Tribute to Animal Rescuers

I received this from a friend the other day. So many of these anonymous things are passed around the internet. Having rescued various cats and dogs over the years and knowing others who do it regularly I thought it poignant.

HEAVEN'S TRIBUTE

Unlike most days at the Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and
gray. All the recent arrivals at the Bridge did not know what to
think, as they have never seen such a day. But the animals who had
been waiting longer for their beloved people to accompany them
across the Bridge knew what was happening, and they began to gather
at the pathway leading to the Bridge. Soon an elderly dog came into
view, head hung low and tail dragging. He approached slowly, and
though he showed no sign of injury or illness, he was in great
emotional pain. Unlike the animals gathered along the pathway, he
had not been restored to youth and vigor upon arriving at the
Bridge. He felt out of place and wanted only to cross over and find
happiness. But, as he approached the Bridge, his way was barred by
an angel, who apologized and explained that the tired and broken-
spirited old dog could not cross over.

Only those animals accompanied by their people were allowed to cross
the Bridge. Having nobody, and with nowhere else to turn, the dog
trudged into the field in front of the Bridge. There he found others
like himself, elderly or infirm, sad and discouraged.

Unlike the other animals waiting to cross the Bridge, these animals
were not running or playing. They simply were lying in the grass,
staring forlornly at the pathway across the Rainbow Bridge. The old
dog took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting, yet
not knowing what he was actually waiting for.

One of the newer dogs at the Bridge asked a cat who had been there
longer to explain what was happening. The cat replied, "Those poor
animals were abandoned, turned away, or left at rescue places, but
never found a home on earth. They all passed on with only the love
of a rescuer to comfort them. Because they had no people to love
them, they have nobody to escort them across the Rainbow Bridge."
The dog asked the cat, "So what will happen to those animals?"
Before the cat could answer, the clouds began to part and the cold
turned to bright sunshine. The cat replied, "Watch and you will
see."

In the distance was a single person and as she approached the Bridge
the old, infirm and sad animals in the field were bathed in a golden
light. They were all at once made young and healthy, and stood to
see what their fate would be. The animals who had previously
gathered at the pathway bowed their heads as the person approached.
At each bowed head, the person offered a scratch or hug. One by one,
the now youthful and healthy animals from the field fell into line
behind the person. Together, they walked across the Rainbow Bridge
to a future of happiness and unquestioned love. The dog asked the
cat, "What just happened?" The cat responded, "That was a rescuer.

The animals gathered along the pathway bowing in respect, were those
who had found their forever homes because of rescuers. They will
cross over when their people arrive at the Bridge. The arrival here
of a rescuer is a great and solemn event, and as tribute, they are
permitted to perform one final act of rescue. They are allowed to
escort all those poor animals they couldn't place on earth, across
the Rainbow Bridge and into Heaven."

The dog thought a moment, then said, "I like rescuers." The cat
smiled and replied, "So does Heaven, my friend. So does Heaven."

Author Unknown...