Students to paint rainbow bridge memorial for Riley the dog

Just this side of heaven, on Furman University’s campus, is a place called Riley’s Pet Rainbow Bridge.

For more than a decade, the radiant Riley – part golden retriever, part Basset Hound – served as a friendly face for everyone on Furman’s campus. Her humans, Dave and Kathy Knox, walked Riley on campus nearly every day. She became an unofficial mascot; a highlight for tour groups that had the luck to pass by her on a walk and a comfort to students homesick for their own furry friends. Riley Knox passed away in March 2025.

A group of Furman students volunteered their time April 12 to paint a bridge to serve as a tribute to the dog Riley Knox and a place of reflection for pet owners on campus. Photo courtesy of Dave Knox.

A group of students rallied to paint a memorial tribute to Riley on April 12: a rainbow bridge.

Dave said he’s been working to memorialize Riley for the better part of a year, inspired by the Rainbow Bridge memorial in Lake Lure, North Carolina. But his dream is to do more than pay tribute – he and Kathy want to pay it forward.

“We can do both: Memorialize Riley and give something back by letting her continue to do her therapy, even though she’s no longer with us,” Dave said.

Riley’s love is still felt

For Abbey Vincent ’27, a chemistry major from Germantown, Tennessee organizing student volunteers, Riley was an oasis when she came to campus. Her own dogs at home were a constant source of comfort, and Riley was a “beloved surrogate, filling that void with her gentle spirit and soulful eyes.”

On April 12, Furman students painted this bridge in tribute to Riley the dog, whose 10 years of visiting campus brightened lives of everyone who met her.

When the Knox’s reached out to Furman looking for a way to honor Riley, Vincent knew she had to get involved. She wasn’t the only one; students volunteered without hesitation to help paint the bridge, said Jessica Rosato, art department assistant.

“My team and I wanted to ensure that it would resonate not only with Dave and Kathy, but with everyone whose lives Riley brightened,” Vincent said.

That’s what inspired Dave to get this bridge on campus in the first place. He and Kathy saw countless students who shed tears after petting Riley and shared stories of being unable to make it home when their pets faced an emergency. This bridge offers the campus community a place of reflection and healing when they face loss or just miss their best friends.

“When I think about all the divisiveness going on in the world right now, it’s so refreshing to see people coming together, despite any differences they have, to work on a common project for the benefit of everybody,” Dave said.

Riley’s legacy is alive in every hug, smile and moment people come together, Vincent said, and to the Knox’s, “I hope you feel the gratitude and affection that surrounds you, just as Riley once did for so many.”