Despite being a bridge, I still always visualize a gleaming white staircase leading to the heavens. Rainbows visible.
So, all dogs go to Asgard?
Only if they die in battle.
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.
And here I was wondering why everyone thought old Rex was gay.
Never heard of it either. And I’d much rather refer to it as Hamburger Time.
Unless you have a pet monkey waiting for you there. 
So dogs who lose a fight with a car make it?
It’s certainly more comforting than “pan-prismatic conveyance”. Rainbow Bridge (pets) - Wikipedia
Never heard of it either.
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.
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?)
A neighbor consoled me with the poem when my Quinn passed away.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327163&highlight=quinn
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.
Never heard of it