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.
Murphy
I’ll never forget the day I saw the email come through from NRGRR July 2023. Murphy, aka “Red Butler”: a 10-year-old senior golden retriever whose owner passed and he needed a home. My heavy heart felt called to him immediately. We had been looking to foster after the loss of our 9-year-old golden, Tucker, from dreaded hemangiosarcoma in March of 2023. Our other golden, Theo, was lonely following Tucker’s passing, and our own hearts also needed healing. Murphy entered our lives soon after and the rest was history. His gentle, old soul was love at first meet, and he quickly became an official part of our family a month later.
Over the course of almost three years, we witnessed Murphy thrive and live out his remaining golden years in the best way possible: slow mornings people watching on our front porch, daily rolls in the grass under the warm sun, happily taking on the role as a big brother to Theo, family roadtrips with us to the mountains of WV, and everything in between. He absolutely loved tennis balls, his stuffies (particularly Lambie and Mr. Moose), ear scratches, rubs against the furniture, scrambled eggs, and McDonald’s french fries. Theo also quickly taught him that ice cubes were a necessary treat, and Murphy always found a way to enjoy them despite his few remaining teeth. He restored the quiet calm in our home, and was a very distinguished and handsome gentleman—always smiling, tongue out, paws crossed.
Most importantly, Murphy provided us with an indescribable amount of love and comfort up until the very end of his short time with us. Just 10 weeks ago at the start of the new year, Theo tragically and unexpectedly passed after his 7th birthday. His sudden loss was devastating, and I truly believe Murphy’s steadfast presence and companionship is what got us through some of the hardest days of our lives.
Murphy passed peacefully at home on St. Patrick’s Day (what a beautiful irony) snuggled on his favorite couch surrounded by all of his favorite things (McDonald’s included). He left this world the exact same way our first golden did three years ago, just days away from his anniversary. Through the pain, I find comfort knowing that he is reunited with his beloved first owner, his brother Theo, and Tucker—who I believe wholeheartedly sent him to us.
Again, thank you for allowing our first experience fostering and adopting to be such a life-changing one, and we look forward to the opportunity in the near future to do so again once we process our compounded grief. What a humbling and rewarding journey this has been to be able to give senior dogs like Murphy a second chance at life. We know deep down, he ultimately saved us too. His profound impact will be unforgettable, and he is already deeply missed beyond words.
Walter
On February 27th we said goodbye to our “Floofers”, our “Walter-gator”, our “Old man”, our Walter just under 3 months shy of his 17th birthday. Walter came to our family almost 4 years prior as our first foster dog. I emailed my wife Tabitha; “Thoughts on this fella? Obviously would not be a permanent doggo for us,” as we never thought we would adopt a senior dog, but Walter changed that the first night with us. As I lay on the floor, gently petting his head, he rested one of his paws on my free hand and as I looked at my wife, we both knew that Walter wasn’t going anywhere. He had found his forever home and in doing so, instantly changed our lives for the better.
As we got to know Walter, we learned he loved apples, mango slices, popcorn and carbs of any type and we did our best to spoil him, in moderation, most of the time. Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting Walter got to see how much he was loved by our family, and how much he loved in return. Walter loved getting affection and would use his very loud and deep barks to get your attention if he felt his needs were not met. Head scratches & back and chest rubs were always welcomed, but ear scratches were among his favorite things in life and if you found just the right spot, he would let out a very loud grumble signaling his satisfaction. The best of all would come to be know as “Walter Bellies,” where he would roll onto his back and have all four paws in the air waiting for someone to rub his belly. We quickly instituted a house rule that you never pass up a Walter Belly.
Walter was the most patient dog we have ever seen and that was put to the test when we adopted our second dog Anna, who, at the time, was not yet even two years old. Walter helped Anna learn what being in a family meant while tolerating her seemingly constant desire to want to play. Walter’s patience was tested again when we welcomed our son, Elliot, almost two years ago. Walter kept a watchful eye on the new baby and as Elliot continued to grow, Walter always found himself within range to keep an eye on Elliot, and also an eye on any falling snacks that Elliot may have dropped.
If we could go back in time, knowing what our almost four-year journey with Walter would be, we would make the same choice to adopt him in a heartbeat a thousand times over. We hope you are running free from pain with all the treatos your golden heart desires. Keep an eye on our house, keep everyone safe, sweet Floof dreams. We’re all headed to the same place anyway, you just beat us there.
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.