As 2024 draws to a close, we would like to pay tribute to the dear friends and family members who crossed Rainbow Bridge this year. Some we never met in person, but through social media they became close friends, and others we knew from our earliest whelping box days. All have left paw prints on our hearts and hearts around the world.
Emilia was the tender age of one when she drifted off over the Bridge in her sleep. But oh the adventures she packed into that year, including an epic roadtrip to Maine! It was on that trip that she taught all of us to “stop and look at the beauty while you can.” Remi had barely left the whelping box when at 6 months old succumbed to dilated cardiopathy. Max loved turtles and chasing tennis balls, both of which he enjoyed for 5 years before succumbing to seizures. If you asked Potter, he would have told you he fit “eleventy billion” adventures into his 5.5 years with his family, and his calculations would be right! Potter even won Cutest Pet in Pittsburg, before leaving for his grand adventure over Rainbow Bridge.
Hope was so excited to turn sweet 16 that she invited friends around the world to celebrate with her! Always stylish in her shirts and sweaters, we raise a bowl of fresh soup in her memory. For 16 years Caymus Pug brightened the days of family and friends near and far. Molly crossed at just shy of her 15th birthday. A true tennis ball aficionado, Molly lived life to the fullest, and despite towering over her canine crew, her gentle ways and fun loving spirit made her smaller siblings feel just as big as her. Moose was also just shy of his 15th birthday, but couldn’t wait to celebrate because he knew that his human grandmother needed him over The Bridge. Jonti filled her 14 years with love and kindness, by living her best life filled with adventures and friends. Aspen celebrated his 14th birthday before earning his angel wings. Adopted at age 8, Aspen spent 6 wonderful years with his family.
Jettie crossed on Rainbow Remembrance Day, just a few days after hosting her 14th annual birthday celebration on Wells Beach. Jettie was also joined by Lyra and Catcher over The Bridge. Together they leave a lasting legacy of hope as Heroes in the Morris Animal Foundation’s Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, but their smiling faces each summer on Maine beaches will be dearly missed. Elliot Chester “only knew love” in his 13 years, and selflessly shared that love by being a Hero in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. During his life he visited 15 states and Canada, telling everyone about the importance of supporting this groundbreaking research. Trixie, Hero #2466 in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, also dedicated her life to finding answers to the cancer that took her, with the hope of helping future dogs live longer lives.
Formally named Montgomfrey but known the world over as Monty, he brought smiles and happiness on his travels across the country during 13.75 years of adventures, making friends each stop along the journey. In 13.5 years, Chauncey inspired 3 novels, and continues to inspire as her memory lives on forever in those tales. Chauncey, please keep sending your family those signs that you are watching over them. Named for the Cat Stevens song, “Ruby Love,” Ruby enjoyed life right up to the day she crossed, celebrating her 13th birthday just two weeks before heading off on her next adventure. Rev galloped through life, before setting running over The Bridge a few months shy of 13. The world knew Alfie as Bert the Bear’s faithful friend. A polar opposite, as he raced through life while Bert plodded along, we take comfort knowing that when Alfie ran over The Bridge, Bert was right there to greet him and continue their adventures.
Cancer and other illnesses cut short the lives of far too many friends. Hemangiosarcoma ended the adventures of Grizzly and Cambridge. Cambridge was his Mom’s faithful companion, and her photos of him enjoying the Maine woods and water beautifully show the special relationship they shared. Tallulah Bee bravely faced cancer before joining her sister Harper Lee, but oh did she bring a lot of smiles with her work as an airport therapy dog before she crossed. Although not formally certified as a therapy dog, Major brought smiles to his neighborhood, especially the students at the nearby school who passed by his home daily. Luke bravely fought Hemangiosarcoma before peacefully crossing over at the age of 12. Benge also spent his last days in peace surrounded by family before ending his battle. Jaxon was sent by Angel Sashie to heal his family’s broken heart. Rescued at age 2, he gave them 6 wonderful years together, and with few exceptions his Mom took a photo of him each day. Jaxon’s last photo shared shortly before his sudden passing was appropriately captioned, “happiness personified.”
SugarMoonbeam was a fighter to the end, but alas kidney disease won. She will forever be remembered for her walks in the woods where she would pause to check in with her squirrel friends high in the trees. Always the thoughtful pup, SugarMoonbeam sent a rainbow in the clouds to let her Mom know she arrived safely. Big Piper was adopted with many health issues, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying 4.5 amazing and loving years filled with adventures. She taught us all the valuable lesson of don’t be afraid to adopt older dogs with special needs. Sully didn’t let going blind slow him down, but alas other health issues did. Speedo died suddenly during emergency surgery, but we are sure was greeted with lots of treats when he arrived at The Bridge. Lloyd left his friends in shock with his sudden departure. Our hearts go out to his grieving Dad, who owes his life to his best friend and officemate. No one multitasked like Lloyd, holding up the walls with his paws, while supervising his Dad at work, although he never did quite catch on to the game of fetch.
Turbo didn’t let losing an eye slow him down. In fact he embraced it, and personally welcomed each new member to the Wink Club, giving sage advice to friends adapting to this change in perspective. Thank you Turbo for the “lovies.” You truly made the world a better place with your mission to spread love and happiness. Opie also “lubbed” his friends, and everyone was his friend! His puppy-like sense of wonder was endearing, as he crossed Rainbow Bridge with a resounding “Wooooooo!” Thanks Opie for continuing to watch over us here and at The Bridge.
Monte absolutely loved swimming, and captured hearts around the world with his videos of fetching splash bombs in the pool, while barking orders to Mom. Named for his Angel Dad’s favorite car, Monte devoted his life to healing his family’s grieving hearts, because as a small puppy he recognized instantly that they needed him. He also knew his grandparents’ dog, Rex, needed him, so was there to greet him when he crossed Rainbow Bridge this year too. Thank you Monte for being one of our first friends on Facebook. We know you were there to also give Chuck Billy a tour of all the best swimming spots. We hope you show our friend Shadow those swimming spots too. For years we have been following Shadow’s trips to the lake, drives to Dunkin’, and joyful anticipation as he waited for his hubro to come back on vacations from school. Thanks for sharing your world with us, Shadow. Murphy also loved being with family and spending time at the lake swimming. His Mom’s beautiful photos captured Murphy’s pure joy while enjoying time with family at the lake.
From Casey the mini-me stuffie dog to his giant stuffies, no friend was too small or too big for Finnegan. Devoted big brother, he bravely defended his family from that mysterious red balloon, and other threats both real and imaginary, but even more bravely faced his health issues. Finnegan came “home” on what would have been his 12th birthday. We miss you dear friend, but will always smile on Babushka Friday thinking of you, and will be able to participate thanks to a gift from our dear friend Sheba. Sheba, I don’t know what first got Asa’s attention on Twitter. It could have been one of Sheba’s hikes, or perhaps an ‘80s song lyric reference, or maybe her happily singing the Dig, Dig, Dig song in her digging garden. Whatever the reason, Asa was instantly smitten! Being older and wiser, at first she was not interested in Asa’s goofy Golden ways. But overtime their friendship grew, as they sang and danced their way through Twitter together. We will always have a song in our heart for you, sweet Sheba.
The words of Beetle’s final goodbye are hung near Mom’s desk as a daily reminder of his wisdom and wit, “I was life itself, wild and free. Wonderfully chaotic, a perfectly put together mess. Remember me friends, Play hard, and love harder.” We take these words to heart, dear friend. Luna’s messages of love and kindness are also held close to our hearts. When she crossed, Luna reminded us “not to mourn, but instead remember the friendship, love and laughter.” Balto, the pawsome therapy Husky, shared smiles in the UK and across the pond. Rescued from a shelter, he taught the world about the power of love, and shared that love with “kisses” for his dear friend Sophie before crossing. Miss Rachael, a human friend, also deserves recognition here, for making Dog Twitter special with her wit and kindness. An avid dog lover and supporter of many dog rescues, especially for senior dogs, Miss Rachael leaves a big void with her silence, but we take comfort knowing she is reunited with her beloved Lily.
Charlie worked tirelessly behind the scenes at No Bowl Empty 2 Pet Food Pantry. Although seldom seen, he was always heard as he took his role of protector quite seriously, but he also instinctively knew who in the family needed him most and when. Charlie knew his Mom needed him during her health battle, so he waited until she was feeling stronger before leaving to be with his human grandmother, who crossed just months earlier and needed her sweet protector by her side. Charlie’s final message as protector to everyone, is to take time each month to check those lumps and bumps! Theo was also on a mission to make the world a better place by leading the way for service dogs in science! Theo guided his Mom on her healing journey, to become the first service dog to gain access to laboratories. He retired in 2015, but passed this mission on to Sampson who will be honored in January at the American Humane Hero Dog Awards.
Speaking of awards, K9 Sig retired Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife working dog was honored with the Search and Rescue Case of the Year by the International Police Working Dog Merit Awards for finding a missing 3 year old. K9 Sig now is keeping watch over Rainbow Bridge, along with K9 Morgan also retired of the Maine Fisheries and Wildlife Department. Many may remember K9 Morgan for his appearances on the tv show Northwoods Law. Thank you for loyally serving the people of Maine, while teaching viewers around the world about your important work. Ghost the dog, had all of Maine hoping and praying he’d be found. Sadly he did not make it home. But his spirit brought hope to three other lost and stray dogs during the search for him, who all got new beginnings with loving families thanks to Ghost.
Pip made his world feel so much closer to friends around the globe with his Pip’s Trips. The unofficial ambassador to Pantiles, Pip joyfully took us along on his adventures sharing his knowledge of history, trains, and music, with clever puns thrown in there for good measure. Pip, we can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve taught us and the smiles you gave us. We miss your clever banter! Kai also brought the world together as the inspiration for the Golden Retriever Channel. I know it sounds cliche, but Kai truly died doing what he loved. As an avid field dog, Kai spent the morning playing with his bumper, before crossing just 3 hours later, living life to the fullest. Venk also brought the world together through The Golden Ratio, teaching us to find joy in the everyday. Initially we first followed Rex to find out what tv show he recommended or to see his stick of the day. Over time it was a pleasure watching him grow his influence for good, by channeling the power of his fanbase into a nonprofit to help dogs in need cover medical expenses. Although Rex recently crossed Rainbow Bridge, we know his mission to help will continue! Samson and Zero also helped the world in their own special way. As the last of the founding members of the Zombie Squad, Samson created the Zombie Squad Science Division, and through his inventions saved many followers from zombie attacks. Zero wrote the Zombie Squad Handbook, while teaching its members to BAM zombies. This year their end of watch came on earth, but you can rest assured that they continue to protect from zombies over Rainbow Bridge.
You may not recognize him by his name, but I’m sure you know Clark the “talking dog.” He was the Dutch Shepherd Mix that rocketed to fame in that viral video, where his owner talked about the food he ate, while recording Clark’s facial expressions and cries of anguish. Thank you Clark for the much needed smiles, and being the “voice” of rescue dogs everywhere. Kevin was celebrated by the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest dog, measuring in at 3 feet and 2 inches tall from his feet to his withers, and about 7 feet tall when standing on his hind legs. Kevin was just beginning to enjoy the stature of his fame, when he crossed suddenly at the age of 3. College football game day will not be the same without Ben accompanying his ESPN analyst Dad. After 10 years of being a tv celebrity, he succumbed to cancer, leaving fans across the country heartbroken. Que the University of Georgia bulldog mascot also joined him to work as a commentator at The Bridge. Dipper, who called Jon Stewart of the Daily Show “Dad,” “met actors, authors, presidents and kings” during his time on set, while remaining a devoted family dog. We all shed tears along with Jon when shared his heartfelt tribute to his beloved companion.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include cat friends who also said goodbye to us this year. For 22 years Payne was his Mom’s constant companion, there for every milestone, while acting more like a dog than a cat. Lulu spent 20 wonderful years with her family before quietly walking over the Bridge. Rio also enjoyed a long life of 16 years, that wasn’t nearly long enough. Molly the cat was just 5 days away from celebrating her sweet 16th birthday, before leaving on her grand adventure. Molly faced a lot of changes in her life, including losing her first Dad, but adapted to each new chapter life brought her. When she passed her Golden sister, Hannah, carried her toy in mourning. Another Molly was found abandoned and sickly, but was nursed back to health by caring Spaniels. She enjoyed 2 years of love and shenanigans before being struck down in the street. Seamus the cat had a big personality, and although was described as “bossy” is forever loved and missed by his family.
Latte the guinea pig bravely fought cancer, but could not win that battle. Ivy Hare hopped over Rainbow Bridge earlier this year, and was recently joined by sister Lila. Together they were greeted by their Golden sister Erynn, who passed in 2022, but whose indomitable spirit continues to send rainbows to let her family know she’s always with them.
2024 also found us saying goodbye to close family members. Asa’s littermate Cooper crossed Rainbow Bridge in May, leaving behind his heartbroken family at his sudden loss. We miss the joyful and silly updates they would share of Cooper’s adventures, and will never forget accidentally crossing paths with his Mom in Boothbay. She approached us saying Asa reminded her so much of her beloved dog that was at home, which is a conversation we often have while visiting popular tourist destinations in Maine. But something was different here. A few awkward dog genealogy questions later, and Mom happily shouted “You’re Cooper’s Mom!” Asa also had to say goodbye this summer to his sister Maddie. Asa and Maddie share a fondness for relocating shoes, a trait that her family dearly misses now that their shoes are always where they left them. Duke, who shared the same Momma as Chuck Billy and Asa, crossed just shy of his 11th birthday, following his brave battle with GRPU, but it was Hemangiosarcoma that made him leave his beloved family. Duke, we’ll never forget running through the fields of Dog Mountain with you at the New England Golden Jubilee, and especially won’t forget the muddy messes we became together that day.
As January 2024 was just starting, Chuck Billy’s “twin” Ryder crossed Rainbow Bridge. We called him Chuck Billy’s twin because at a family reunion our Dad accidentally leashed up Ryder and almost brought him home, until he noticed the collar was different! But for our Mom, it is the memory of Ryder’s Gotcha Day video that she’ll always hold close to her heart. Thank you Ryder for telling us about your diagnosis of GRPU. If it wasn’t for you, we never would have got Asa tested so young. Then just over a week later, on January 11, 2024, we received the sad news that Chuck Billy’s remaining sibling, Cooper, had also crossed Rainbow Bridge. Cooper began his grand adventure after leaving the whelping box with just his Mom and Dad, but soon welcomed two human siblings for which he loved dearly, and they loved him in return. That just left Chuck Billy from the Ice Litter of 9 siblings, 5 boys and 4 girls, born on January 30, 2012. However, as we joyfully anticipated his 13th birthday just 6 weeks away, Chuck Billy was keeping a secret. He was battling the cancer Hemangiosarcoma. But it being Chuck Billy, he didn’t want to worry us, so he spent his final morning at home doing what he loved, playing in the snow with his family, and enjoying a good breakfast. Our fearless leader, and devoted brother, set off for his grandest adventure over Rainbow Bridge on December 12, 2024.
We treasure the paw prints left on our hearts by these dear friends, and countless others who crossed Rainbow Bridge in 2024. To everyone who experienced a loss, please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers, and please accept our apologies for not being able to include everyone in this tribute.
