Rainbow Bridge
#Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they each miss someone very special, someone who was left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly, he breaks from the group, flying over the green grass, faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into those trusting eyes, so long gone from your life, but never absent from your heart. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together.
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Pip Pennell (2010-2023) was adopted from Many Tears as a lanky, leggy, and underweight almost one year old in April 2011. She quickly became our much-loved family pet here in Cornwall for the rest of her life, where she loved chasing ‘sqizzles’ in Tehidy Woods and bounding along our local beaches. Her best doggy friend was Samiad, along with her human brothers Jago and Lowen. She was a beautiful, loving, silly, sweet girl who we miss very, very much. We lost my handsome boy at Christmas after 12 years filled with walks, company and love. He was brought over from Limerick at about 2, gentle but excitable, loving everyone, soo strong pulling from his shoulders but with no muscle in his hindquarters. My dog Dylan died in 2009 age 17; he had been a rescue dog of considerable character and loved by all who met him. PIP PENNELL - March 2023
Pip Pennell (2010-2023) was adopted from Many Tears as a lanky, leggy, and underweight almost one year old in April 2011. She quickly became our much-loved family pet here in Cornwall for the rest of her life, where she loved chasing ‘squizzles’ in Tehidy Woods and bounding along our local beaches.
Her best doggy friend was Samiad, along with her human brothers Jago and Lowen.
She was a beautiful, loving, silly, sweet girl who we miss very, very much.
The Pennell Family
PHILBY - March 2023
We had had a perfectly normal day, lovely morning walk on the Plain, meal at mid-day, everyone cleaned their bowls thoroughly, shorter walk in the wood in afternoon, Philby her usual maddening self, the three of us having to sit and wait in the car for about 10 minutes for her to finish all her sniffing and be ready to get back in.
All was well, we settled down for the evening with fire on in office, everyone seemed relaxed, then I noticed that Philby appeared uncomfortable, she was sitting in the middle of the room, normally she took any excuse to lie down, her breathing seemed a bit laboured. I took her outside assumed her discomfort was some sort of gastric disorder and her tummy was painful. I took her out a second time an hour or so later.
I came down early in the morning to find her sprawled on the hall floor, dead, the most dreadful shock, there had been not the slightest sign, before this episode, of anything being wrong. I feel terrible that I was not wih her when she was so desperately ill. She was the sweetest, kindest dog, every time I looked at her she would smile and wag her tail, life-affirming does not begin to describe her. She created a perfect, calm and peaceful atmosphere here for the other, rather more troubled, two, I think her past as a breeding bitch meant she was endlessly patient and benign and serene, she took everything in her stride (though she was a frightened little soul when she first arrived, Cecil’s beautiful nature was instrumental in converting her to her beatific state). She will be very hard to replace. PIP PENNELL - March 2023
FLOSSY - January 2023
We said goodbye to Flossy (MTAR Karrie - Tri colour Cavvie in the photo) after 6 happy years with us.
ROSIE - January 2023
I have some very sad news to deliver, at 22.00 last night Rosie passed over Rainbow Bridge. We adopted Rosie from you on 2nd December 2012 a few days after she had part of her face removed due to a tumour. She enjoyed over 10 years of happiness she hadn't known before and was a very loved member of our family, my very special girl. She was in her 16th year but old age caught up with her and she deteriorated very quickly, yesterday and we had to make the decision to not let her suffer. As I write this message I have tears streaming down my face, she has been a dream dog and I'll miss her so much. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to give her a great life and for us to share so many great moments together.
John Kennedy
GINNY - October 2021
Dear Sylvia and team.
We were so blessed to have Ginny (June on your records), our loving collie lady from you in December 2013 when she was 5.
She had come across from Ireland, was a super happy pocch, and never gave us a moment’s trouble. It was her smiley face on your website that was her constant expression all the lovely years she was with us. Sadly, she had to be put to sleep October 2021, as an earlier cancer, thought to have been cleared, got to the brain and we had to make a sudden decision to let her go, she was just short of 13 years old. This pic was when she was well, in 2020.
I am late putting her onto your site, as only now am I able to consider taking on another of your dogs, and have been looking at your site and found the Rainbow Bridge feature. I shall always be so grateful you saved Ginny so that she could add so much to our lives. In lockdown she kept me sane!
Hope to be in touch very soon
With love and thanks
Liz and family LULU - December 2022
Dear Sylvia & the wonderful team at Many Tears, BAILEY - June 2022
It is with a broken heart that I have to say that our beautiful boy Bailey passed over the rainbow bridge on the 23rd June this year. He was just a couple of months short of his 10th birthday. We are absolutely devastated. He brought us so much joy and so many laughs. He was a real character with so much sense of humour. He was full of happiness and life until the day he passed which was very suddenly. He collapsed one day after being asleep. We rushed him to the vets where initially they could find nothing wrong but after a subsequent scan they discovered a huge tumour in his heart cavity. We had to say goodbye to him there and then. We are full of gratitude to Many Tears for the great joy that he brought into our life. He was the best decision we ever made and there is now a huge golden shaped hole in our lives. In tribute to him I have had my very first tattoo at the age of nearly 60. Rest in peace Bailey Bob. SAM - October 20022
Quick to learn with his own quirks, he seemed too much to handle but help from a local obedience judge in clicker training and kind methods turned him round. Too hyper for classes, we did our own thing and looking back I can’t remember the transition from chasing everything and going deaf to walking peacefully through sheep off lead. His recall was always a bit hit and miss!!
Loved him so much, thanks so much to Many Tears for giving him a chance snd me the pleasure of being his chum. MIKA - September 2022
Mika (Bob) 2008-2022
We adopted Mika formerly Shabba from you in August 2008 . Mika affectionately known as Bob (no idea why ?!) was around 2 months old and as we were already Husky owners we were allowed to adopt her from you . Mika had 12 years with our other husky Henry until we sadly lost him in 2020 Mika then had the next 2 years as the only dog in the house which she loved ! Mika was a very feisty character and never got out of her guarding of food , treats , toys and peoples feet and anything else , she loved eating tissues that she found and for most of her life she was still stealing socks ( her foster mum I think her name was Caroline warned us about this when she was with her !) . Mika had a very happy 14 years with us , she was the best dog and my youngest daughters best friend , we couldn’t have asked for better . Mika celebrated her 14th Birthday earlier this year but she had arthritis and had slowed down a lot but still enjoyed life and going for short , sniffing wanders instead of long walks and being in the garden and spoilt with lots of treats right until the end . It was very appropriate that Mika passed on the same day as the Queen , she was our Queen .
Run free Bob , go and find Henry and Millie , we will never forget you , until we meet again xxx?? COOKIE - May 2022
Cookie came in to Many Tears with an incurable health condition. Unfortunately she became in too much pain for her to bare and so we had to make the heartbreaking decision to let her fall asleep peacefully. She is free of pain now and although she never had the chance to experience home life, she was loved beyond measure by all of us staff at Many Tears.
She was this bumbling beacon of light and love, despite it all. She gave the best cuddles, she loved to play with her beagle kennel friends and although kennel life was all she got to experience, I hope she knew how much she was adored by us lucky ones who got to care for her.
Cookie will live on forever in our hearts. I'm sure she's on rainbow Bridge playing with all of the wonderful pups that are up there too.
Love you sweet lady ? SWIFT - May 2022
Hello, I wanted to get in touch to let you know that our beautiful girl, Swift has just died.
Swift came to us from Many Years 10 years ago and has been a joyous, determined, totally loving and wonderful part of our family. We can not believe she’s not here with us still. For 9 of her years with us, Swift had the most brilliant active life. She spent most of her days swimming, walking, and running around Port Meadow or further afield. Her other great hobby was fishing enormous rocks out of the bottom of the river and proudly carrying them home to join an ever growing pile by our front door. She had a nose for the wild and wonderful spirit of adventure, but also a heart full of love for her humans that just about kept her wandering soul in check.
Then last February, aged 12, Swift suddenly lost the use of her legs due to a spinal tumour. Although, the first neurologist who examined her suggested that we put Swift down, it quickly became evident to us that Swift was in no mood to give in. For a month, we ran around with her on a harness as she gave us a thorough bicep and cardio work out, chasing squirrels through the local woods. Then her first set of wheels came and soon she was trundling around old her old walks and becoming something of a local celebrity and inspiration for her sheer bloody minded determination to just get on with things.
At the start of this year, Swift slowed down a bit, but - now on her second set of wheels after waring the first out - still enjoyed a trundle around the neighbourhood. Almost right up to the end, she could still charge out into the garden on a harness to bark at cats and squirrels - life never lost its excitement for her. Wonderfully, once paralysed, Swift developed an entirely new set of movements to communicate all the feelings that she used to express with her head down wiggles and thumping tail. She was an extraordinary communicator and basically ruled the roost with her show stopping ways. Mainly though, she gave extraordinary amounts of love to us all. When you were getting stressed, Swift was always there to remind you of what really mattered in life: getting out and sucking the fun out of every second and loving each other.
After a final couple of days of more severe illness, Swift died peacefully. She’d been so brave and resilient and determined. She was an incredible girl, the very best and we can’t thank you enough for helping her to find us. Rest in peace glorious Swift. Wherever you are I hope there are squirrels & geese to bark at, flood meadows and woodlands to run through, rivers to fish rocks from, and rubs to demand at the end of the day. And one day, in some alternative place, we’ll be running with you on some other Port Meadow again. You were undoubtedly our spirit animal, Swifty - the queen of dogs, the very best!
Katie Baxendale HONEY - April 2022
We weren’t going to get another dog after our previous MT rescue Missy died.
But somehow I couldn’t stop looking at the Many Tears site. After about six months of not really looking, I spotted Honey, whose ears flared out at an angle, which made her look as though she was about to take off. I was smitten. We are still grateful to Cheryl who kindly waited until I had recovered from flu for us to come and collect her. Honey was indeed a Honey by name and a Honey by nature. I never remember her growling once during the seven years that we had her and was always just as sweet as her name. It is a year to the date that we had to have her put to sleep because her heart couldn’t cope anymore and I still miss her every day.
Thank you Many Tears for letting us adopt Honeybun as we came to call her.
Loretta and Martin TAZOO - January 2022
After a brief battle with lymphoma, it broke our hearts to have to say goodbye to Tazoo in January, 2022, age 15 years.
We’d met Tazoo at a foster home in Oxford, and fell for his lopsided smile from the moment we first saw him. Tazoo was 5 years old, when he first came into our lives and we shared ten amazing years with him. We miss him every day and feel blessed that he shared his heart and his love with us.
Sue and Nick ROWAN - February 2022
February 2009 - 14 February 2022
My darling Rowan RIP
We never thought we would come to terms with him going over the Rainbow Bridge.
We looked at Many Tears and I saw Paisley - an abandoned puppy with his siblings and young Mum, just 5 weeks old.
We quickly took him into our home and our hearts, renaming him Rowan. He loved the socialisation process, was quick to train (a Collie X trait I think) and grew into the most wonderful, loving and loyal dog.
He battled bumps over the last couple of years and after a wonderful New Year holiday on the beach he started to slow down considerably. We found a large lump under a front leg which led to a limp.
Over the last two weeks we fought to ensure he was pain free and comfortable - last weekend we had two more bittersweet fun filled days with him.
He followed Dylan over the Rainbow Bridge on Valentines Day.
The house is so empty yet he is still everywhere - I am so grateful for his life
He was the most wonderful of dogs and loved us deeply - he was such an outstanding friend, companion, squirrel and cat chaser, swimmer, runner - he filled his space every day, and then slept happily.
#neverforgotten KIM - January 2022
We first met Kim (nee "Trim” ) on a visit to MTR to find a replacement for our Springer Spaniel back in April 2016. She was slumped against the fence at the side of her run with a flowerpot on her head looking as miserable as it's possible for a dog to look and we just fell for her. A week later we went again to collect her and she looked a little different. She had been spayed, completely shaved from behind her front legs to the tip of her tail to help control her awful skin condition due to infestations of lice etc. She had also had 9 of her small front teeth removed because they were rotten. This gave rise to one of her adorable landmark looks. An inch of protruding tongue whenever she relaxed. 4 months of constant TLC later and we had a different dog. The red coat to protect her from the sun was slowly replaced with beautiful white fur and she rediscovered the joy of living. She only had to be on a lead near roads etc as she quickly learnt to run back to us for a cuddle upon hearing our finger whistles. She never learnt to play with objects but she loved running and many were the times when she chased our friends Whippet and Lurcher around the local country park and she always won in the end because, although she didn’t quite have the speed she had the stamina. She simply adored people, especially children and she made many friends. She never ate treats, she always buried them and on one occasion, upon winning first prize at a local fun dog show for the most beautiful eyes, she was given a bone and promptly dug a hole in the middle of the arena and buried it and then walked off to great applause. When the boot of the car was opened she jumped in and waited for the next adventure be it the mountains of Snowdonia, the Jurassic coastline or the Cornish beaches or just the country park. She gave us nearly 6 years of pure joy and hopefully we did the same for her.
