching the pathway and waiting.
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- One of the newest
arrivals at The Bridge didn't understand what he had
just witnessed and asked one of the animals that had
been there for awhile to explain it to him.
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- "You see,
that poor animal was a rescue. He was turned in to
rescue just as you see him now, an older animal with
his fur graying and his eyes clouding. He never made
it out of rescue and passed on with only the love
of his rescuer to comfort him as he left his earthly
existence. Because he had no family to give his love
to, he has no one to escort him across The Bridge."
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- The first animal
thought about this for a minute and then asked, "So
what will happen now?" As he was about to receive
his answer, the clouds suddenly parted and the gloom
lifted. Approaching The Bridge could be seen a single
person, and among the older animals, a whole group
was suddenly bathed in a golden light and they were
all young and healthy again, just as they were in
the prime of life.
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- "Watch,
and see," said the second animal. A second group
of animals from those waiting came to the pathway
and bowed low as the person neared. At each bowed
head, the person offered a pat on the head or a scratch
behind the ears. The newly restored animals fell into
line and followed her towards The Bridge. They all
crossed The Bridge together.
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- "What happened?"
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- "That was
a rescuer. The animals you saw bowing in respect were
those who found new homes because of her work. They
will cross when their new families arrive. Those you
saw restored were those who never found homes. When
a rescuer arrives, they are allowed to perform one,
final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort those
poor animals that they couldn't place on earth across
The Rainbow Bridge."
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- "I think
I like rescuers", said the first animal.
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- "So does
GOD", was the reply.
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- Special thanks
to:
- CCDR/DUR/TRUCKNPAWS
- Saving the
World, four paws at a time
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- NOT AN ANGEL
- (Rescuer's Bridge II)
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- The young pup and the older dog lay on shaded sweet
grass watching the reunions. Sometimes a man, sometimes
a woman, sometimes a whole family would approach the
Rainbow Bridge, be greeted by their loving pets and
cross the bridge together.
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- The young pup playfully nipped at the older one.
"Look! Something wonderful is happening!"
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- The older dog stood up and barked, "Quickly.
Get over to the path."
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- "But that's not my owner," whined the
pup, but he did as he was told.
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- Thousands of pets surged forward as a figure in
white walked on the path toward the bridge.
As the glowing figure passed each animal, that animal
bowed its head in love and respect. The figure finally
approached the bridge, and was met by a menagerie
of joyous animals. Together, they all walked over
the bridge and disappeared.
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- The young pup was still in awe. "Was that an
angel?" he whispered.
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- "No, son," the older dog replied. "That
was more than an angel. That was a rescuer."
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