What is the Rainbow Bridge?
If you have lost a pet, someone has probably told you they "crossed the Rainbow Bridge." The phrase comes from a short piece of writing that has comforted pet owners for decades. Here is what it means and how people use it.
The idea
The Rainbow Bridge is an imagined meadow just this side of heaven, where pets who have died are well again, young again, and play together in the sun. They are happy, but each one is waiting for one particular person. When that person arrives, they cross the bridge together.
It is not tied to any religion. People of every faith and none use it, because it says two things grieving owners want to hear: the pet is no longer in pain, and the bond is not over.
Where it comes from
The idea comes from a short prose poem that began circulating among pet owners decades ago and spread through vet offices, pet-loss groups and, later, the internet. Several people have been credited with writing it. Because the poem itself is still under copyright, we do not reprint it here; it is easy to find, and many vets hand out copies.
How people use the phrase
- "Max crossed the Rainbow Bridge this morning": a gentle way to share the news.
- "Run free at the Rainbow Bridge": a common line in sympathy cards and posts.
- "Until we meet at the Rainbow Bridge": for memorial stones, captions and keepsakes.
Talking to children about it
Many parents find the Rainbow Bridge a kind way to explain death to young children, because it is visual and hopeful. It helps to be clear, too, that the pet has died and will not come home; the bridge is a picture of where the love goes, not a place the pet is visiting.
A Rainbow Bridge keepsake
Our Rainbow Bridge look puts your pet in a green meadow under a soft rainbow, with "In Loving Memory" (or any top line you choose) above and their name below, on a $39 tee or a $49 crewneck sweatshirt. You see it with your pet’s photo before you buy.
Questions
What does "crossed the Rainbow Bridge" mean?
It means the pet has died. The phrase comes from the idea that pets wait in a peaceful meadow until their person joins them.
Is the Rainbow Bridge religious?
No. It is a comforting image used by people of many faiths and none.
See the Rainbow Bridge look with your pet — Made from one photo, with their name.