Rainbow Bridge
Our Rainbow Bridge pages are tributes to the incredible animals we have loved and lost and who changed our lives.
The tributes on these pages are stories of loyalty and compassion and of the rescued goldens who conquered their past lives and came out the other side. Those dogs who have an icon are NRGRR dogs who crossed the Rainbow Bridge while in our program.
We would be honored to post your tribute and photo of your NRGRR alum, no matter what year they crossed the bridge. Email your picture, story and year they crossed the bridge to rainbowbridge@nrgrr.org.
Please consider a donation in memory of your loved one or one of our NRGRR dogs who never had the chance to find their forever homes. We will add the name of the person or pet to our memorials web page. If you would prefer that your donation not be listed, please choose the appropriate button at check-out. NRGRR will send a card to the family or friend of the individual/pet you have honored with your donation.
Alex
Alex Banks Barkley, age 10, passed away peacefully on February 15, 2025, surrounded by his loving humans and his two devoted four-legged companions, Luke and Walt. Born in the country of Turkey, Alex made his journey to America at seven years old, arriving with his very own passport and a heart full of love ready to share.
He came to his family through the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue in Raleigh. It was clear from the beginning he was meant for a loving home to spend his senior years in America, the land of the free! Though his time with them felt far too short, Alex lived a beautiful life filled with joy, comfort, and connection.
Alex had a rare gift: he brought happiness to everyone he met. He never missed a chance to greet someone at the door carrying a shoe, toy, or sock, with warmth and enthusiasm. He was a giver in every sense — a giver of toys, a giver of laughter, and most of all, a giver of unconditional love.
He leaves behind a home forever brighter for having known him, hearts forever fuller because he was in them, and memories that will continue to sparkle just like his name. To our “Big Boy,” it’s time to meet Pawpaw and Busy at the Rainbow Bridge with your loving smile. Don’t be surprised when Pawpaw yells, “Come on you stupid dog, time for us to have fun” – he truly loves you and will take good care of you until we’re all together again!
Beau
Its with a heavy heart, we wanted to share with you our Beau (former name Beau Hudson) crossed the rainbow bridge yesterday. It was sudden and unexpected. He had been off for a few days and we discovered he had tumors on his spleen where he was actively bleeding and his platelets and blood counts were dangerously low, making surgery too risky. We had to make a very hard decision and we were with him while he passed. We are devastated.
We wanted to thank Neuse River for introducing us and giving us Beau. He had quite the beautiful life with us after a rough start before you all rescued him. We have so many memories with him we will cherish forever. He was there for our engagement, buying a house, marriage, so many trips, walks, hikes, dog park runs,and became a big brother last year to our son Kai, whom he adored. We are so grateful he was there through so many big moments. We are grateful to you all for what you did for Beau and the life he had with us as a family.