In 1959, Edna Clyne-Rekhy, a 19-year-old in Scotland, wrote the Rainbow Bridge after her dog died and gave unsigned copies to friends. In 2023, U.S. art historian Paul Koudounaris ruled out about 25 possible authors and found her. She confirmed she wrote it.
National GeographicWhere did they go after they died? What is the Rainbow Bridge people talk about? Are they lonely over there?
What people do around the world
Some believe pets wait for their owners at the Rainbow Bridge
from a 1959 piece from Scotland
National GeographicVet hospitals give copies to grieving owners
also common in sympathy cards
National Geographic「Since my dog passed, I worry he is lonely up there without any friends.」
Oct 2026Original post・Yahoo!知恵袋
Some believe pets cross the rainbow bridge home on Oct 27
a folk belief for pets' Day of the Dead
Por Esto!Some temples offer graves for people and pets together
one in Tokyo; Pure Land scholars differ on pets reaching paradise
nippon.comTemples hold rites and keep ashes for pets
views differ within Buddhism and Taoism
Sixth Tone「My dog died at 11, and I worry they're lonely over there and don't know how to sort out my feelings.」
Oct 2026Original post・Yahoo!知恵袋
Hold memorial rites for dead animals in Ghost Month
Kaohsiung's animal office held one in 2022
中央社A legend says hairless dogs guide souls across a river
an old belief about human souls
Por Esto!The once-lost history of the Rainbow Bridge pet poem
Mental FlossUpdated 29 Oct 2026.