Real Life Rainbow Bridge Stories

by Peter
(Wirral, UK)

I am a fifty year old man and live with my eighty one year old mother. On the 27th April 2012 our beloved and beautiful eleven year old Golden Labrador, Oscar, died. We had been taking him to the vets since late January with what we thought was just a sore or ulcer in his right nostril.

After several weeks of different treatments the vet finally confirmed it to be a malignant tumour and said that he was certain Oscar had no more than a few weeks to live. He said the decision was ours but advised that to spare him further suffering it would be best to put him to sleep.
We left without him.

I have been through pet loss several times throughout my life, but Oscar's death has left me shattered and grief stricken to a degree that surpasses anything I have ever previously known. We adored him and he adored us. All of our neighbours truly loved him. Even those who have never had pets. He was a true local character who exuded bon-homie to all.

I write this on the 5th May, eight days on, and am still reeling from it.

Yesterday, on Friday 4th May, amongst my post was a letter from National Savings informing me that I had won a £5,000 Premium Bond prize. I had never before won more than one of the very small prizes. I am not well off and I badly need the money.

I say this because I genuinely believe it - it was a gift of comfort from Oscar's spirit.

But the biggest comfort of all is not the money. It is confirmation that this happening, which I am certain is more than just an extraordinary coincidence, has provided that animals do have a soul.

I know I will see Oscar again one day.