Where did they go after they died? What is the Rainbow Bridge people talk about? Are they lonely over there?
Beliefs differ from place to place. The Rainbow Bridge comes from a short piece written in 1959: pets play together in a meadow and wait for their owners.
A real example
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.
News, National Geographic, 22 Feb 2023Read the original
What others said
「Since my dog passed, I worry he is lonely up there without any friends.」
Shared online (reworded) Japan, Oct 2026「My dog died at 11, and I worry they're lonely over there and don't know how to sort out my feelings.」
Shared online (reworded) Yahoo!知恵袋, Japan, Oct 2026What people do in different places
Some believe pets wait for their owners at the Rainbow BridgeEnglish-speaking countries: from a 1959 piece from Scotland
Vet hospitals give copies to grieving ownersEnglish-speaking countries: also common in sympathy cards
Some believe pets cross the rainbow bridge home on Oct 27Mexico: a folk belief for pets' Day of the Dead
Some temples offer graves for people and pets togetherJapan: one in Tokyo; Pure Land scholars differ on pets reaching paradise
Temples hold rites and keep ashes for petsChina: views differ within Buddhism and Taoism
Hold memorial rites for dead animals in Ghost MonthTaiwan: Kaohsiung's animal office held one in 2022
A legend says hairless dogs guide souls across a riverMexico: an old belief about human souls
Sources
2 posts from owners online: reworded and anonymised, showing only the platform, region and month. We keep the original links privately.
Updated 25 Oct 2026. This page updates daily from owners’ posts.