A new initiative at the Rocky Mountain House Off-Leash Dog Park gives local pet owners a place to honour their beloved companions who have passed away.
The Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorial, unveiled earlier this week, offers dog owners the opportunity to memorialize their pets by placing collars or tags on a designated section of the park’s fence.
The project was proposed by Pied Piper Dog Training, a local business that wanted to create a space for the community to reflect on the loss of their pets, says Tiffany Robinson, communications officer with the Town of Rocky Mountain House.
The memorial features a sign donated by TRIMLINE Signs and Graphics, and a section of the fence at the dog park has been set aside for pet owners to display mementos.
The town will not be responsible for the items left at the memorial, but Robinson encourages community members to visit and contribute whenever they feel ready. “People are welcome to participate and place their mementos on the fence as they choose,” she said.
The new memorial was officially installed on Jan. 23, and Robinson notes that word of mouth among Rocky’s close-knit dog community will help spread awareness.
For those looking to honour their pets, Robinson says the fence offers ample space, and the memorial is open for contributions at any time.
Rocky’s off-leash dog park is located just north of West Central High School.
The Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorial is now complete at the off-leash dog park in Rocky Mountain House. (Town of Rocky Mountain House)
Kiana Uhlmann, operator at Pied Piper says she identified a need in the community, as she says she’s had several people close to her who have recently lost pets.
“When people lose pets, it’s a lot more isolating than when they lose people, because people don’t quite know how to respond when people lose an animal,” she says.
She adds working the the town, along with Dean Schweder, director of Planning and Community Development to realize the space was a smooth process.
Uhlmann adds that the dog community in Rocky is growing, and she hopes to help unite dog owners around town with more initiatives in the future.
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