By Edmond Ortiz
Pet owners are familiar with the “rainbow bridge,” a concept offered in various written works over the years that describes an other-worldly place where pets go when they die and wait to be reunited with their owners.
While pet cemeteries do exist, there are rare instances where members of the public can gather to pay tribute to their dearly departed pets.
But Universal City now hosts its own “rainbow bridge.” City leaders and other community members gathered July 20 between Red Horse Park and the local disc golf course to formally dedicate a public memorial for anyone who wants to reflect on and remember their past companions.
Universal City Parks Partners and Homes for the Homeless Pets, two local nonprofits, worked with the city to install side railings on a small walkway spanning a ditch and designate it a rainbow bridge.
Community members are invited to come to the bridge and spend time celebrating the life of their beloved pets that have passed on, and even leave their departed pet’s collar and tag along a railing.
Rainbow bridge organizers said they were inspired after reading about a public rainbow bridge that was unveiled in 2022 at Lake Lure in North Carolina. There, a local artist created a rainbow bridge that became a popular place for grieving pet owners to share their fond memories.
Hurricane Helene destroyed the original Lake Lure rainbow bridge in 2024, but a nonprofit responsible for maintaining the structure has gathered resources to build a new one while cataloging many pet collars and tags that have since been recovered after many locals thought all of those items had been lost post-hurricane.
In Universal City, the rainbow bridge was a labor of love of City Councilmember Christina Fitzpatrick, who garnered support from Parks Partners president and fellow Councilmember Lori Putt, and Jerry Browning, president of Homes for the Homeless Pets, in creating a local version of a rainbow bridge.
Homes for the Homeless Pets was created by Browning’s grandparents, Gordon and Aina Blake, who were renowned pet owners in the community. The portion of Farm Road 78 in Universal City is named after Gordon Blake, a three-star general. The dog park on Athenian near Pat Booker Road is named after Aina Blake.
Browning reflected on an emotional ceremony to formally dedicate Universal City’s rainbow bridge. He called it a beautiful concept where pets, especially those who felt their old age or were ill in their final days, are now healthy, playful and waiting for “their owners to show up and then they can cross the bridge together.
Browning recalled one of his past pets, a black lab named Cocoa.
“One of the hardest things we ever had to do was put her to sleep,” Browning said of Cocoa.
Browning said having pets is rewarding and brings joy, but it is difficult to watch pets get older, a challenging experience that many pet owners endure.
“Life is tough on (older pets) and if they’re suffering, it’s still hard to make that decision because you hold out hope that they’ll get better when you know they won’t,” he added.
Putt, who had saved collars from all of her past pets, placed them on the railings. Browning also pointed to one young woman who arrived post-ceremony and cried as she walked over to the bridge and put a collar on a railing.
“It’s very touching. Hopefully, it’s a place where people can go to remember their pets, and where they can have some solitude and peace,” Browning said.
The Universal City Rainbow Bridge is located in the local disc golf course parking lot along Cibolo Trail across from Red Horse Park.
