# When did "the rainbow bridge" become a popular metaphor for pet deaths? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 18, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449 "2017-01-18T04:10:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/21 "2017-01-18T14:12:10Z")
Despite being a bridge, I still always visualize a gleaming white staircase leading to the heavens. Rainbows visible. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/22 "2017-01-18T14:21:36Z")
So, all dogs go to Asgard? ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/23 "2017-01-18T16:36:41Z")
Only if they die in battle. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/24 "2017-01-18T17:11:46Z")
The funny thing is, pets are partially colorblind and show little appreciation for aesthetics. The poem really should be about a bridge made entirely of roadkill squirrels, but I understand that the fact that many of those pets will have been roadkill themselves would make it emotionally problematic. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/25 "2017-01-19T00:00:24Z")
And here I was wondering why everyone thought old Rex was gay. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/26 "2017-01-19T00:36:14Z")
Never heard of it either. And I’d much rather refer to it as Hamburger Time. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/27 "2017-01-19T01:21:29Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Just a data point – when I was a kid growing up in southern Ontario, the “[Rainbow bridge](http://www.richard-seaman.com/USA/States/NewYork/NiagaraFalls/HelicopterTrip/BothWaterfallsAndBanksFromTheNorth.jpg)” was (and still is) the Canada/USA bridge that gives you a view of the Niagara Gorge and Niagara Falls. It never occurred to us to fling dead pets off of it. > [@BwanaBob](#): > > I’m hoping you jest. The bridge is where pets meet their owners when they too pass. No flinging. Unless you have a pet monkey waiting for you there. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/28 "2017-01-19T01:58:57Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Only if they die in battle. So dogs who lose a fight with a car make it? ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/29 "2017-01-19T04:15:37Z")
It’s certainly more comforting than “pan-prismatic conveyance”. [Rainbow Bridge (pets) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Bridge_%28pets%29#The_story) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/30 "2017-01-19T05:04:47Z")
Never heard of it either. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/31 "2017-01-19T15:42:01Z")
First time I heard of it was when our dog died in 2008. The vet gave us a copy of the poem with the dog’s paw print. I thought it was nice. Since I’d never heard of it, it wasn’t a cliche to me. I try to keep it filed under nice and sweet rather than saccharine glurge. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/32 "2017-01-19T16:44:02Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I try to keep it filed under nice and sweet rather than saccharine glurge. Herculean effort, no doubt. Somebody should merge it with its competition and call it _Pawprints in the Rainbow Bridge_. The only question is how to squeeze Joyce Kilmer’s _Trees_ into it. (Okay, of course _somebody_ pees on it, but is it doggy, or Doggy Jesus?) ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/33 "2017-01-21T17:30:28Z")
A neighbor consoled me with the poem when my Quinn passed away. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327163&highlight=quinn](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327163&highlight=quinn) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/34 "2017-01-21T20:12:54Z")
I had my dog Brewster put to sleep less than a month ago. His vet sent me a plaster cast of his paw print and a card with the Rainbow Bridge on it. It brought fresh tears to my eyes. I don’t believe in God or in heaven, but I don’t think it’s saccharine glurge, either. I’m fine with it if it keeps him alive in my memory. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449/35 "2017-01-22T00:15:57Z")
Never heard of it [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-rainbow-bridge-become-a-popular-metaphor-for-pet-deaths/777449.md?page=1)