ST. CLOUD — Heritage Park will be the new site of the Central Minnesota Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden, following a lengthy process that saw the project proposed at numerous sites.
Laura Ellavsky, who has experience with pet loss, is behind the project, which is designed to replicate the poem
“The Rainbow Bridge,” penned by Edna Clyne-Rekhy,
which has inspired many, including the
Lake Lure Rainbow Bridge
in North Carolina. The Rainbow Bridge is a poem about animal heaven and the promised reunion with lost pets, according to National Geographic.
Ellavsky pursued the project following the death of her pug-Boston Terrier mix, Mozzie, in March 2024.
The
Central Minnesota Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden
will feature a community garden and a bridge, offering a place to hang pet collars and memorial tags. While the initial plans included a water feature, that’s currently on hold as the organization needs additional funding, Ellavsky said. There will also be a Kids’ Corner at the memorial with activities to help “kids understand the loss of a family pet,” she said.
Previously, the project was slated for Talahi Woods, but ultimately, that fell through. Ellavsky said she worked with St. Cloud Community Services and Facilities Director Scott Zlotnik to identify Heritage Park as a potential landing spot.
“We drove around town together just trying to identify sites that would work, that would have water access so that we could install, hopefully with funding, a sprinkler system in the garden, which also needs access to electricity,” Ellavsky said. “Those were two of our big needs as an organization, and then as well as handicap accessibility.”
For her, the project has become “full circle.”
“I grew up walking my dog in Heritage Park, so for me it’s like, ‘Oh, this is sweet,'” Ellavsky said. “Lots of dog walkers love Heritage Park, so that makes sense, but it’s just not for dog people, it’s for everyone.”
The Central Minnesota Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden has received all necessary approvals, and construction is slated to begin in April.
“You know, Minnesota springs, we don’t know for sure what we’re going to get, and then the city is in the process of removing some of those
emerald (trees),”
Ellavsky said.
The Central Minnesota Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden will also feature a “Little Library” with books focused on pet loss, grief and healing
If all goes as planned, The Central Minnesota Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden will be open in May. To donate to the project, visit
linktr.ee/thecentralmnrbmg.
Heritage Park is at 265 33rd Ave. S, St. Cloud.
Trent Abrego is a business reporter for St. Cloud LIVE and can be reached at trent@stcloudlive.com.
