If you've just lost a pet: we're so sorry. Take your time with this page. The poem below has comforted millions of grieving pet parents for over sixty years, and we hope it brings you a little peace today.
The Rainbow Bridge poem (full text)
Just this side of heaven is a place called the Rainbow Bridge. When a beloved pet dies, they go to this special place — a land of soft meadows, green hills, and gentle sunshine, just this side of heaven.
There is always food and water and warm spring weather. Those who were old and frail are young again. Those who were maimed are made whole again. They run and play all day with one another — but there is one thing missing. They are not with the special person who loved them on Earth.
So each day they run and play, until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up. The nose twitches. The ears are up. The eyes are staring — and this one suddenly runs from the group.
You have been seen. And when you and your special friend meet, you take them in your arms and embrace them. Your face is kissed again and again, and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting companion.
Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated.
Who really wrote the Rainbow Bridge poem?
For decades, the poem circulated anonymously — photocopied in vet clinics, read at pet memorials, shared in grief support groups. Several people claimed or were credited with authorship over the years.
Then, in 2023, researchers finally traced it to its true origin: Edna Clyne-Rekhy, a Scottish artist who wrote it in 1959, when she was just 19 years old, the day after her Labrador Retriever, Major, died. She wrote it by hand, showed it to a few friends, and never signed it. Copies traveled the world for sixty years without her name attached.
Knowing the story makes the poem even more moving: it wasn't written by a company or a professional poet. It was written by a grieving young woman for her own dog, out of pure love. That's why it rings true for every one of us.
Why the Rainbow Bridge brings comfort
Grief for a pet is real grief. Research consistently shows that losing a companion animal can hurt as much as losing a human loved one — and yet the world often doesn't treat it that way. There are no formal funerals, no bereavement leave, no sympathy cards from coworkers.
The Rainbow Bridge gives that grief a shape. It offers three things every grieving heart needs:
- A destination. Your pet isn't gone; they're somewhere warm, healthy, and happy.
- A reunion. The goodbye is temporary. They're waiting, and they'll know you instantly.
- Permission to grieve. The poem takes your loss seriously. Reading it says: this love was real, and this pain is worth honoring.
Ways to use the poem to honor your pet
- Read it at a small memorial. Light a candle, look at photos, and read it aloud — alone or with family.
- Print it and frame it next to your favorite photo of them. (Download our free printable below.)
- Include it in a sympathy gift. If a friend lost their pet, the poem printed alongside a small keepsake says what words can't. Here are some pet memorial gift ideas if you'd like inspiration.
- Wear their memory. Many pet parents keep their companion close with a memorial necklace engraved with their pet's name — a quiet, personal way to carry them every day.
Free printable Rainbow Bridge keepsake
We designed a beautiful printable version of the poem with space to write your pet's name. Download the free printable here — no strings attached. Print it, frame it, or tuck it somewhere close.
Their love stays. Always.
At My Little Always, we make personalized memorial keepsakes for pet parents — and 10% of every sale supports animal shelters, so the love you shared helps another animal find theirs. If and when you're ready, we're here. And if today is just about the poem, that's more than enough.
