Unlike most days at Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray, damp as a swamp and as dismal as could be imagined. All of the recent arrivals had no idea what to think, as they had never experienced a day like this before. But the animals who had been waiting for their beloved people knew exactly what was going on and started to gather at the pathway leading to The Bridge to watch.

It wasn't long before an elderly animal came into view, head hung low and tail dragging. The other animals, the ones who had been there for a while, knew what his story was right away, for they had seen this happen far too often.

He approached slowly, obviously in great emotional pain, but with no sign of injury or illness. Unlike all of the other animals waiting at The Bridge, this animal had not been restored to youth and made healthy and vigorous again. As he walked toward The Bridge, he watched all of the other animals watching him. He knew he was out of place here and the sooner he could cross over, the happier he would be. But, alas, as he approached The Bridge, his way was barred by the appearance of an Angel who apologized, but told him that he would not be able to pass. Only those animals who were with their people could pass over Rainbow Bridge.

With no place else to turn to, the elderly animal turned towards the fields before The Bridge and saw a group of other animals like himself, also elderly and infirm. They weren't playing, but rather simply lying on the green grass, forlornly staring out at the pathway leading to The Bridge. And so, he took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting.

One of the newest arrivals at The Bridge didn't understand what he had just witnessed and asked one of the animals that had been there for awhile to explain it to him.

"You see, that poor animal was a rescue. He was turned in to rescue just as you see him now, an older animal with his fur graying and his eyes clouding. He never made it out of rescue and passed on with only the love of his rescuer to comfort him as he left his earthly existence. Because he had no family to give his love to, he has no one to escort him across The Bridge.

The first animal thought about this for a minute and then asked, "So what will happen now?" As he was about to receive his answer, the clouds suddenly parted and the gloom lifted. Approaching The Bridge could be seen a single person and among the older animals, a whole group was suddenly bathed in a golden light and they were all young and healthy again, just as they were in the prime of life.

"Watch, and see.", said the second animal. A second group of animals from those waiting came to the pathway and bowed low as the person neared. At each bowed head, the person offered a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. The newly restored animals fell into line and followed him towards The Bridge. They all crossed The Bridge together.

"What happened?"

"That was a rescuer. The animals you saw bowing in respect were those who found new homes because of her work. They will cross when their new families arrive. Those you saw restored were those who never found homes. When a rescuer arrives, they are allowed to perform one, final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort those poor animals that they couldn't place on earth across The Rainbow Bridge."

"I think I like rescuers", said the first animal."So does GOD", was the reply.

      Once upon a time somebody took me home as a cute little puppy. They were excited about having such a flashy dog as a purebred Great Dane. They took me to the vet and had my dewclaws removed and my ears cropped. I had to wear a funny looking hat that made my ears stand up but that was ok because they gave me plenty of love and attention during that time. I learned all sorts of tricks—sit, stay, beg, shake, lie down. I was so smart I could do it all!

      That’s why I’ll never understand what I did wrong. Maybe I got too big, or maybe my master just got tired of me, but I went from being inside with my family to being outside alone. I didn’t have a bed and I had to lie on concrete, which made me get big bruises and sores that healed into calluses. Sometimes they forgot to give me food and water and I went hungry and thirsty for days. I didn’t have a dog house so I had to stand outside whether it was freezing cold or scorching hot, which was especially bad once my fur started to fall out. I started feeling sick and coughing, and later I found out it was because I had heartworms. I guess my master didn’t notice anything was wrong because I never went to the vet. Then my master stopped coming to see me, ever. Days and days went by and I was all alone with no food or water. I thought I was going to die, so I just lay there, very still, and waited…

      Then, one day, a nice lady named Amy Giblin appeared. She showed me a chicken breast and asked if I was hungry. Boy was I ever! It was hard to get up to get over to her, but that chicken breast smelled so good I willed myself to get up off of the ground. After that she and another nice lady named Alice Snow helped me get into a car, and then I went to go live at a vet’s office for a little while.

      Some dogs don’t like to live at the vet’s office, but I sure did. It was noisy in the kennels but it was air conditioned. I had a blanket and I had food and water, though I was only allowed to have a little bit at a time at first. That was ok, though, because it meant that I’d get to see a person every few hours when they brought me my bowls, and they would always stay to pet me while I ate. I was hooked up to machines and got poked and prodded by a lot of different things, but it was ok because I wasn’t alone anymore.

      After a short while the vet said that there wasn’t anything more they could do for me, but that I could go to live on a farm with Miss Alice. They didn’t think I would live very long and they told her to just make me comfortable for the few days I had left. Boy, were they wrong! I was still very weak and looked very frail, but what they didn’t realize was that I’d regained my will to live.

      I loved life on the farm with Miss Alice. She and her husband and son took very good care of me. I had my very own pen with my very own doghouse, which I loved. There were lots of other dogs there in other pens, but I didn’t mind because even though Miss Alice was busy taking care of all them, she always took special time to pet me, talk to me and give me the love that I so desperately needed. Miss Amy would come to visit me too and she always brought me lots of treats. As time went by I surprised everyone by living! I was still very weak and had big sores and bald spots all over my body, but I was slowly getting stronger, though it was hard to tell.

      One day when Miss Amy came to visit, she brought another lady with her. She told me that this lady’s name was Katie Shaddix and that Katie was going to take me home. I didn’t like this at all! I thought she meant that Katie was going to take me back to my old home. Now that I’d regained some of my strength, I didn’t like strangers. I stayed inside of my dog house and growled and refused to come out.

      After a little while, Katie came and sat on the ground by my dog house. She talked to me for a while and explained that she was going to take me to her home, where I could live inside and sleep on a bed. I was none too sure about this, but after a while I decided to come out where she could see me, and that sure made her happy. She told me that I was exactly what she’d always wanted, and that she and her husband David had been hoping for a dog like me for years.

      After that I decided to trust her enough to get in her car, and that sure was a smart decision! At Katie and David’s house I lived like a king. I had my own twin sized bed in the same room as the big bed, but I still preferred to sleep in the big bed, even if that meant that sometimes I’d knock a sleeping human onto the floor. Since I was still very skinny, I was allowed to eat whatever I wanted including plenty of milkbones for my teeth because I had a lot of tartar, but one evening Katie realized that so long as David petted me, I’d sit still while she cleaned my teeth.

      Those were happy times. I got to go everywhere that my humans went. Sometimes I went to work with Katie or went to visit David at work. I was so well behaved and quiet that no one ever minded. On weekends I liked playing Frisbee golf or going camping. Wherever I was, swarms of people always came up to pet me and exclaim how beautiful and gentle I was.

      Then, one day, I realized that I was tired. David and Katie noticed this too, and Katie said she’d take me on a special outing the next day to perk me up, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. I wagged my tail anyway to let her know I was happy. David made my dinner and I ate a little bit of it, but even as I did this I could feel my tired old heart slowing down. I was safe and happy, surrounded by the people that I loved. David sat down on the couch and I climbed up beside him, put my head on the pillow, let out one last sigh, and died.

      That’s how I came to live here, at the Rainbow Bridge. I’m pretty old and wise, so I have a pretty good job, acting as a guide here. I also like to look down at Earth every once in a while to see what my humans are doing, and boy are they busy. Katie and David spend all their time chasing after Julie, their very rambunctious Great Dane puppy. Miss Amy and Miss Alice are even busier, constantly running around, rescuing and caring for other dogs like me. They have a lot on their hands! They’re doing a lot of good too—helping other dogs to enjoy a life like I did.