Rainbow Bridge Return by Joy LaCaille
The little dog arrived at the Rainbow Bridge, and a pack of dogs rushed up to greet him. He braced himself, expecting a fight,but this was the first pack that wagged their tails and kissed him instead of attacking him.
It was beautiful here, and everyone was nice to him. None of them had been born in a puppy mill, like he had, and used for dog-bait fighting and left to die in a shelter because he was a mix-breed battle-scarred cur and wasn't cute. They explained why they were waiting... for their humans who loved them.
"What is love?" he asked, and God let him go back to earth, and find out. Warm, and dark, he squeezed in with the others and waited for the day to be born. Scared, he held back as long as he could, but finally got dragged out, by his hind feet. Hands without fur held him gently and rubbed him dry and opened his mouth and guided him to a warm nipple with milk. He didn't get a good hold on it, because one of his big fat brothers pushed him aside. The human hand moved the other puppy to another nipple and held his body, so he could drink. "Ahhh, that's better, " he thought, and drank until his jaws got tired and he curled up to sleep next to his warm hairy mother. "I remember this," he mused... "Too bad I'll have to grow up to be hit, left out in the cold and rain, and used for dog-bait fighting, and die as an unclaimed rescue dog. I remember what it's like, being a dog." he thought sadly.
That night, he crawled up to his mother and tried to nurse, but he kept getting pushed off to the side. When they were full, the big brothers and sisters got their bottoms cleaned and he finally latched on to a nipple, but the human hands weren't there to hold him up, and there wasn't any milk in any of the nipples, anyway. He was weak and so tiny. It was even hard to stay upright, and he fell over on his back and couldn't right himself. So he began to cry, and suddenly the human hands were there, holding him up and putting a rubber thing in his mouth. It didn't taste or feel like mother, but it was warm and made the ache in his tummy go away. He was having trouble breathing ... His lungs weren't fully developed, because he had waited too long to join the others in the womb, as he took one last romp at the Rainbow Bridge. He could feel the heartbeat of the human, who had laid him on her chest and covered him with a soft cloth, keeping him warm, and soothing his boney body with gentle circling touches.
He kept thinking of his new friends who had been so nice to him at the bridge and asked God if he could go back. God said "Yes, but not just yet. You wanted to experience Love." So for several hours (seemed like days but it was dark and he couldn't tell what time it was), the human supplemented his feeding and let him experience the warmth of his mother's body and tongue, and the pile of warm soft littermates. He got weaker, and the human held him more often, leaving the littermates to sleep in a pile while he got caressed, kissed, and got to listen to the heartbeat which was strong and loving.
Finally God came back and asked, "are you ready to come back to the Rainbow Bridge?" "Yes, he responded," with a little sorrow, because the human didn't want to let him go, and was crying. He pushed the air out of his lungs and floated back to the Rainbow Bridge and looked back at the human, who was still crying and holding the limp body that he had borrowed for his trip.
"Thank you, God," he said. "Love is beautiful, and I will wait near the Bridge and let the human know, when she arrives, that I loved her, too."
by Joy
I do remember the day I was taken from Mom. I was so sad
and scared, my milk
teeth had only just come in, and I really should have been with Mom
still, but
she was so sick, and the Humans kept saying that they wanted money and
were sick of the "mess" that me and my sister made. So we were crated up
and taken to strange place. Just the two of us. We huddled together and
were scared, still no human hands came to pet or love us.
So many sights and sounds, and smells! We are in a store where
there are many different animals! Some that squawk! some that meow! Some
that Peep! My sister and I are jammed into a small cage, I hear other
puppies here. I see humans look at me, I like the 'little humans', the
kids. they look so sweet, and fun, like they would play with me!
All day we stay in the small cage, sometimes mean people will hit
the glass and frighten us, every once in a while we are taken out to be
held or shown
to
humans. Some are gentle some hurt us, we always hear "Aw they are So
cute! I want one!" but we never get to go with any.
My sister died last night, when the store was dark. I lay my head
on her soft fur and felt the life leave her small thin body. I had heard
them say
she
was sick, and that I should be sold as a "discount price" so that I
would quickly leave the store. I think my soft whine was the only one
that mourned for her as her body was taken out of the cage in the
morning and dumped.
Today, a family came and bought me! Oh happy day! They are a nice
family, they really, really wanted me! They had bought a dish and food
and the little girl held me so tenderly in her arms. I love her so much!
The mom and dad say what a sweet and good puppy I am! I am named Angel.
I love to lick my new humans!
The family takes such good care of me, they are loving and
tender and sweet.
They gentle teach me right and wrong, give me good food, and lots of
love! I want only to please these wonderful people! I love the little
girl and I
enjoy
running and playing with her.
Today I went to the veterinarian. it was a strange place and I
was frightened. I got some shots, but my best friend the little girl
held me softly and said it would be OK. So I relaxed. The Vet must have
said sad
words
to my beloved family, because they looked awfully sad. I heard Severe
hip dysplacia, and something about my heart... I heard the vet say
something about, back yard breeders and my parents not being tested. I
know not what any of
that means, just that it hurts me to see my family so sad. but they
still love
me, and I still love them very much!
I am 6 months old now. Where most other puppies are robust and
rowdy, It hurts me terribly just to move. The pain never lets up. It
hurts to run and play with my beloved little girl, and I find it hard to
breath. I keep trying my best to be the strong pup I know I am supposed
to be, but it is so hard.
it
breaks my heart to see the little girl so sad, and to hear the Mom and
Dad talk about "it might now be the time". Several times I have went to
that veterinarians place, and the news is never good. Always talk about
Congenital Problems. I just want to feel the warm sunshine and run, and
play and nuzzle with my family.
Last night was the worst, Pain has been my constant now, it hurts
even to get up and get a drink. I try to get up but can only whine in
pain. I taken
in
the car one last time. Everyone is so sad, and I don't know why. have I
been bad? I try to be good and loving, what have I done wrong? Oh if
only this
pain
would be gone! If only I could soothe the tears of the little girl. I
reach out my muzzle to lick her hand, but can only whine in pain.
the veterinarians table is so cold. I am so frightened. The
humans all hug and love me, they cry into my soft fur. I can feel their
love and sadness. I manage to lick softly their hands. Even the vet
doesn't seem so scary today. he is gentle and I sense some kind of
relief for my pain. The little girl hold me softly and I thank her, for
giving me all her love. I feel a soft pinch in my foreleg. The pain is
beginning to lift, I am beginning to feel a peace descend upon me. I can
now softly lick her hand. My vision is becoming dreamlike now, and I see
my Mother and my brothers and sisters, in a far off green place. They
tell me there is no pain there, only peace and happiness. I tell the
family, good-bye in the only way I know how, a soft wag of my tail and a
nuzzle of my nose. I had hoped to spend many, many moons
with
them, but it was not meant to be. "You see," said the veterinarian "Pet
shop puppies do not come from ethical breeders."
The pain ends now, and I know it will be many years until I see
my beloved family again. If only things could have been different.
Copywrite 1999 J. Ellis
Story of a Puppy Mill Puppy
I don't remember much from the place I was born. It was cramped and
dark, and we were never played with by the humans. I remember Mom and
her soft fur, but she was often sick, and very thin. She had hardly any
milk for me and my brothers and sisters. I remember many of them dying,
and I missed them so.
This story may be published or reprinted in the hopes that it will stop
unethical breeders and those who breed only for money and not for the
betterment of the breed.