And bless the rescuer wherever they are in this world.

Hi my name is Leah. I rescued my little girl over 5 year's ago. She was kepted in a cat cage for over 1 year,so I just went to house and walked in and took her! She is my baby and one of god's angle's she came to me and I came to her when we both needed each other the most in our life's. I had a Yorkie for over 18 year's and never thought I could love as much as I did for him! But God knew :) she came to me 2 week's after Peedie went to Rainbow bridge! I would love to have another one no matter how old how sick! Her name is winnie :) Thank God for people like you that are there for all of these little gift's :0

God sure love's his little four legged friend's and he put them here for us to love! Just like they love us :)

In October of 2004 we were given Chester our 16yr old rescue doxie. His eyes were becoming clouded, was infested with fleas and who knows what else might have been going on at the time. My husband and I knew that God had sent Chester to us, to make certain that the remaining time here on this earth were to be filled with love, good food, and that warm place to lay his head..
Though Chester came to us at the later time of his life, it has always felt as though he has been with us from birth. He knew how to give that look , that only a dachshund knows how to give. The smirk when he realized that he got to lick dads unsocked foot.. On June 2, 2007 Chester had a grand mal seziure,with that we were told was brain cancer. Our vet, whom I truly believe is one of Gods unsung heros told us that we would probably only have two weeks before the cluster of seziures would likely happen. We were blessed with an extra week before we had to render Chester back to the waiting arms of God. It has been the most empty feeling looking around knowing that he wont be with me, but after reading about the Rainbow Bridge, I know that Chester didnt have to wait to cross over the bridge to enter the wonderful life that is his now. I would certainly do all of this again. Puppies are wonderful, but there is just something so special about a senior dog..thank you for allowing me to ramble on about Chester..God bless to those of you who have senior dogs and to those who are getting ready to do it all again.. With love dena

Now I know why I do what I do and why I can never stop.

I found a poor, thin cat on the street about 6 months ago. When I took her to one vet, they said she was at least ten years old and not worth keeping. They treated her like she was worthless. Despite what they said, I kept her (and switched vets). She had a lot of issues and seemed to have constant infections, but we kept her on medications and she was happy. She loved to sit on laps and chase toy mice around the room. Last night (11/13/07) she died at around 3am. I have only had her for a month, and yes the medications were not cheap (they weren't too expensive either) but she was happy and I do not and will not EVER regret taking her in and loving her. I hope where ever her spirit is now that she is happy and playing

A few months ago as i was coming home from late night coffee with friends. I was driving down a fairly dimly lit side street. To my horror I saw a body of a cat in the road. I immediately pulled my brand new car off to the side of the street to check to see if the poor thing was alive. I was shocked and very upset at the time to find that she was. She looked as if she had been hit multiple times and left for dead. I do not know how long she had lain there waiting for help. I quickly loaded her into my car making her as comfortable as possible and I drove as if I was being chased to our local 24hr emergency vet. Racing as fast as I could i got there in about 5 mins. A normal 10 min + drive. Sadly as I took her in she let out her last breath. I handed the on call tech a lifeless body and apologized that I didn't do enough or make it in time. I am nearly sure though that had she gotten the initial attention that she needed she would've lived. The vet tech smiled knowing that I was upset and assured me that I did all that I could of and far more than most. Although I am still not sure I did feel better knowing that at least I did something. I hope that one day I too will see that gray cat at the rainbow bridge. Even though I knew her only in her final horrible moments. I did love her as I do all animals.
Jason.

For what so ever you do for these the least of my Brethren, you have also done for me....Jesus Christ. I can not aspire to save souls but I can save cats and dogs.

I adopted Cooky and Gunther, a senior pair, in 2006 after losing my beloved Sadie the year before. Cooky was a real diva, with only 3 feet, the result of an altercation with a larger dog. Gunther was surrendered to rescue because his owner fell on hard times. We later found out that he had been abused by her teen-aged son, thus his fear of men. All I saw whent they came to visit was 2 sweet little pups that needed a home, and took them both. Sadly, my husband had a stroke in 2006, and passed on in 2007. But he brought Gunther out of his shell with his love and spoiling, and taught him to be a sweet, loving little boy. Gunther is now 12, and his beloved Cooky passed away on Feb. 2 as a result of old age (she was 14). She remained a diva 'til the end, giving Gunther heck for sitting in the wrong spot on the blanket 1 hour before she went to the Bridge. I will adopt another senior sometime in the future, but my point is that rescue dogs are the best, no matter what they bring with them to your home. As my husband showed us, all it takes is love and spoiling.

We rescued our good luck charm Juliet (JuJu) in 2002. She was almost two years old at the time. We also had our Cleo (rescued @ age 5) at the time. Cleo passed due to disk desease, only months after Juliet came to our family. We had our JuJu for six years, and she gave us one litter of pup's. (it was an accident, but none the less a blessing.) Today, Juliet passed... leaving only her puppy Molly (now three y.o.)to consoul us. I've been on both sided of the fence. The older rescues are just as loveable as the young pup's. And there is just something about Doxy Love. My heart will never recover from the loss of my girls. But what Joy they bring to us. God Bless ALL of the rescuer's, and doxy's.

As a rescuer who couldn't save them all, this story keeps me going. I've shared it many times and wish I knew the person's name who wrote it. It is incredibly beautiful.

Peace,
Jane and the Hole in the Wall Gang

I stumbled on the web-site and after reading what others had to say I felt that I had to tell my story. In January of 2004, my youngest brother was killed in a car accident, since my Mom had been dead for several years it was me, my oldest brother, and my Dad,and Dad was getting up in years. I don't think that he ever really understood that his baby boy was gone, as he often asked for him and during the last few months of his life he would tell me that he had been to visit him in the hospital. In July of that year, my best friend had a massive coronary and died suddenly. We had put Dad in the VA hospital in May and he was slipping, just hanging on, it was getting harder and harder to see him like that, so one evening when I went to see him I told him that if he was staying around because of me he should go and be with Mom and rest. Dad died a few weeks later, in September, the day before my birthday. I will never forget that he told me if he wasn't there I would have no family. I reassured him that I would be O.K. but needless to say I wasn't. The next several months were terrible, then in March a friend and I went to another town to do some shopping, there was a car on the parking lot that had a sign, "Yorkies for sale, cheap. I did not want to look at the puppies but my friend urged me to at least take a look. The guy was really nasty looking, he had the puppies in a dog crate in the back seat, there were several in there, but only one looked up when we walked up, she was a tiny little thing, and she looked me right in the eye, she was asking me to help her. Needless to say, she went home with me, when I took her to the vet, she had worms, and was undernourished. The vet said that I had rescued her, that she probably would not have lasted much longer. Today she is just a little over a year old and is healthy and full of life. I know that my Dad sent her to rescue me, I know that his terrier Danny was waiting on him just this side of the Rainbow Bridge and that they crossed over together. I named my little dog Tiny Tuffie, because she had to be tough to survive, I know that my Dad probably knew that we were both in bad shape and needed each other, and he sent her to me. Thank You Daddy, Tuffie and I both send our love.

Hi,

I have one little dachshund/Chihuahua rescue living with me now. His name is Fritz Francis, and he is about six or seven. His little muzzle is starting to turn white. He is a love.

Today I retired, and sometime very soon, I hope I'm going to have another little dachshund sharing my home. I believe I've been approved to adopt little Eli, and he appears right now on this site.

Eli is 10, and I guess he was not appreciated as he should have been. He will be loved with all of my heart when he comes to our house. I've always had animals, and they mean the world to me.

Char

So stop for thoses who are lost and lonley
Stop for those who are hurt and damaged
Stop for those who have been hit and left on the road side
for even they deserve the dignity of a burial-and there
maybe information on them so there best friend knows
what has happened to them-and they wont be suffering
for there missing little friend.
Valencia

I had a baby girl named Betty who liked 2 days being 15 years old when she went to the Rainbow Bridge. I had her since she was a puppy. She saved my son from a fire and was the delight of my life. She loved to go fishing with me. She was diagnosed with kidney failure and it just about killed me to part with her. My vet advised me to put her down before she had seizures. She had quit eating and most of her body had shut down but her heart and her lungs. She was so sick she couldn't stand up. I would have gladly traded places with her. She was the sweetest little dog and had the sweetest disposition even when she was sick. Some people think I am nuts but I had her picture made and I am going to put it on my wall along with some of her stuff. I may get another doxie but I will always miss her. No matter how sick she was she would always wag her tail when my husband or I would pet her or talk to her. She was the first dachshund I ever had that liked water. She would get in the water up to her chest and guard the fish in the fish basket. She even caught her own fish one time. She was a longhaired black and tan. I hope she crossed over the Rainbow Bridge and is up there with the male who didn't survive the fire and that she is young and strong again and happy. I have a locket with her picture and hair in it. I wear it when I go fishing. She went o the Rainbow Bridge on my birthday. I loved her so much that I could not watch her struggle to stand and know she was miserable and in pain. I love you Betty girl. Mama and Daddy miss you and would like to have kept you forever healthy. Hope she is there to meet us when we go.

Jane,

Click on the link in the introductory statement and you'll be taken to the very first publication of the story. The authors name is there. It was published here without his name so that it would gain more exposure, not because the author wanted credit for his work.

Yes, I know who the author is and yes, I know that it's his original work. Even though it's been re-published and re-written by several people, it doesn't take away from his intended message - that even though we can't save all of them does not mean that those we couldn't save can't cross The Bridge with someone to love (and who will return that love) forever. My only problem with the original Rainbow Bridge story was that it only addressed what happens to peoples beloved pets. This story answers that question for me.

Benny

I am at work and this story just brought tears to my eyes.

In June of 2004 I was so blessed when little an adorable little black and tan wirehair that was 11 years old came inot my life. She had been abandoned in a house when her family moved and was debarked, so had no way of letting people know she was there. She had a hard life in her 11 years. She had lived outside, didn't seem to know what being picked up and held was about, and sure didn't know what being in the house was all about. But that first night she climbed into bed with me and laid her head on my pillow, sighing with contentment. She learned to use the doggy-door, give kisses, enjoyed being held and rocked at times, and hated it when I was away from her.
Her breathing was stressed however, and we went to the vet who informed us that she had a grade three heart murmur and congestive heart failure from poor care in her past life. With daily medication and care my little angel stayed with me until December 2nd of this year. She had to go through surgery last October for a collapsed trachea from the terrible surgery she had in her past where she was debarked and not properly cared for afterward.
Aiko was full of life and she had 5 1/2 happy years after I got her. I wouldn't trade a day of that time with her for a younger, healthier dog. No matter how short our time was together, it was a blessing and I will carry her in my heart forever.

God bless the rescuers! Three weeks ago my beautiful 13 1/2 year old Lab-cocker mix, Bailey crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He was rescued by a wonderful woman who directs the Humane Society in Shelby, NC. Just before he had to leave, she found a sweet Chihuahua-dachshund, 1 1/2 year old Noel Elizabeth who joined our 11 year old dachshund, Anabel Amelia. Just two days ago she called me about a Lab-cocker mix, Sammy who needed a home and now he has joined our family. He looks so like Bailey and I believe Bailey sent him to let us know he is still thinking of us. Without people who have a heart for these little helpless ones how dreary the world would be.
Deveron
Grover, NC

My heart was breaking for this senior dog until I read the end of the story. Many blessings to the rescuers. Every single animal deserves to be well treated and loved. They, too, have feelings........

My cat was 18 and just had to be put down yesterday. I hope she will cross the rainbow bridge with me and my family someday.

There were many cats that my late husband and I were blessed to rescue. They were mostly feral, some left home, some were ill and went over the Rainbow Bridge, and every one we lost, we cried for. Each had his or her own name, meals, treats, a home, and a special place in our hearts. And each is now with my late spouse, who is still caring for them, all of them well and happy, and waiting for those who are still here. Angie

I also had a older daschshund....her name was Missy. She was daddy's girl. All my day did was call her and say, "it's time to get brushed" and Missy would run for the stairs to get out and be brushed. Missy came to me from a family member who could no longer keep her due to health issues. Missy was treated for cancer in 1994, she recovered enough for her to spend another 6 months with me. Shw crossed over the rainbow bridge in Jan 1994 due to terminal cancer. I pray that she was met by my cat Skittles who crossed over several years before her. Missy and Skittles brought joy to my house and are missed very much!!

I too had to put my beautiful Chiquita to sleep. she had Renal failure and was in so much pain. It was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. But I couldn't be selfish to let her suffer because I couldn't let go. I love that little princess more than anyone ever. Took the best care. I know she is in a better place waitingi for us to be together again. Rainbow Bridge is beautiful!!! Getting a tattoo on my arm of her portrait as a tribute to my love for her.

For Sully the Shar-Pei, Xavier the Bulldog, and Toby the Beagle (all rescues that have touched my life) who wait for me at Rainbow Bridge: what a glorious moment awaits us when we cross the Rainbow Bridge with all the animals awaiting who never got their chance on Earth. I will finally get to rescue all the animals that were not humanly possible in this existence!

I really think dogs are God's earthly portals through which His unconditional loves flows subsequently giving us a foretaste of heaven.

Jeff James

Sophie is the love of my life. I found her at the pound, she is seven years old and a real sweety pie. Someone brought her in that morning and I was just passing by and thought I would stop and see what they had. There was Sophie! She came in with a brother who went home with someone else. We have bounded and she is a wonderful companion. She is house broke and kennel trained. I am Blessed. Give a older dog a break! You will not be sorry!
Nancy Isler Wayne MI.

While driving to Walmart back in Aug 2005, I spotted a long-haired daschund trotting alongside the busy street. I pulled over & immediately swooped him up in my arms, and for the next 2 wks, searched endlessly for his owner. Sadly, no one posted signs missing him, but fortunatley for us--FRED is and has been a huge part of our lives. The vet said Fred was about 9 or 10 yrs old when I found him. Fred had a lot of medical issues from neglect (worms, poor weight, bad teeth & gums) & continues to have additional problems due to old age...loss of vision, hearing, kidney failing--he only has ~25% function left,& just sleeps the majority of the day. But he loves going to the groomer, loves his soft blankets, his treat in the morning, & kisses on the head. He needs guidance with a flashlight at night to come in from going potty, but Fred is the best thing that has come into our lives. He & Peanut (our toy fox terrier) are like peas & carrots. He & Rocky-our 8 yr old Rottweiler, are best buds. Fred smiles when he sleep & his little ears are like "angel wings" when he looks at you. We know our lives are so much more fulfilled with our little man Fred in it, he's slowing down so much & getting tired. We cant imagine our home without him, but when Fred crosses the Rainbow Bridge, we know he wont need the flashlight to see anymore to find his way across. Kathy & Bill family Pensacola, FL