Rainbow Bridge Memorial for Pets Coming to Elysian Park in Hoboken

A community-led effort to build a Rainbow Bridge Memorial at Elysian Park in Hoboken is underway, with organizers launching a GoFundMe campaign to fund the project’s construction and installation.

The Rainbow Bridge is a concept drawn from a 1959 poem by Scottish artist Edna Clyne-Rekhy describing a peaceful place where pets go after they pass away before being reunited with their owners.

The project is being developed in partnership with the City of Hoboken, WISE Animal Rescue, and The Local Girl Media Group, founded by Jennifer Tripucka, publisher of The Hoboken Girl. The Stevens Institute of Technology Senior Design Team is contributing to the engineering design as part of their academic coursework.

“This project is incredibly personal to me,” Tripucka said. “Our pets are family and walk with us through every season of life, so when we lose them, the grief is real and lasting. I wanted to create something meaningful for our community, a place that acknowledges that love and gives everyone a gathering place to reflect, remember and heal.”

The memorial will feature a small pedestrian bridge with rainbow elements. Visitors will be able to leave their pets’ collars at the bridge in remembrance. Mayor Emily Jabbour and Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher are involved in guiding community engagement.

A GoFundMe launched Thursday, April 2, with a goal of $10,000. As of this report, the campaign had raised over $4,000. Surplus funds will be donated to WISE Animal Rescue.