You understand that pets get older, they suffer from health problems, and several other issues can affect their lifespans. Children don't quite understand that pets reach the end of their lives. Your child may have a great deal of emotion when a pet passes or is going to be euthanized. They might also have questions as to where your pet will go once he or she passes.
Years ago, a poet wrote about a rainbow bridge that pets pass to get to heaven. It's a concept you may use to make your children feel more content about the passing of a beloved pet.
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...
~ Author Unknown
The Rainbow Bridge
The rainbow bridge is a mythical bridge that connects Earth and Heaven. When a pet passes away, he or she walks this bridge to crossover. When it's a human's time to pass, the pet waits on the bridge for them. The concept is a way to help children and adults alike accept the passing of their four-legged friend and feel as though they'll be reunited one day.
How to Explain It to Your Child
First and foremost, you should tackle the fact that your pet is ill, or it was his or her time. It helps to explain that the pet is no longer suffering once he or she passes. Your child may wonder if they’ll ever see their pet again. The Rainbow Bridge is an excellent way to explain what happens when a pet passes away.
You can inform your little one that Fluffy walked over a rainbow bridge that led him or her to heaven. Then, inform your child that one day far in the future, your whole family will reunite with Fluffy, each at his or her own time.
What to Keep in Mind
Your child's age is an important factor to keep in mind. A five-year-old will have much less of a grasp on this concept than a 10-year-old, per se. After you explain, you should ask your child if he or she has any questions and address them in an age-appropriate manner, based on your family's beliefs.
A pet's passing is rough on everyone in a family but especially for children. This might be their first experience with death. Using the concept of the Rainbow Bridge can make your pet's passing easier on your little one.
First Aid
Never leave dangerous objects like pins, needles, or fish hooks within reach. Keep poisonous products and materials far from your pet's reach as you would with a child.
Of course, before an emergency ever arises, it's a good idea to learn all you can about first aid techniques and pet health care. Never leave dangerous objects like pins, needles, or fish hooks within reach. Keep poisonous products and materials far from your pet's reach as you would with a child. Be well aware of your pet's normal behavior, so you can recognize what's not normal. Remember that the objective is to relieve suffering . . . perhaps even to save a life. Emergency first aid is most effective when rendered quickly, but calmly.
A sick or injured animal is often in a frightened state, so if emergency first aid is necessary protect yourself (even if it's your own pet); cats can be handled with gloves or wrapped in a blanket - a dog can be muzzled. If there's any question of seriousness, keep our phone number handy with other emergency phone numbers.
Family pets (and all animals) risk all kinds of poisoning from all kinds of places. Snakes can poison; some plants can poison; and hundreds of poisonous materials are used around the home by people every day - things like pesticides, weed killers, lawn sprays, acids, fertilizers, paints . . . the list is endless.
Here's what you can do if your pet is poisoned:
- Keep your pet warm and quiet
- Try to determine what the poison was, when it was ingested, and the amount swallowed
- Immediately call us and/or your nearest poison control center
When you bring your pet to see us, bring the container (or the label) with you. Most of the time poisoning is accidental. Keep poisonous materials out of reach, know what your pet is doing at all times, and keep emergency telephone numbers handy.
Month-Long Celebrations
- National Immunization Awareness Month
- National Back to School Month
Week-Long Celebrations
- August 2 – 8: International Assistance Dog Week
Day Celebrations
- August 4: Assistance Dog Day
- August 5: Work Like a Dog Day
- August 6: Fresh Breath Day
- August 8: National CBD Day
- August 8: International Cat Day
- August 10: Spoil Your Dog Day
- August 10: National Lazy Day
- August 15: National Check the Chip Day
- August 17: Black Cat Appreciation Day
- August 17: International Nonprofit Day
- August 21: International Homeless Animals' Day
- August 22: National Dog to the Vet Day
- August 26: National Dog Day
- August 28: Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day
- August 30: National Holistic Pet Day
August's Quote of the Month
“Animals have a much better attitude to life and death than we do. They know when their time has come. We are the ones that suffer when they pass, but it’s a healing kind of grief that enables us to deal with other griefs that are not so easy to grab hold of.”
- Emmylou Harris, American Songwriter