Happy Tails Bed and Biscuit

10/09/2024

These are what heroes look like; and we don't use that term lightly. Deputy Jack Thorpe and K9 Fiji spent 10 days in Western North Carolina searching for the missing. Jack and Fiji located more than 20 adults and children who had been reported missing, giving their families peace of mind in knowing where their loved ones are and the ability to give them a proper burial. As I type this I'm brought to tears thinking about some of the things they encountered and find myself wondering how heavy it must be for all of the SAR teams to carry around the memories of what they have encountered in the aftermath of Helene.
While details don't need to be shared, I will leave you with this, it takes a special kind of person to knowingly volunteer to go and search through hell and mud all in the name of giving families and communities closure. To say we are proud of Jack, K9 Fiji, and all of the other SAR teams would be a gross understatement. You guys are our unsung heroes, and for that, we will all be forever grateful.

09/11/2024

06/05/2024

It's been 3 months to the day that I said goodbye my friend. It's still like it was yesterday. When you let us take your paw picture it tickled when I held your paw and you just looked at me like "Dad what are you a doing"
Thank you to Bobby Tinker at Black Hand Tattoo in Cleveland TN. You took the time to listen, You were able to feel just how much Hawkeye meant to me. His Paw Print is one of a kind, The only thing bigger was his Heart.

See you at the gate boy.

03/05/2024

Hawkeye
2015-2024

Brave, Fearless, Gentle,
but most important... Our Friend

I will see you at the gate boy

02/18/2024

The 'Rainbow Bridge' is a familiar poem given to many misty-eyed pet owners on the day they say goodbye to their beloved, furry family member.

The poem promises grieving pet owners that their lost pet has gone to the Rainbow Bridge, where the pet will run and play in grassy meadows and hills, restored to health and youth. It's here at the Rainbow Bridge where beloved pets will wait for us until we find them again.

"When you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. You look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together."

Many people don't realize, however, that there is a real Rainbow Bridge in North Carolina. Tucked away in an enchanted mountain wonderland, full of grassy fields and hills just as the poem promises, the real Rainbow Bridge awaits.

A sign at the entrance to the bridge invites visitors to attach their pet's collars or tags to the Rainbow Bridge's rails.

Countless pet owners from across the state have left touching memorials to their lost loved ones. Names decorate the bridge: Indee, Thunder, Patches, Sasha.

Some have engraved messages to their pets. Others have left nameless collars – a quiet reminder of long walks, adventures and a lifetime of memories.

The Rainbow Bridge is part of a larger experience on the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge in the North Carolina mountains. Pets are welcome to come with families to explore an expansive garden wonderland, with hidden trails, secret doors and picturesque landscapes.

The Rainbow Bridge was created by artist Amy Wald, who had lost her own beloved dog, according to the website for Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. The site says she built it as a space where families could not only leave behind a piece of their own pet's life, but also truly envision the moment they will meet their treasured friend once again.

For those who look closely, you can even see paw prints crossing the bridge -- real, at first, but slowly fading from existence as the pet crosses over.

"A place to peacefully honor and remember our four-legged family members," says the sign. 🐾🌈💙