They Were Loved, and They Will Never Be Forgotten
This page is a memorial for all of the dogs (and very special people) who have passed over the Rainbow Bridge.
Our sweet Mac crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Aug. 14, 2020 after a brave fight with a spinal injury and several spinal surgeries. He was such a brave and loving boy. He knew how to get our attention with his little woof and he kept going until we did what he wanted. I love you so much Mac and am missing you terribly. I know that you are running free with all of our other babies and waiting for us when we get there. xoxoxoxo
His big brown expressive eyes made it “love at first sight”. We walked into the Virginia Beach Care-A-Lot and there was Rodney with Rainbow Rescue. Some weeks later he was home with us, exhibiting a true joie de vivre that was infectious. He quickly became a hit throughout the neighborhood by carrying a stuffed toy on all his walks. Passers-by would stop their cars and trucks and smile at the dog so happily trotting along with a toy in his mouth. When Matilda joined us after a less than optimal two years in North Carolina, Rodney quickly became her best buddy, helping to make her feel welcome and safe.
Rodney’s friendliness was infectious and he made us better people just by being around us. He provided us with wonderful times and scary times when he was not well. He was affectionate and loving, even when he was commandeering the recliner, or telling us that someone was walking on his street.
Rodney was part of our family for nearly twelve years, adding joy to our lives each day. He was a wonderful dog and is greatly missed.
It has been a month since I lost you. There is a big hole in my heart and I miss you terribly. You are my heart and will always be with me even though I can't touch your soft fur or have you chase me around the yard. I know that you are whole again and playing with your best friend, Pungo, whom I also miss. I know that I will see you again someday and will be able to hug you again. Nancy told me that you are with me and keeping watch over the household. I know that is true. I'm so sorry that I couldn't do more for you, but your meds finally overwhelmed your liver and there were no other seizure meds to give you. Letting you go was the hardest decision I have ever had to make but I loved you so much that I didn't want to see you suffer anymore. Thank you for the feather. I know you are ok.
Rest in peace my special Angel, I love you so much.
Our sweet little Alexander is gone. He had so many things wrong with him that he couldn’t recover. He is missed tremendously and will never be forgotten. While he was with us, he experienced love and caring and knew that he was with people who cared deeply about him.
Rest in peace our little Angel.
Asher was my faithful companion for 4 great years. He was there with me during my husband's 2 military deployments. He followed me wherever I went. We went for daily walks whether I was in the mood or not :) I loved him with all my heart and will miss him more than I can express!
Blaize was definitely Daddy's boy from the time we rescued him to the end. We lost our sweet boy in Nov. 2014 suddenly to a heart attack. We had just been playing soccer when he collapsed. He loved playing soccer and would play for hours. He was such a gentle boy and the only one in our pack who got along with everyone. He was well traveled too. He loved camping and being with his brother and sister, Abby and Pungo, both of whom welcomed him at the Bridge.
He is playing and having a great time while waiting for us to join them. We love and miss you so much sweet boy. Rest in Peace handsome boy!
Briley is with the angels now, running and breathing with no problems. Even though he was with Tiffany for such a short time, he was deeply loved by her and the Rainbow volunteers. Tiffany adopted Briley so that he would not be without a family at the end. He will be missed terribly and will never be forgotten.
A donation in the name of Dr. Blair Jones Hollowell in memory of her grandmother Kitty, from Chris, Tif, Troy, Carolyn and Sonny. Thank you for your care and concern for animals.
Charlie had a sad life up to the time that he met Ann. She adopted him after he was thrown from a car. He was loved and pampered and went for walks every day with his mom. He is no longer with her, but is free of pain and can run and play with all of the others while he is waiting for his mom to join him.
Daisy has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. Even though she was with us a short time, Jean and Curtiss gave her more love than she had ever experienced in her previous 15 years. She received lots of food and treats (her favorite- "pancakes by Curtiss", but especially love and attention. She will be missed by all who knew her, especially her foster "mommy and daddy". She is with our other furry kids playing pain-free and waiting for us to join her.
When we took Dakota into Rainbow Animal Rescue, we knew that he was 10 yrs. old and had hip and spine problems. After 3 months, it was obvious that he wasn’t going to be adopted. He was the sweetest, most gentle, smiling boy that you would ever see. We only had him 1 ½ yrs. He brought such joy into the household. He was constantly smiling and trying to play with his brothers and sisters. Even toward the end, when he was in obvious pain, he was still smiling and was always by my side. Not a day goes by that you are not thought of and missed, my little Angel. I love you, Dakota.
Ellie was a very sweet, loving girl who was adopted by a wonderful family two years ago. She was diagnosed with syringohydomyelia, which caused her much pain. Her parents did everything possible, but to no avail. They loved her so much that they gave her the greatest gift of all- freedom from the pain. She is now playing at the Bridge and waiting for the day when she will be reunited with her family.
A donation is in memory of Ellie, who was rescued from Rainbow by Jack and Lauren Mooney. This gift is from Lauren's parents, Rick and Kathy Austin.
Emily was with me for only seven months. In those seven months she taught me the meaning of trust and how to attain it. I never thought that I didn't know what trust meant – or the importance of it, but it had been some time since I had to actually work at achieving it with another being. I took the concept for granted – and, in turn, sometimes trusted too quickly.
Emily came to trust me very slowly beginning with her acceptance of a gentle touch or scratch on her back. This trust was short-lived in the early weeks of her residency in my home and she would let me know by snapping. Her bite could be sharp, but I learned when to leave her as she had reached her limits of trust. Week after week I kept persisting and letting her know that my hand was not harmful, but comforting. Even though the process was slow, I began to discover this beautiful dog that most likely had a past that I did not want to understand. Through her trust I learned that her ears felt like velvet and her nose was deliciously cold. And as she trusted me more I learned that her tummy was full of the markings of multiple litters and her teeth were remnants of neglect. The greatest measure of the trust she bestowed on me was the friendship she offered. She could not hear but knew when I entered the house and would display her happiness through the wagging of her tail or the closeness she kept to my feet. She enjoyed our slow walks and adventures in the garden. She had become a companion – one that I miss very much.
Emily was precious and precarious, joyful and sad, quiet and protective. I will never forget her and the trust she gave me. The time was too short and the little comfort I have is believing that the trust she extended to our home was an indication of her peace and comfort. Rest in peace Em.
Love, Susan, Kirby, and Delmar
Fin lost his battle with cancer. He was a very sweet, handsome English setter mix who was adopted by a very special family almost 4 yrs. ago. They did everything possible for him and are devastated by his loss. He is free from pain now and waiting at the Bridge for his “forever” family to join him one day.
Dear George,
Your sudden passing left a hole in the world and those who knew you well or barely knew you at all felt the sting of the news. My heart tells me you were never meant to be adopted because you were just too loved within the organization…and loved you are. Your energy was so strong in life that even in death you are still felt here, within us and among us.
To look at you one might have thought you were weak, incapable, and among the lost. From the floor of Isle of Wight Animal Control to the hearts you touched while you were with us, you were anything but. I saw you teach children how patient a dog could be and I saw you look at the world with certain and unwavering love in your eyes. You could bring joy to strangers with nothing more than your presence.
Those of us who were fortunate enough to know you and love you got much more in return. You had quiet lessons to teach fellow dog and human alike and those who heard them are the better for it. Your body may have failed very suddenly, but while you run and play at the Rainbow Bridge you left something behind for all time. You were the spirit that put "able" in "disabled" and you are that heart that reached the masses. You will be missed but your dignity and grace have carried over into the hearts of the living. Thus, just like that, you live forever. Thank you to Esther and Dallas and Jean and Curtiss for saving you, for giving you a home for your short time here, and for sharing you with us…the more fortunate ones.
We love you!
Dixie
Dixie (Gypsy) was a very special girl. She had a very hard, miserable life until July 2006 when she was rescued from the woods outside of Charlottesville. She was in foster care until Sept. 2007 when a very special family adopted her. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge last night, Dec. 27, peacefully in the arms of her very special loving family. Her family, Barb and Bill gave her more love in the three months she was with them, than her previous family gave her in the 9 years that they had her before chaining her in the woods to die. Her family is heartbroken, as are all of the Rainbow Rescue volunteers who cared for her before her adoption. She will be missed tremendously.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Hayward. He was adopted by Stephanie in Feb. 07 and had lived a wonderful life with her. He got to go to work with her and was her constant companion. He is playing at the Rainbow Bridge with all of his friends and is waiting for Stephanie to join him one day. He is gone but will never be forgotten.
King
In May 2013, a local veterinarian asked Rainbow to help find a new home for King, whose dad had died. His mom worked long hours and didn't have time to provide what King needed to fully recover from ACL surgery. King had already been boarded at the hospital for 6 weeks! King became a Rainbow dog the first of June, but unfortunately, we did not have a foster available. Volunteers would take him to their homes for visits to give him some time in a backyard to play. He loved to play with a big red hard plastic ball just knocking it around the yard. One day upon his return to the hospital, King met a French Bulldog puppy named Twinkie. He was so gentle with her as she stretched to reach his muzzle with her little puppy paws...and nails. King was a very loving, gentle boy with such a sweet personality. King was moved to another facility for boarding that provided him with lots of friends to play with. In fact, the big red ball from a volunteer was taken for him to play with by himself whenever the other pups were too pooped to play or just needed a break.
On July 27, King appeared on WVEC Shelter Saturday and one special family was watching. King finally found his forever home in August with the Preiser family. They really loved each other and his new Boston Terrier sisters were a little skeptical...only at first. Five months later, on December 26, 2013 Rainbow received devastating news. The Preiser family made the very difficult decision to euthanize King. His veterinarian said that he had declined rapidly in the past month and she suspected a spinal or brain tumor since his personality had changed. Events happened that were totally out of character for him! He also became paralyzed in the hind end. Rainbow received these two pictures from King's family four days later as they grieved the loss of their beloved King.
Rest in peace our sweet, gentle King.
You were loved so very much by your forever family and Rainbow.
Libby
Gentle Libby came to Rainbow in January 2013 with an orange-sized tumor on her abdomen and a hot spot on her tail. We were so relieved to find that it was a lipoma! She was constantly smiling and loved getting treats. Libby loved to lay in the grass and have her head scratched. On September 27, we were devastated to learn that our sweet Libby had mediastinal lymphoma in her chest that was pressing on her esophagus. There was nothing that could be done to prolong her life so we decided to give her palliative care until her quality of life declined. Leanne, her foster, provided a wonderful home and took excellent care of her every need, but Libby deteriorated so fast, developing other problems, that we made the decision to end her suffering. Libby crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on September 30, 2013 surrounded by people who loved her.We are comforted in knowing she is now in her forever home, no longer suffering. Libby is running free, breathing easy, and eating whatever she wants.
We love you sweet, pretty girl!
Lucky, I miss you so much! I can't believe that you are gone:(. On Feb 14, 2017 you had an ultrasound and were diagnosed with a tumor in your heart! I was beyond shocked. The tears flowed:(. On Feb. 17, your conditioned had worsened. I loved you so much that I decided to let you run free with all of our furbabies who preceded you. I miss you every day and am looking for the feather that you are supposed to drop. Please let me know that you are with me and are ok. There will never be another sweet boy like you. I know you are waiting for me and I will see you again one day. Play with your ball and Abby, Blaize, Pungo, and Willie until I can rejoin my pack! I love you so much my Angel!
Max loved his “mom” and Lab sister and followed them everywhere. Olive adopted him in March 2009 when he was 10 yrs. old and had cancer. When told of his pathology report, she replied: “he still needs a home, doesn’t he?”. He went to the Rainbow Bridge yesterday while basking in the sun watching his “mom” working in her garden. The love he experienced in the past 8 months more than made up for his lack of it in his previous 9 yrs. He is already greatly missed by his loving mom. He is pain-free and running and playing while waiting for her to join him. Our sincere condolences to Olive and our great appreciation for giving him a loving home. He was truly a very beautiful, sweet boy.
May 31, 2006 - Melanie had a very hard, short life. She was adopted but ran away from her new parents. She was found by Animal Control after 4 days. The new parents decided they didn't want her. She went to Rainbow Animal Rescue who found her a new set of parents. They were very nice and took Melanie to visit his parents for the Memorial Day weekend. She backed out of her harness May 26th and ran into the woods. Everyone searched for her Friday -Sunday, to no avail. She was found Wednesday, hit by a hit and run vehicle and was dead at the scene. Her life was just beginning and ended as quickly as it begun. She is in a better place now, and she won't have to run away anymore.
RIP dear Annie. We were so lucky to adopt you from Rainbow Animal Rescue when you were a young "wild and crazy" rescue pup and you quickly became an integral member of our family. You were such an amazing, adorable, sweet, and devoted companion -- my furry BFF. Missing you terribly but also relieved that your suffering is over.
Big Daisy's Big Life
Big Daisy, I will never understand how anyone could have not wanted you.
You came to me as a 5-year old, 85 pound lump of love who'd been dumped off at the shelter to die, unsure of just where you fit in or where you belonged. I watched you as you sat in the doorway looking outside long after your foster mama left you with us, and I swore I'd never let you feel that lost again. Your cool demeanor and desire to have your own space could have easily led me to believe you were indifferent, until the night I heard your toenails walking through the house, inspecting every room, every corner. Eventually you found your way back to me, and because you were too heavy to get on the bed, you laid on the blankets I'd piled next to me on the floor, your not-so-gentle snoring like music to my ears. You never asked for much, often taking the backseat to everyone else's needs. What you wanted more than anything was to be with me ~ and you voiced that LOUDLY . . your desire for me to come home and your enthusiasm when I did could be heard for 3 city blocks and led to even more moves than I had accomplished on my own.
But, I am grateful for your Big Bark. You taught me that it's ok to be afraid, to ask for what you want, and to compromise for love. To look at problems as possibilities and to not be afraid to follow my nose into the unknown. I miss your bark, the way you'd greet me at the door and then run around looking for your Cow Baby, or looking in the rear view mirror and seeing you staring out the window with a big smile on your face. You were a really happy dog. But more than that, you were an old soul. You had a wisdom and a quiet strength about you that made me feel safe and protected. I miss your presence. You were my best friend, and I am blessed to have had almost 7 years with you. It wasn't enough time, but you managed to fit in a lot: you were on tv, you got to play on the beach, you traveled across country 6 times, you climbed mountains, and you went to two Beaglefest parties. You taught kids about how to take care of dogs and about fostering and rescuing, and you had so many people that loved you and helped you when you needed it. I think you knew all along your job was to help my find myself.
You had a big life miss Daisy, and I am so thankful you shared it with me. Traveling won't be the same without you, but I know that you will still be beside me: big dog, big smile, big love . . . Big Life.
Karal Gregory
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