Grieving the loss of a pet is exactly the same as grieving the loss of a family member.
And it’s something many of us will have to grapple with at some point in our lives.
The APPA National Pet Owners survey estimates that 90.5 million U.S. households, or 70%, have a pet.
“Our animals become a part of our family,” clinical health psychologist Dr. Amy Sullivan tells Cleveland Clinic. “They provide unconditional love and support, which is something that people don’t get from a lot of different places. As humans, we need to feel that love and connection and to know that something views you in such a special way. That’s why it becomes so painful when we lose our animals.”
But just because our pets leave this world, doesn’t mean that they leave us forever.
Many believe that there is something else on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.
A place where we will one day be reunited with our beloved pets.
When Natalie Frank Larason’s Shepherd/Collie Biscuit passed away she wanted to send her off in a meaningful way.
Larason rescued Biscuit from Paws Chicago no-kill shelter.
When Biscuit ended up passing away unexpectedly at the age of 12, Larason decided to go to their favorite park to scatter Biscuit’s ashes in the river.
But when she did, something “miraculous” happened. Something that Larason believes was a message from Biscuit showing that even death could never truly separate them, and their bond is strong enough to bridge worlds.
When Larason tossed Biscuit’s ashes into the air, they formed the shape of a dog.
A dog that looked just like Biscuit.
The act was caught on video by Larason’s husband and posted on YouTube, where it’s been viewed more than 45,000 times.
“When scattering my Shepherd/Collie dog’s ashes, I was astonished to notice that the shape they formed looked exactly like her. I took it as a sign of her final goodbye and cherish this video. It’s miraculous,” Larason said in the video’s caption. “She was 12 and passed away suddenly and unexpectedly a few months ago. I hope my fellow animal lovers take comfort in this video, as I have. Rest in peace my sweet Biscuit, I’ll meet you at the Rainbow Bridge.”
And they did. Dozens of people chimed in the comments to talk about their pets that crossed the Rainbow Bridge and how Larason’s video was inspiring and consoling.
“Just lost one of the strongest forces in my life, for 16 years, the hurt runs deep. Beautiful seeing the image of Biscuit. Yes, they are guardian angels that stay with us,” wrote one person.
“Made me cry my eyeballs out. This reminds me of an experience with my kitty who passed away when a breeze blew through my sliding door and I felt a cat circling my ankles. It was the wind but it was also my kitty saying goodbye at the same time,” said another.
While some in the comments argued that the photo/video was Photoshopped, Larason assured commenters that it was not.
Whether it was or wasn’t, we don’t need video proof to know that our loved ones are always with us even after they pass on, and we have faith.
Check out Larason’s video below.
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