Dogs and the Rainbow Bridge

    BY FLORIDA BILL 

 
                                             When you come to that distressing moment when you must bid goodbye to your dog, remember that the goodbye may not be forever.  There is some very good authority telling us that there will be a happy reunion with that faithful little fur head at the glorious Rainbow Bridge, gateway to Heaven. 
                              The grief at losing that special pet is profound, almost indescribable.  In some ways it is similar to the sadness suffered at the loss of a human friend or relative; but different since we have always believed that we will be reunited with them in the afterlife. 
                               So what is the deal with our four-footed friends.  Is it true that all dogs go to heaven?  Mark Twain has noted that "Heaven goes by favor; If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in."   But that only begs the question. 
                                              Along that same line, a prominent European writer has noted that dogs are our link to paradise.  "They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent.  To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden where doing nothing was not boring --it was peace."                

                               Recently, America was blessed with a visit from Pope Francis.  We heard his voice  calling for peace in the world and for love and respect for all men.  But in another earlier message, the Pontiff observed that our four-footed friends are not lost forever and that "Paradise is open to all of God's creatures."   Really good news for us dog people.

                              Actually,  Francis is not the only Pope who has said that beloved pets do not make a permanent departure.   Some years ago, Pope Paul VI, while consoling a broken-hearted little boy whose pet had died, told the youngster that he would again see his dog in the "eternity of Christ."  His words were very comforting to the boy;  and yes, those words resonate in the same way with us old timers whose time on this earth is coming to an end. We are like our dogs, "short timers."  And it is good to know that religious experts confirm our long-held belief that we will be reunited with every dog we've ever had when that time comes.   

                            Will Rogers, a man who loved his furry companions, would be pleased too.   This great humorist once said that "if there are no dogs in heaven, then, when I die,  I want to go where they went."  Well with the popes and other passing on the question, it is looking pretty good.  They will be there and we'll see them so long as we make it too.   

                             There are hundreds of millions of dog owners in the world and more frequently than not, a special steely bond develops between the canine and his owner.  There are those who do not or have never owned a dog, and perhaps regard the relationship as mythical rather than mystical.  But I know I am right; the relationship is special--ask any pet owner. 

                              I remember when I was a soldier in Korea, I owned a small terrier-type pooch named Maggie and she was with me most hours of virtually every day of  my 16-month hitch in Korea.  When I walked guard duty with a rifle, Maggie was there and when I was in the mess hall she waited outside by the door; and at bedtime, my cot and sleeping bag were her bed too.  On our small compound in Uijeongbu, soldiers with their dogs were quite common and unrestricted on many posts in this far off part of Asia.

                             Sadly, when I said good-bye to Korea, I had to say farewell also to Maggie. I can still see her to this day,  sitting by the side of a road, ears up, watching and alert as our truck pulled away.  I loved that little lady, and I am hoping that Maggie will be around to greet me at that famous bridge beyond the stars.  
                            Occasionally, I think back about our four-footed friends and their special place in life and I am reminded of the words of an old Missouri lawyer who, reflecting on our furry companions, observed that "the one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous . . . is his dog."  

                           To dog aficionados, and maybe to Pope Francis himself, there is the story of the  "Rainbow Bridge."  Accordingly, when a pet dies, it goes to a meadow and is restored to perfect health, and spends its days running and playing with other dogs, with plenty of fresh food and water. The only thing that is not perfect is that he misses his owner left behind on earth.  When the owner dies, he approaches the meadow and it is at that moment that his pet sees him and their eyes meet.  Excited, the pet runs to the owner's arms licking his face in joy, and side by side they cross the Rainbow Bridge together into heaven, never again to be separated.

                          Today, living in sunny Florida, my wife, Chrissy and I have two dogs,  Cairn Terriers by breed, each weighing about 15 pounds.  They look like the dog, Toto, in the movie The Wizard of Oz.  Sammi is wheaten-colored and Wendy is Black. They are non-stop yappers and never saw a bird or leaf that did not require their comment; the arrival of the pool man or the dry cleaner is enough to provoke a deafening frenzy.  Yet, we have bonded with them in a big way, and it is impossible to imagine life without them.  But a dog's life is short, and we have had other dogs before them, all of whom became special and unforgettable. We are happy about Pope Francis's views on the matter.        

                         One final word on dogs and the hereafter: Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of "The Secret Life of Dogs," was asked in an interview if she believed that all dogs go to heaven. Her answer was logic at its best: "If there are no dogs there, it is not heaven."

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