Hurricane Helene descended on the mountains of western North Carolina like a black shroud, dumping as much as 31 inches of rain on the region late last September. Lives, homes and businesses were swept away. So was the Rainbow Bridge at Lake Lure, a sweet spot of pilgrimage for hundreds if not thousands of pet owners who came there to leave mementos and embrace memories of four-legged loved ones.
When Elizabeth Accomando, director of Barky Pines Animal Rescue & Sanctuary, and her volunteers heard about the wreckage, they experienced a “heartfelt need” to create such a bridge at the organization’s Loxahatchee-area facility.
“When the bridge in the Carolinas was devastated by the hurricane, many hearts were shattered,” Accomando wrote on the Barky Pines Facebook page. “People from all over went there to place their beloved pet’s collars, harnesses and even favorite toys… We hurt for them. We wanted something accessible for people here.”
Dr. Richard Cebula, a longtime Barky Pines supporter who helped with funding and a paint brush, said the colorful bridge at Barky Pines is meant to be an exact replica, with some extras.
Included at Barky Pines is an evolving “gratitude garden” with a seating area among a small statuary of animals. A fire pit also is planned.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Saturday, March 29, led by Dr. Gigi Alexander, an ordained animal chaplain married to Cebula.
The bridge is now open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day at the Barky Pines facility at 6521 Carol Street in the Santa Rosa Groves community.
Accomando explained that visitors “may place a collar, harness, toy or any special item on or next to the bridge in remembrance of a beloved pet.”
The physical Rainbow Bridge is based on a poem of the same name, author unknown. It speaks of dogs and other beloved pets crossing a rainbow bridge to eternity where they play and run in a place of joy, waiting for their loved ones to join them.
For many pet owners, however, the wait on this side of the bridge is something they struggle to deal with. As an extension of Barky Pines’ mission, Alexander hosts an animal companion grief and loss support group at the Acreage branch library at 15801 Orange Blvd., usually on the first Tuesday of each month.
“For some people, losing a pet is very hard, like losing a member of the family,” said Alexander, who holds a doctorate in philosophy. “They need to share about it… others just come to listen.”
The sessions aren’t religious, but they are spiritual, she said.
In June, Alexander will host a “celebration of life and memorial” at Barky Pines. Members of the community are encouraged to bring “love objects” to the event that can become a permanent part of the bridge, she said.
The couple, who are the proud parents of two rescue toy poodles, note that Barky Pines is not merely a canine rescue and sanctuary. The facility also is home to pigs, goats, chickens, peacocks, a tortoise and horses. It’s also a TNVR (trap-neuter-spay-return) facility for feral cats.
Cebula, who holds a doctorate in economics and finance and teaches at the University of Tennessee, said he and his wife were drawn to Barky Pines because “of the extraordinary work they do there. They work from their hearts and souls for these animals.”
Though a version of the Rainbow Bridge at Lure Lake was rebuilt within weeks, Accomando said they felt it was important to move forward with their project because not everyone can get to North Carolina.
“This is for the Loxahatchee community and beyond,” said Accomando, also an Indian Trail Improvement District supervisor. “It’s for everyone.”
Learn more about Barky Pines at www.barkypinesanimalrescue.com.
