What is the Rainbow Bridge? A place to wait for us.
The Rainbow Bridge is the idea that when a pet dies it goes to a peaceful meadow, young and healthy again, and waits there for its person — and that one day the two of them cross a rainbow bridge together. It comes from a prose poem shared since the 1980s, and “crossed the Rainbow Bridge” has become a kind way of saying a pet has died.
Where the idea comes from
The phrase comes from a short poem known simply as “Rainbow Bridge”. For years it was passed around as “author unknown”; in 2023 National Geographic reported that Edna Clyne-Rekhy wrote it in Scotland in 1959, after her dog died, though others have claimed it too. The image of a rainbow bridge between worlds is much older — Norse mythology has Bifröst, a burning rainbow bridge between the earth and the home of the gods.
Why it helps
- It gives grief a picture. Instead of an empty space, there is a meadow, sunlight and a pet that is no longer in pain.
- It turns goodbye into “see you later”. The pet isn’t gone; it is waiting.
- It gives people words. Telling a child, a friend or a colleague that a pet “crossed the Rainbow Bridge” is easier than saying it plainly, and everyone understands.
Ways people mark it
Some people read the poem aloud at a small goodbye, light a candle on Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day (often marked on August 28), or share a photo with the words “run free”. Others plant a tree, keep a paw print, or make something they can watch again. You’ll find more in our pet memorial ideas.
A Rainbow Bridge video of your pet
We make short Rainbow Bridge videos from one photo: your dog or cat walks across the meadow toward the bridge, looks back at you once, and walks on into the light, with their name, years and your words at the end. $9.99, usually ready within about 10 minutes, and only charged once it’s ready.
Make a Rainbow Bridge video of your pet · $9.99 One photo of your pet · usually ready within about 10 minutes · charged only once the video is ready
Quick answers
What does “crossed the Rainbow Bridge” mean?
It is a gentle way of saying a pet has died. It comes from the Rainbow Bridge poem, in which pets wait in a sunny meadow, healthy again, until their person comes and they cross the bridge together.
Is the Rainbow Bridge real?
It is an image from a poem, not a place or a religious teaching. People of many faiths, and of none, use it because it gives words to the hope of seeing a beloved animal again.
What do I say to someone whose pet crossed the Rainbow Bridge?
Keep it simple and use the pet’s name: “I’m so sorry about Max. He was lucky to have you.” Sharing a memory of the pet, or simply saying you are thinking of them, means more than any perfect phrase.
How can I remember my pet?
Many people keep a photo, a collar or a paw print, plant something in the garden, donate to a shelter in the pet’s name, or make a short memorial video. See our list of pet memorial ideas for more.
Rainbow Bridge Videos is an independent memorial video service. It isn’t affiliated with the author of the Rainbow Bridge poem or any of its publishers, and we don’t reproduce the poem. Every example on this site shows an AI-generated, fictional pet — never a customer’s pet.