Hoboken Is Getting a Rainbow Bridge to Honor Cherished Pets

Jennifer Tripucka understands the heartbreak of losing a pet. To give families a peaceful, permanent, physical space to honor furbabies who’ve crossed the “Rainbow Bridge,” she’s working on a pet memorial in Hoboken, the first of its kind in the area.

Tripucka, the founder and publisher of The Local Girl and The Hoboken Girl, has secured an area of Elysian Park in the city. The memorial will feature a small pedestrian bridge that will have vibrant rainbow colors, artistic details inspired by pets, and a place where you can leave your pet’s collar. It is inspired by the Rainbow Bridge poem as well as The Rainbow Bridge in Lake Lure, North Carolina.

“Our pets are family and walk with us through every season of life, so when we lose them, the grief is real and lasting,” says Tripucka. “This is something that brings people from all walks of life together, and  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.”

A mom to three rescue dogs from Wise Animal Rescue in Lake Hiawatha, Tripucka also always had a love for all dogs. She has fostered over 20 dogs in her lifetime after growing up with dogs; she’s been a volunteer at Wise for almost a decade.

“Ever since I was little, my mom used to take me to our local animal shelter so I could volunteer in whatever ways they’d let me. That’s really where my love for animals started. I remember asking to go every week, even when I was still in elementary school, and they would just let me hold the kittens and change their feeders,” she says. “Now, it feels more important than ever to talk about this and raise awareness. There are so many incredible dogs in need of homes, while overbreeding and profit-driven practices are still happening behind the scenes. Awareness and amplification truly, truly matters.”

Tripucka is working with the City of Hoboken, WISE Animal Rescue and The Local Girl Media Group; plus Eiko La Boria of The Flow Initiative, Dr. Lisa Lippman, DVM (who has expertise in pet loss), and Jamie Silva, P.E. The Stevens Institute of Technology Senior Design Team is helping bring the vision to life as part of their academic coursework.

A GoFundMe has been launched for project supplies, almost halfway to the goal of reaching $10,000 to cover materials, construction and installation of the structure. Any surplus will be donated to WISE Animal Rescue, the project’s official nonprofit partner.

She also advocates banning pet stores from selling animals and instead supporting local shelters, adopting, fostering, and sharing adoptable pets.

Elysian Park is located at 1001 Hudson St. in Hoboken. The memorial is expected to open later this year.

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