PEKIN, Ill. – Work is now underway in Tazewell County to build a place for people to remember beloved pets who have moved on to the afterlife.
Pekin city leaders joined the Tazewell Animal Protective Society, a no-kill animal shelter, for a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning for its Rainbow Bridge Project.
The rainbow bridge is referred to as a place where animals go after their death to await their owners in the afterlife.
The memorial at TAPS will feature bricks with the names of pets donated by their owners in a garden setting on the property, as well as benches for people to sit on and reflect. The project is expected to be completed by early fall.
Executive Director Tori Menke says it gives people a proper place and way to honor a beloved friend.
“Your pet passes away, you don’t get bereavement off of work, for example, like you would a human. But to some people, that pet is their whole world, it’s their whole life, so it’s equally as important,” Menke said. “This kind of opens up that space for them and allowing them to grieve and acknowledge their grief is real.”
The project is in its first phase and was funded with around $13,000 in donations. Construction is being donated by Hein Construction Company. Menke says an opportunity to purchase bricks will resume next year.
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