Attleboro Woman Creates Pet Memorial Bridge to Honor Lost Pets

ATTLEBORO (WBSM) — Losing a pet is one of the hardest things to experience. They become part of your family and the greatest companion a person can have.

Finding the right words for anyone who has gone through that experience can be challenging, but Attleboro's Sherri Dumont hopes to bring comfort through a pet memorial bridge.

The Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorial is coming to Highland Park in Attleboro. This small bridge, painted like a rainbow, will be unveiled on Saturday, April 27 at 2 p.m.

The memorial is originally based on a poem written by Edna Clyne-Rekhy in 1959 after she lost her beloved golden retriever.

After seeing a similar bridge in the Carolinas and grieving the loss of her beloved dog Bentley, a 13-year-old King Charles Chevalier, Dumont was inspired to create something similar.

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"I always felt like Bentley's purpose in life was much larger than just being my pet. He had a presence about him that gravitated people to him. He was larger than life," she said. "After his passing, I had this nagging feeling that I needed to do something in his memory, but it had to involve the community."

Months later, Dumont's vision became a reality. Mourning pet owners will now have a secluded place to visit and reflect on their beloved pets.

In addition to the bridge, you can hang collars of lost pets on the bridge railings. There will also be a memorial bench where people can sit and reflect near a display of Clyne-Rekhy's famous poem.

The bridge will be in Highland Park, near the new parking lot on Rathbun-Willard Drive. Event parking will be available at the Rathbun-Willard parking lot.

The project was made possible through donations and funding from several community members. Furry friends can also attend the ceremony.

If anyone has a collar from a pet they've lost, Dumont encourages them to bring it to be hanged on the bridge to be remembered.