Rainbow Bridge: How to Cope When it is Time to Let Your Furbaby Go

Losing My Dog: How to Cope When it is Time to Let Your Furbaby Go

What is the Rainbow Bridge?

The place where your dog goes is widely recognized as the Rainbow Bridge. It is an allegorical skyway known to link Heaven and Earth and the realm where pet owners and pets reunite after a long parting.

This concept of the Rainbow Bridge originated from various poetry works between the 1980s and 1990s by an anonymous author.

At least three people claimed to have written it, published books about it, and since time immemorial, the Rainbow Bridge has gained popularity among pet enthusiasts worldwide.

These poems describe the place as a flourishing grassland where pets become healthy once again. They live their restored lives to the fullest while waiting for its time of reunion with its owner.

The Rainbow Bridge is often coined to uplift grieving pet owners, assuring them that their pets have a life beyond this world to look forward to. 

Ways of Coping for the Loss of Your Dog

Your dogs aren’t just dogs. They earned their spot in your heart, an addition to the family. You have shared a part of your life with them, and they are solely irreplaceable. 

When their time has come to cross the Rainbow Bridge, what must you do? There are healthy ways of coping. Here are some suggestions:

Get yourself ready when you know it’s time and make a choice.

As the owner, you have a gut-feeling that your lovable fur baby has reached the end of its time. You can tell whether he is suffering physically or within.

It is undoubtedly challenging to comprehend well enough about what’s about to come since, for sure, at the time being, you are in a panic.

Pay close attention to your dog. It is within this moment you can make a difference. If you see that he is in pain, muster up the courage to alleviate his suffering.

At this time, it might be your responsibility to prevent him from suffering even more.

Concede your emotions of grief and let it flow.

Know that emotions are meant to be felt. If you don’t embrace your feelings no matter what they are, you’re more likely prone to repression.

That’s an unhealthy way to shove thoughts aside just because it feels agonizing. It is much better to let all forms of emotions flow freely, especially when you grieve for your pet dog’s loss.

The more you allow these thoughts and feelings to surface, the easier you can learn to accept things as it is in the long run. 

Jot feelings down on paper.

There are 3 Ps in coping: Prayer, People, and Paper. One efficient way to cope with a loss is by writing down your grief on a piece of paper.

It can come in many forms. A journal, a poem, a short story, or even a novel dedicated to your furry friend will do. In this way, you can channel your sentiments to a calmer state of integration during the writing process.

You can get rid of negative emotions, and when you do, you can find peace from the loss.

Connect to social support groups.

Losing a significant figure in our lives isn’t a solitary experience.

There are others who, as well, at some point endured the same process you do. That is why it is advisable to reach out to these people, be it your close friend or a fellow dog lover.

Also, utilize online platforms accessible globally because you can identify yourself with others going through a loss or have just coped from it in these social forums.

Through this, you can win a piece of advice or spare a sympathetic ear from others in the same situation you have.

Embrace the reality of death.

Acceptance may take weeks, months, or even years from the time of loss. It takes a while to normalize the absence of a beloved pet.

Nevertheless, take your time to heal from it. Time does heal wounds and cuts, but even so, scars remain visible for a long time.

Hence, it is essential to let time process your emotions until these scars become a pleasant memory to recall. And you’ll get to the point where acceptance has settled in.

At the same time, you commemorate your beloved furry friend, who probably, is already up there leaping up and down, fully healthy in the green meadow of Rainbow Bridge.

Organize a memorial.

Putting up something to remember your darling dog keeps the memory fresh through the years. You don’t need to forget about something just to get over it.

When the time is right, you’ll be happy to look back on tributes like photo albums, scrapbooks, or simply a plant you planted in your backyard.

It would also be good to secure a paw print of your dog and hang it on the wall to remember forever.
 

Note:

Getting another dog is a profoundly personal decision when you feel ready to do so. It is best to mourn for the loss of an old pet first for as long as possible.

Not just jump hastily on to the next one to fill that void in your heart. Wait a while until your heart is emotionally-prepared to bring in a new furry companion to your home.

Take your time.

For quotes about losing your dog, or rainbow bridge, check this out: 50 Rainbow Bridge Quotes – Quotes About Pet Loss.

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Author

Kate Sarador

I’m a Gemini who loves living life to its fullest.