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In Memory

The Rainbow Bridge

Inspired by a Norse legend, a poem by Steve and Diane Bodofsky

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill, Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run, When their time on earth is over and done.
For here, between this world and the next, Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play, Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.
No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness, For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed, Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.
They romp through the grass, without even a care, Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back, Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.
For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.So they run to each other, these friends from long past,The time of their parting is over at last.
The sadness they felt while they were apart, Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

Human-Animal Bond

The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both. This includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the environment. The veterinarian's role in the human-animal bond is to maximize the potentials of this relationship between people and animals.

 

The AVMA officially recognizes: (1) the existence of the human-animal bond and its importance to client and community health, (2) that the human-animal bond has existed for thousands of years, and (3) that the human-animal bond has major significance for veterinary medicine, because, as veterinary medicine serves society, it fulfills both human and animal needs.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. " (Anatole France)

 

"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful, or treacherous, is his dog."

-George Graham

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