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Welcome to Mo-Kan's Rainbow Bridge. We offer you a place to write your thoughts and feelings when losing a beloved companion. It is believed that not only you, but others, will benefit from your thoughts. Please send your message to cmanning1@att.net for inclusion In Memoriam.
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AT RAINBOW BRIDGE
by Alexander Theodore, Bouvier
Fourth Year Resident (written September 2001)
On the morning of September 11, 2001, there was an unprecedented amount of activity at the Rainbow Bridge. Decisions had to be made. They had to be made quickly.
And, they were.
An issue, not often addressed here, is the fact that many residents really have no loved one for whom to wait. Think of the pups who lived and died in hideous puppy mills. No one on earth loved or protected them. What about
the many who spent unhappy lives tied in backyards? And, the ones who were abused. Who are they to wait for?
We don't talk about that much up here. We share our loved ones as they arrive, happy to do so. But we all know there is nothing like having your very own person who thinks you are the most special pup in the Heavens.
Last Tuesday morning a request rang out for pups not waiting for specific persons to volunteer for special assignment.. An eager, curious crowd surged excitedly forward, each pup wondering what the assignment would be.
They were told by a solemn voice that unexpectedly, all at once, over 4,000 loving people had left Earth long before they were ready. All the pups, as all pups do, felt the humans' pain deep in their own hearts. Without hearing more, there was a clamoring among them - "May I have one to comfort?" "I'll take two, I have a big heart." "I have been saving kisses forever."
One after another they came forward begging for assignment. One cozy-looking fluffy pup hesitantly asked, "Are there any children coming? I would be very comforting for a child 'cause I'm soft and squishy and I always wanted to be hugged." A group of Dalmatians came forward asking to meet the Firemen and be their friends. The larger working breeds offered to greet thePolice Officers and make them feel at home. Little dogs volunteered to do what they do best, cuddle and kiss.
Dogs who on Earth had never had a kind word or a pat on the head, stepped forward and said, "I will love any human who needs love."
Then all the dogs, wherever on Earth they originally came from, rushed to the Rainbow Bridge and stood waiting, overflowing with love to share - each tail wagging an American Flag.
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RAINBOW BRIDGE POEM
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 Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends, so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again career the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life, but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
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“Just a dog”
By Richard Biby
Permission granted to reprint the text portion of the article Just a Dog
People have said to me from time to time things like “lighten up, it’s just a dog” or “that’s a lot of money for just a dog”. They say to me they don’t understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for “just a dog”. Some of my proudest moments have come about with “just a dog”. Many hours have passed and the only company I had was “just a dog” but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by “just a dog”, and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of “just a dog” gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
For those of you who do not understand the whys and wherefores of “just a dog”, then you will probably understand phases like “just a friend”, “just a sunrise”, or “just a promise”. “Just a dog” brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. “Just a dog” brings out in me the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of “just a dog” I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it’s not “just a dog” but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. “Just a dog” brings out what’s good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.
I hope that someday they can understand that it’s not “just a dog” but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being just a man. So the next time you hear the phrase “just a dog”, just smile, because they - - -“just don’t understand”.
Just a thought,
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There is a pretty place up in the sky,
Where special pets go when they die.
A place to stay and wait all day
Until their master comes their way.
For some the wait is short and sweet,
for others time drags on leaded feet.
Row upon row by heaven's gate
the noble, flurried creatures wait.
For a certain footstep that they know,
for a certain voice to say, "Hello".
And so you left us on this day
for a place of no pain, to run, to play.
But keep your eyes upon the gate,
I'll try not to be too late.
I'll softly call your name and then,
Together, life will be good again
In Memory of all our Beloved Companions.
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IF I SHOULD GROW FRAIL
If it should be I grow frail and weak,
And pain prevents my peaceful sleep.
Then will you do what must be done?
For this--the last battle--can't be won.
You will be sad, I understand,
Selfishness might stay your hand.
But on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.
We've had so many happy years,
That what's to come can hold no fears.
You wouldn't want me to suffer, so,
When the times comes, please let me go.
Take me to where my needs they'll tend,
Only...stay with me until the end.
And hold me firm and speak to me,
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time you will see,
It is kindness you do for me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I've been saved.
Do not grieve that it must be you,
Who has to decide this thing to do.
We've been so close, we two, these years...
Don't let your heart hold any tears.
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In Loving Memory of Andre
Andre and I became Delta Society Per Partners on August 20, 2011. We were so excited to begin our job visiting people and helping children in the READ program. I always knew Andre would be a good therapy dog, because he was already one for me.
Andre came into my life as a puppy nearly 6 year sago. What a sweet, smart, loving puppy he was! As Andre grew and boy did he grow (up to 185 lbs) his heart grew bigger in his gentle giant ways. In the past few years my health has deteriated and Andre was my constant companion.
When my husband's job took him to Europe for weeks at a time, Andre was always there for me. When we moved to a new neighborhood, with no other houses around, Andre was my hero and calmed my fears. When I needed help, because I couldn't get around, Andre helped me. As you can see, Andre was special and I wanted to share his love with others. Andre unexpectedly passed away on November 12, 2011. He waited until I got home from a trip to the Mayo Clinic, so we could say good-bye.
I will miss you forever Andre, until we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge.
Love,Mom
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My beautiful Amber, Pomeranian/Poodle mix, crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 7:15 a.m. August 2, 2011, after suffering congestive heart failure for several years. She weighed only 7 lbs.,13.3 years old but knew she was the boss and "big" sister to her canine siblings.
Amber came to live with us in 1998 at the age of 3 months when my 14 year old Peke-A-Poo, Pami Su, needed a baby sister.
Amber was registered with Delta in 2008 visiting the elderly that would cuddle her on their laps.
At home she loved to run and bark at people walking by our yard. She said her job was to protect her family and her property and that is what she did.
She was my little beauty who can now run in peace with her sisters Charlotte and Pami Su. Cheri and I will always love and miss our Amber Rose.
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A Tribute to Glorytime’s Joyful Noise(“Joy”)
Who brought such Joy to my life.
April 3, 2001- July 21, 2011
Joy’s mother, Glory had 8 puppies in the litter. When she was half way through the delivery she stopped pushing, and I got really scared. When she started up again, out into my hand popped a little white puppy girl, and that was Miss Joy. I was planning to keep a different girl because I wanted one with Glory’s pretty color, but Glory’s breeder picked out Joy for me. Joy turned out to be exactly Glory’s color.
Joy became the youngest of 4 dogs in my household and quite spoiled. She loved to chase after the other three, but was always respectful of their senior position. She had the least obedience with lots of energy, but she did love to snuggle. Since Glory was a Delta Pet Partner, I never thought I would use little wild Joy. After I lost Glory, Joy began to shine and passed the Delta test. She was a little over exuberant about visiting, so we always practiced coming up gently. Once she was actually visiting with someone, she would focus so completely on that person that she was called the Velcro Dog. She knew the command “Say hello”, and you could point to the person you wanted her to visit.
Our Freestyle Christmas Gathering was in 2008. Thanks to Jill Stuart, Joy and I learned to do a few Freestyle dance moves, and we soon found out that the Pet Therapy visits were even more fun when we did even our basic dance. Emotions run high in the Intensive Care Waiting Room, but still lots of people enjoyed her trying to entertain them and take their minds off their troubles for a short while.
Joy and I always had such fun at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Research Hospital. All the Pet Partners and the Physical Therapy Floor would march around the hospital following the bagpipes and visiting with everyone. If there was time, Joy would even do a little dance. One year she twirled in front of the main entrance and with every swish kept opening the automatic doors.
Joy and I liked to pass out cards to her friends and we usually had about 30 per visit at Research. This summer card was very special because it was her last. We passed them out at Golden Years right after our Fourth of July Freestyle to “It’s a Grand Old Flag” and “Washington Post’.
Thank you Joy for all the good times we had together.
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Moritz Vom Bartlshof CD RN CGC
Moritz, therapy dog extraordinaire was born July 5, 2000. Moritz followed in the paw prints of Archie our first Bernese Mountain Dog and first animal assisted therapy dog. Moritz graced this earth for 10 years 9 months and 8 days. Moritz peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge on April 13, 2011. This special soul has given many hundreds of hours providing animal assisted therapy to hundreds of people including the abused children of Spofford Home, the seniors of Good Samaritan Center and Cedar Lake Village, his friends at First National Bank and so many others. Moritz had just begun working at Olathe Medical Center when his cancer became worse and he was forced to retire. He has helped countless children become better readers thru his work as a Reading Education Assistant Dog. As a canine crisis response teammate Moritz has provided comfort and support to the residents and first responders at Ceresco NE and Chapman KS after their homes and towns were destroyed by tornadoes. He worked with the children at Camp Noah in Greensburg KS one year after the tornado devastated their town. He also helped people deal with their grief at the Omaha Westroads Mall during the one year commemoration of the shootings of December 5, 2007. Moritz’s big brown eyes, sweet demeanor and gentle understanding of people’s needs were truly amazing. Moritz has taught us so much about the meaning of unspoken understanding with his amazing work. We are blessed that God sent Moritz to continue Archie’s work in helping people of all ages. Due to Moritz’s incredible work we were awarded the Greater Kansas City United Way Individual Service Award and a Daily Point of Light Award by the National Points of Light Foundation.
God bless you Moritz for your wonderful work in animal assisted therapy. Brodie will continue your legacy of helping people. In May Brodie will be joined in animal assisted therapy by Spencer, Moritz great-grandson to carry the torch lit by Archie and Moritz.
The world is truly a better place because of Moritz. He will live forever in our hearts.
Gary, Penny, Brodie, Spencer and Eli Turner
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Our Archie, Lionheart Arko v Pioneer CD RN CGC, our first Bernese Mountain Dog, our first therapy dog was born August 12, 1997. Archie is our soul mate, the love of our lives. Archie graced this earth for 11 years 8 months and 5 days. Archie peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 10:45 today April 17, 2009. This special soul has given many hundreds of hours providing animal assisted therapy to thousands of people including the abused children of Spofford Home, the seniors of Good Samaritan Center, his friends at First National Bank and so many others. He has helped countless children become better readers thru his work as a Reading Education Assistant Dog. As a canine crisis response teammate Archie has provided comfort and support to the residents of Ceresco NE and Chapman KS after their homes and towns were destroyed by tornadoes as well as people at the Omaha Westroads Mall during the one year commemoration of the shootings of December 5, 2007. Archie’s big brown eyes, sweet demeanor and gentle understand of people’s needs is something to behold. Archie has taught us so much about the meaning of unspoken understanding with his amazing work. We are blessed that God sent Archie to point us to our work in helping people of all ages.
Our heartfelt thanks go out to Joyce Maas and Merrily Shultz for seeing that “special something” in Archie 9 years ago. They said Archie would be a wonderful “therapy dog” for a place called Spofford. Of course we had no idea what a therapy dog or what Spofford was. So we went and got tested. The rest is history. We attribute Archie’s longevity in large part to his incredible work.
God bless you Archie for starting us on this wonderful journey of animal assisted therapy. Moritz and Brodie will do there best to continue in your paw prints.
The world is truly a better place because of Archie. He will live forever in our hearts.
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Casper, my famous white DLH Delta Society Pet Partner, passed away early this morning at Peach Tree Animal Hospital where he has been fighting off kidney failure since Sunday. He had rallied enough yesterday that he was able to recognize me and give me his normal glare and even speak to me a few times. I was able to spend an hour with him so he knew how much he was loved. He was probably 18 or 19 years old.
Casper has been a remarkable cat as he battled the odds to get rescued by Columbia 2nd Chance in 2004, was treated successfully for hyperthyroidism at the MU College of Vet Medicine, learned to have his high blood pressure measured at home by his Mom, took his blood pressure medicine daily without a fuss, and served as the best Grandpa ever to lots of CSC foster kittens. His best buddies Boo and Bao will miss him terribly. Sunshine, his nemesis, has even seemed more quiet since Casper was taken to the hospital Sunday, and I think peed on my couch in his honor:)
In 2005 he became the nation's 188th cat Pet Partner, the only cat so designated in the MO-KS region, and the only cat Partner in MO. After his Pet Partner success, Casper was featured in a front page article in the Columbia Tribune, on KMIZ-TV, and on the KOMU-TV Paul Pepper and Friends show.
He was a regular visitor to Candlelight Lodge, the Bluffs, and Tiger Place, all part of his Delta Society Pet Partners responsibilities and his work with the MU School of Nursing. He also enjoyed visiting such Columbia venues as Walgreens on Nifong and Petco, where he received all sorts of accolades for walking on a leash or riding in a shopping cart. He found a lot of admirers along the way but never a permanent home until I finally adopted him in 2006.
Casper will be greatly missed at the Grim household.
Sarah A. Grim, MSPH, CHE
1205 Club Meadows Drive
Columbia, MO 65203
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| Casper - 2006 |
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Garvin’s Sir Bentley Maas, UD, RN, AX, OAJ
1 3l 97 – ll 20 08
Bentley went over the Rainbow Bridge today. During his too short life he earned his Utility and agility titles and did hundreds of therapy visits in health facilities along with safety programs in schools, always tolerant of even the most energetic child and seemed to sense those patients that needed his visits. He took great delight in singing along with me, “Old MacDonald”, which always brought a smile to both young and old. . He was that “one in a million dog” that touched the lives of many in his too short span of life. His memory will be forever in my heart. God Speed Sir Bentley. Joyce Maas
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| Bentley |
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CH CARMEN UD 7/10/96 – 11/10/08
Carmen was a natural. For her first two years she lived with her breeder and was low dog on the totem pole. Since she didn’t produce in the whelping box, I was lucky enough to have her come live with me. She could be stubborn, but always loving. When a group asked the Training Club board (of which I was a member) for permission to hold its first Delta evaluation, I asked if I could test her. She passed with flying colors and the next almost 8 years are a testament to her natural abilities. She racked up 582 visits and made many, many friends. I could always count on her to walk into any situation, even on the spur of the moment, with calm demeanor and loving attention to whomever we were visiting. She even learned her ‘one dumb dog trick’ (rolling over) to please a new audience, as opposed to all the obedience commands she had mastered for the judges.
I have her to thank for becoming involved with pet therapy. It has been a wonderful way to volunteer in the community, and share what I know about my breed – Dalmatians – with a wide audience.
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| Carmen and client |
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HOLLY
All of us who share our lives with pets love them dearly. However, there is always that one who becomes your kindred spirit. Such was Holly. From the beginning, as a puppy, she didn't ask for anything. Her goal was to please me. I had just lost my husband when I acquired Holly and she seemed to sense my loss and need. She achieved more than I ever expected. She took to therapy work as if she was destined to serve mankind. She performed in Obedience, even tho' she didn't really like the ring, always placing in the top four out of many different dogs and breeds. She was the Alpha dog at home. She kept the others in line. She went to church to the funeral of her first Hospice patient and jumped upon the side of the casket wagging her tail. She knew who was in there. I could count on her to do whatever I asked. When she would look at me with those beautiful eyes, my heart would be glad. I shall always miss you my Girly-whirley.
Shirley May May
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