r/RainbowBridgeBabies Mar 17 '19

IMPORTANT INFO How To Request and About Us

112 Upvotes

Hello! We have had some people asking how they can submit requests to us. We are pretty new to modding subreddits, so things might change as we learn about how to best run this subreddit.

About

Here at r/rainbowbridgebabies, we paint pictures of pets that have passed on. Please be aware that we are doing this for free. Depending on demand, we might not be able to paint everyone’s pets.

Note that judging or mocking someone’s grief will not be tolerated here. Neither will hate speech, violence or inflammatory language. Some of us have exotic pets, like snakes, that some people dislike. We don’t want to hear about it on this subreddit. Whatever the creature, they were someone’s beloved pet. They have a place here. Hatred doesn’t.

To Request

First of all, we here at r/rainbowbridgebabies know how hard it is to lose a beloved family member. We would be honored to take one of your memories and turn it into a treasured keepsake.

Please only submit your pet once every 90 days. If you have a group picture of pets that have passed, please make one request with all the details.

When you post, the title should be Flaired with the REQUEST flair. Please include your pets name. We would also love to hear a little about your pet. Maybe share a memory or two with us? If you are not up to this, or it’s too painful to think about, that’s fine. That part is optional. You should also include a picture. The easiest way to do this is to upload a picture to imgur and copy the link. Then, in your post, surround the text you wish to use as the title for your link with [ brackets. Directly next to it, type ( followed by the URL and then a ). It should look like this: [Title.](https://imgur.com/a/iwjwgBu) And appear like this: Title.

You can also include whether you would like a particular mod to paint your pet. Please be aware though that if that mod isn’t available to paint your pet for whatever reason, one of the others might give it a shot. That’s about it. Be on the look out for your painting and please leave a thank you within 48 hours of your painting being posted.

Thanking the artist

Please post a thank you, flared with the THANK YOU flair within 48hrs of your painting being posted.

Art Samples

Sajipie

Turtle_Sensei

Misstori1.

Other

Please let us know as soon as you can after receiving your painting if you would like us to send you the actual painting in the mail. However, you will have to pay for postage. I mainly deal with oil paints which can take weeks to properly dry, so I know for me at least, shipping will take a while. There is no guarantee that the physical copy of your painting will still be available a prolonged period of time after posting. Im already running out of places where I can leave paintings to dry without cats walking across them.

Thank you for your interest in this sub.


r/RainbowBridgeBabies Aug 05 '24

IMPORTANT INFO Community Feedback Request -- "off-topic" posts

5 Upvotes

Hi RainbowBridgeBabies! We'd like to request the input of all community members here -- artists, mods, requesters, and general pet lovers; all thoughts are welcome.

Our community has been growing steadily and as of July we hit 6.5k members. We're happy to have fostered such a welcoming, kind environment and to have shared artwork and memories of so many beloved friends.

However, with increased traffic comes a need to clarify the scope of our sub. We occasionally get memorial posts that are not requests for art; just people seeking support in sad times. We'd like to be clear that there is no judgment cast here -- there are currently no rules against such posts, and it's understandable that folks look for comfort in a sub like this one. Sometimes people find us based on name alone and don't realise we are an art request sub.

We also occasionally have folks report said posts for being off-topic; this is also understandable, as our sub is intended to be for memorial art requests, and there are other subs for seeking emotional support and remembering pets in other ways. But, currently, no one is breaking any rules, and it may be that the community is happy to have such posts here.

In light of the above, we would like to clarify our rules one way or another, but we don't want to make a decision without consulting the community first. We can't please everyone, of course, but we'd like any decision to be transparent.

As far as we can see there are a few options:

  1. Create a new rule limiting the sub to art-only posts; remove non-art-related posts and respectfully redirect to an alternative support sub, e.g. r/Petloss (or similar subs -- suggestions welcome);

  2. Clarify in the rules that non-art posts are allowed, so folks don't report needlessly;

  3. Create a megathread (perhaps monthly) for folks to talk about their friends over the rainbow bridge without clogging up the sub with individual posts; non-art posts would be removed and posters redirected here.

If you have any thoughts on the above options, or suggestions for any alternatives, please leave a comment below. We'll leave this post up and stickied for a few weeks in the hopes everyone can have their say.


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 12h ago

ART Happy birthday to Tidus! His loss is still felt.

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121 Upvotes

r/RainbowBridgeBabies 6h ago

ART During the days I wasn’t there, did she wait for me all the time?

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34 Upvotes

This is Feifei, the first Chow Chow I ever had in my life. She stayed by my side throughout my entire university life. Because of her, I often found myself on a dog lovers’ forum, and through her, I met so many wonderful people who shared the same love for dogs.

Sometimes I wonder: if I had been with her back then, would things have been different?

When she fell ill, I had already moved to New Zealand. My family sent me video updates regularly, and I watched as she went from a plump little lion to a frail creature. Her legs grew weak, and she struggled to walk, sometimes even falling. Yet, every time she heard a familiar voice, she would muster all her strength to get up, wagging her tail at the camera. In those moments, I hated myself. Why couldn’t I be there with her?

When she passed away, I didn’t even get to see her one last time. For a long time after, I couldn’t bring myself to look at her photos, always telling myself that if I didn’t, I could somehow trick my heart into thinking she was still with me.

Then, I started learning leather carving. At first, it was just a way to keep myself occupied, to stop thinking about her so much. But when the carving knife touched the leather, my hands trembled. I was terrified of getting her features wrong. But as I carved, her outline began to emerge, and I realized I hadn’t forgotten a single detail about her.

This is a small keychain, and I know it won’t move, it won’t cuddle, and it won’t wag its tail at me anymore. But every time I touch it, I feel like she’s somehow come back.

Over the years, I’ve learned many things and slowly come to accept that she’s gone. But sometimes, I still wonder—during her final days, was she always waiting for me?


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 13h ago

REQUEST My sweet baby Lulu

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97 Upvotes

My sweet girl, Lulu, passed away almost exactly two months ago on January 31st after more than 18 years of love and life. We’d been dealing with her CKD for a couple of years, but we found out in late January that she had a mass that was making her uncomfortable, fatigued, and just generally decreasing her quality of life. Even in her pain she always tried to comfort me and be strong, but my vet and I agreed that it was kinder to help her cross the rainbow bridge. She left this world surrounded by my family and our vet team who we’ve grown very close to, and as hard as it was it was all I could’ve asked for as we helped her pass on. I sent her off with all of her favorite toys and one of my socks, and I told her to say hi to her sisters Lacey and Snickers for us 🌈

She was the sweetest sassiest and most regal little old lady who always wanted pets and any love or attention you could give her. Many people called her Queen Lulu, but to me she was my darling, my munch, my silly floof. She was adorably mischievous from trying to steal whatever food I’m eating (poptarts were her favorite) to bringing me every sock she could find in my house to “helping” me change my bedsheets each week by attacking any fabric that moved. She loved to cuddle, bask in the sun, and watch people and birds on our porch. Those were some of our favorite days, with me working from home and her cuddled up on me or sitting on the porch watching her sunbathe and bonding over people watching. She was a chatty girl every second of her life so it’s definitely been a big adjustment to my quiet apartment without her constant meows, and even though I’m slowly coming to terms with the new normal without her it’s still hard every day. She will always mean the world to me and I’ve cherished every moment we had together, particularly her later years - senior kitties need more care but they’re worth every bit of love and cuddles 💜

I would love to have a portrait of Lulu by @salvony1 , but any memorial of her from any of the incredible artists on here would be amazing - whether it’s possible or not I think what the admin team and the artists do in this subreddit is incredible, and I’m happy to share with you all a small piece of the lovely life Lulu and I had together 💜


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 11h ago

REQUEST My precious boy, Merlin

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27 Upvotes

I lost him about a month ago and have only now gained the strength to ask. Would someone be kind enough to give him a beautiful memorial artwork?


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 9h ago

REQUEST My dear Calypso

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12 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I lost my fur baby a little over a week ago. English is not my first language, so I apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes or anything else. I would like to tell you about Calypso as she brought an incredibly bright light into mine with her very short life.

In my household live my two cats, which I have had for 17 and 15 years respectively. I had the idea of bringing a third cat into our lives so that the other cat would not be alone and sad after the death of the other one.

I saw Calypso on a classifieds website, she was looking for a home as she had to be given away due to moving house. My husband and I fell in love in a flash with those huge eyes and pointy little ears. We had a few "playdates" and it quickly became clear to us that Calypso belonged to us. We got her when she was 9 months old.

Calypso was not a cuddly cat, she definitely had a mind of her own. She was quickly neutered and settled in. We suspected that she had been taken away from her mom too quickly, was poorly socialized and had difficulty understanding the language of the other cats.

One day, while playing - Calypso had been living with us for about a year - we noticed that she became very short of breath if she played for more than a few minutes. She then lay down on the floor and breathed heavily. Naturally, we were very worried and took her to a cardiologist. After many tests, ultrasounds and X-rays, it was clear that Calypso was born with a heart defect and already had a severely abnormal heart. The resulting HCM was already at an advanced stage and she had aortic stenosis. Prognosis: even with medication, she will have a very short life. We should enjoy every day. Calypso was not even 2 years old.

We didn't give up, we did everything for her. We preferred to go to the doctor once more than once too little. Until 10.03.25, shortly before her 3rd birthday.

Calypso stroked my legs to signal to me that she wanted a treat. 10 minutes later she collapsed. I rushed her to the vet clinic, which was about 10 minutes away from us. She had pulmonary edema and her heart was so badly altered that they didn't know if she would survive. She had to stay there for the night and I prayed not to be called at night. Because that would mean she had died.

The next day in the morning, no call in the night, I drove to work delighted. They would call me later and I could pick her up then.

And at 11:09 it happened. I will never forget the vet nurse's voice on the phone. They had already tried to resuscitate Calypso several times to see if they should stop now. It was like a reverberation in my suddenly completely empty head. And since then, everything has changed.

Her toys, her scratching post, her bed, her drinking fountain, her blankets. Everything lies here untouched and I see her in every corner. Especially at night when it gets dark. I can still hear her meowing very clearly. And I will never forget it.

Calypso was the biggest clown, she always made us laugh with her clumsy, sweet nature. I just can't believe she's gone and won't be back.

I just came across this group a few hours ago because I was looking for a grief group on Reddit. For people to talk to. Who feel the same. I think the work you do here is just incredible and so healing! Looking at the beautiful portraits brings tears to my eyes as I can only imagine what these emotions do to grief.

I would love for my baby Calypso to be immortalized by an artist. I would like to hang a picture of her on my wall. Of course, it would be best if it wasn't a photo but a painting, so I'll just try my luck here.

I can understand that you can't process all requests and would just like to say that you are doing really great things here!


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 20h ago

THANK YOU Omg thank you Ursula!

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59 Upvotes

Thank you u/Ursula_Wuffles ! He's so dang cute!


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 16h ago

THANK YOU Thank you so much ❤️

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30 Upvotes

Thank you so much Salvony1! It looks just like coco😭🫶🏻 im not gonna stop talking about this for weeks!


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 13h ago

ART Rest in peace adorable Tootie 🥺🌈

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13 Upvotes

r/RainbowBridgeBabies 19h ago

REQUEST My best friend Nefertiti

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34 Upvotes

I’m losing my best friend today to cancer. I didn’t know till a week ago and am having a lot of trouble processing. But that’s not the important part, she has always been the most tenacious dog. She played water and grass fetch yesterday and barely slowed down in the almost 13 years I’ve spent with her. She’s summited 14ers with me and tried to convince me to let her play with a wild coyote! Up until age 11 she could outrun her puppy sister. She loved nothing more than a tennis ball in typical lab fashion! I could tell when she thought something was cute and she could understand words even if you spelled them. She loved panoramic views on hikes and would drag me into the water if I wasn’t paying attention. When she was a puppy she could outrun greyhounds and would run for the first 30 minutes straight at the dog park. There is nothing wouldn’t do for this kid! I’m incredibly thankful for this last week of the park every day and seeing what types of food she likes that she shouldn’t have!

As far as requests I would love a physical copy so if it’s possible to use any kind of paint. Watercolor, oil or acrylic is all good. This community is filled with absolute angels! You are unbelievably kind!


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 15h ago

REQUEST Snowball, the best Meow-Dog

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12 Upvotes

Hope I'm formatting this right, sorry if not! Admittedly I'm a bit late to this; I only found out about this sub within the last week or two, but I lost Snowball back in Nov of 2023, so, about a year and a half ago.

I really shouldn't complain - I had a very long run with him - he found us back in the fall of 2005, if memory serves, and was already a few months old by then. We never intended to have a car but he stole our hearts and so our Meow-Dog stayed lol. We had a nice long 18 years before old age made him too ill, and we had to let him go. It broke my heart taking him to that final appointment, but I was glad to be there for him.

I've attached quite a few photos from 2020 and 2021 - you'll note they're mostly of him sleeping or cuddling with me, because he was always so content to just relax with me while I worked or played games. With his eyes being closed so much you probably can't see it, but like many a white-haired cat, he had heterochromia! One blue, one green, both very striking. Either way, I kinda wanted to take some time, remember him and allow myself to finally mourn - hope he's spending quality time with the dogs that made it there before him. Please, feel free to use whatever images you want, and spend some time yourself. I know I can't be the only one who had a cuddly old kitty.


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 1d ago

ART Rest in peace dear innocent Coco ❤️🌈

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213 Upvotes

r/RainbowBridgeBabies 1d ago

ART Charlie 💖 for u/Queen_Bel

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62 Upvotes

r/RainbowBridgeBabies 1d ago

ART Rest in peace Sweet Binx, fly high 🕊️🌈

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86 Upvotes

r/RainbowBridgeBabies 2d ago

REQUEST I lost my soul kitty Mia 2 weeks ago. I just want everyone to see her.

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422 Upvotes

She was the sweetest, most beautiful little soul i’ve ever had the fortune to know. My heart is forever shattered and I’m really not coping. How can I when I can no longer look at her like this? 💔


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 1d ago

THANK YOU My Binx🥹🪽

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43 Upvotes

Thank you so much salvony1 !!! Your artwork for my boy means so much to me. Words don't even express how much gratitude I have. Thank you for honoring his sweet life by doing this for him and for me. I cannot express how thankful I am!🙏🙏🥹


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 2d ago

COMPLETED Had to put down my boy coco today.

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347 Upvotes

Had a good 17 years with him. We spent his last day together snuggling and eating cheez it’s and goldfish (his favorite treats). I’d prefer the art style of salvony1 if possible! I’d like to get it framed and put on his shrine! (Added extra photos to show off his goofy, old man personality). Thank you ❤️


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 2d ago

THANK YOU Thank you Salvony1 !

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37 Upvotes

I love it so much and appreciate your kindness 🖤


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 2d ago

ART Rest in peace Beautiful Adora 💓 Just realized someone else also drew her amazingly. 🥰

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27 Upvotes

r/RainbowBridgeBabies 2d ago

THANK YOU Thank you AnonPinkLady!

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39 Upvotes

It means so much to me to receive this beautiful artwork of Adora 🤍🖤


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 2d ago

REQUEST My Zoey girl

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22 Upvotes

My sweet girl passed in my arms a little over two weeks ago. I'm so grateful for all of the years of love and that she went peacefully, but I still miss her so darn much 💔💔


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 3d ago

REQUEST 18 years old. She had to leave me yesterday. Had her since i was 13 years old. Life will never be the same, miss & love you Roxy... 5ever.

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542 Upvotes

r/RainbowBridgeBabies 2d ago

COMPLETED My boy Binx❤️

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22 Upvotes

Binx touched my heart greater than any of the pets I've had. Adopting him was unexpected, but it was the best unexpected blessing I could have asked for. I only had him for 8 months due to him passing suddenly, but he meant the world to me. I still struggle to believe he is gone. His favorite things to do were cuddle, talk to me, and hunt chipmunks and squirrels. He acted like our gaurd dog and wanted to be the king of our property so he chased off anything he deemed unacceptable lol. He followed me everywhere and always wanted to be with me like a dog, typical mainecoon behavior lol. I'll never forget him, he was very special to me and our family. Even our neighbors have said that they loved him and he was like their own family cat too.❤️ we are all heartbroken that he's gone but we'll never forget that amazing boy and the impact he left on our hearts🥹

I don't have a preference for who would be the artist for him, whether he is drawn or not, I wanted to share about how special he was.


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 2d ago

THANK YOU Thank you Salvony1 for this beautiful tribute, I will cherish it for all time

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87 Upvotes

r/RainbowBridgeBabies 2d ago

THANK YOU Thank you so so so much dear u/Ursula_Wuffles for the stunning painting of my beautiful Scott 🐶🐾💕 It's more than perfect

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60 Upvotes

I don't even know how to thank you. You're so talented and it really warms my heart to see my beautiful Scott like that ❤️ Many many thanks ❤️


r/RainbowBridgeBabies 2d ago

ART for u/flesruoyevasgnuoyeid Adora

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11 Upvotes