Pets | Bereavement
Why I Dislike The Term “Rainbow Bridge”
And how I prefer to talk about the death of a pet
I read an interesting article on Facebook recently that talked about why using the term “rainbow bridge” regarding the death of pets is not always recommended.
One reason was that the person whose pet died might not believe in any sort of afterlife — for humans or animals. And some people believe in Heaven (or Hell), but only for us humans.
What was more interesting to me, though, were the comments on that Facebook post.
In short, some said it’s the thought that counts, and I get that — to a degree.
Another point was that it’s the person’s grief that matters, and not the views of anybody talking to that person. If somebody you know has lost somebody (including a pet) they loved, and they are a believer, it makes sense to couch your words in terms that matter to them.
Personally, as a lifelong atheist, I would never talk about Heaven, even if the person was a Christian. Instead, I would use something more neutral, such as, “I’m sorry for your loss.”
But if they used words such as, “they’re in a better place now”, I wouldn’t say anything to dismiss or contradict their belief because that…
