Foley's Tails From Rainbow Bridge: Where Every Dog Finds A Home

 

Sometimes being at Rainbow Bridge is like being in opposite land where up is down and black is white.

Primarily, it manifests itself in being sad on your side of the River of Life and happy on our side.

Recently, in Iowa, more than a hundred pups were euthanized when they could not find a home. I know how every parent who loves a dog heart grows heavy when they think of those poor, sweet, innocent babies.

At the Bridge, when words come that there has been a mass extinction event, angel judges like m and big-hearted angels join together, not in sorrow, but in celebration. 

Because here, these little dogs who never knew love will finally get their forever home.

We begin by decorating the Bridge with flowers and balloons million-dollar wedding doesn’t have as beautiful flowers. Then we put rose petals on the ground and stairway. An all-Dauschand band plays trumpets, and the basset hound choir sings.  

We know when a dog passes over the River without ever knowing love on the mortal side, they feel like they have failed in their doggy duties. It is up to us to assuage them of that assumption. 

They cross over, huddled together, only being exposed on the mortal side to one another; they were not told about the reward awaiting them. That is why we made the transition as joyful as possible.

But the real work isn’t the preparation but the end game. As soon as we get the alert that a large group of homeless dogs has been targeted for the Bridge, we go to the registry of great moms and ask who will take them into their home. 

People always say they would have more dogs if they could, and here at the Bridge, you can have as many as you want, and for humans, the answer is always “just one more.” Finding parents for these dogs is simple; the hard part is saying no to the ones who want to take them into their homes. Sadly, there will always be another homeless pup crossing the Bridge.

The tails start wagging, the puppies begin dancing on their back legs, and their tails wag furiously. They jump into their human’s arms and give them 1,000 kisses.  

The dogs are still grouped when I provide them with the angel oath, and then the humans step up and tell the new angels they are going home with them.

It is the most one of the most joyful things to watch.

Finally, they leave with their new parents, where they will live happily ever after.

We wish all dogs could find their people on the mortal side, but those who don’t only know all the good parts of being a dog, the constant love and snuggles.

Seeing the homeless dog happy at last is one of the best parts of my job.