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Welcome
We understand just how much our pets mean to us — they are family. As a husband-and-wife team, Michelle and James Bancroft, we run Rainbow Bridge Pet Funerals with a simple purpose: to provide compassionate, dignified pet cremations and home euthanasia across Bolton, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and the wider North West.
We are proud to be Bolton’s only APHA-approved pet crematorium, ensuring the highest standards of care, safety, and professionalism for every beloved pet entrusted to us.
Having felt the heartbreak of losing our own pets, we truly understand the depth of that grief. It’s this lived experience that drives us to offer genuine support, comfort, and reassurance to families facing one of the most difficult goodbyes.
What sets us apart is our background in the funeral profession. This experience shapes the way we care for every pet, bringing a level of respect, attention, and personal service that honours the special bond you shared.
Our values guide every moment of care — from the first phone call to the safe return of your pet’s ashes. These principles define who we are, what we stand for, and how we support families through one of the hardest days they will face.
Our Values
Compassion
We meet every family with warmth, empathy and understanding. Losing a beloved pet is heartbreaking, and we’re here to offer comfort, kindness and reassurance at every step.
Dignity
Every pet is treated with the utmost care and respect. From careful handling to individual cremation, we ensure your companion receives a dignified farewell.
Transparency
You deserve complete confidence in the service you choose. We are open, honest and committed to clear communication — including personally guaranteeing individual cremation.
Personalised Care
Every pet is unique, and so is every goodbye. We take time to understand your wishes, offering options, guidance and gentle support tailored to your family’s needs.
Meet Michelle (and Wilson)
Michelle is a lifelong animal lover and proud mum to two Cockapoos, Wilson and Betty, as well as a cat, Jaxon.
With over 15 years’ experience in a senior compliance role, Michelle also runs a doggy day care centre. Her background means she takes great care to ensure every part of Rainbow Bridge, including individual pet cremation, is handled with the highest standards and attention to detail.
The idea for Rainbow Bridge came from a very personal experience. When her cat Milo passed away, Michelle was unsure of her options. The vet quickly suggested cremation, but after a week she had heard nothing. It was only 11 days later that Milo was finally returned to her.
That difficult experience inspired Michelle to create a service built on compassion and understanding—one that supports families at one of the hardest times in their lives, and makes sure they are reunited with their beloved pets as quickly and gently as possible.
Michelle has also achieved a distinction in accredited Grief Coach for Pet Loss training, giving her the knowledge and empathy to guide others through the pain of losing a cherished companion.
Meet James (and Betty)
James has many years of experience in the funeral industry, having worked as a funeral director in both Oldham and Prestwich. Alongside this, he runs three doggy day care centres and, like Michelle, is a devoted animal lover. He is also proud to serve as a trustee of the Destitute Animal Shelter in Bolton, supporting the welfare of animals in need.
His background means he has a deep understanding of what families go through when facing loss, and he is committed to offering kindness, empathy and support during such a difficult time.
James’s dog, Betty, recently passed her Pets as Therapy assessment, and together they often visit children in hospital. These visits bring comfort and smiles, helping young patients cope with their illness.
Having experienced loss with his own pets, James recognised that there was a need for more compassionate and personal pet aftercare.
This realisation inspired him to create Rainbow Bridge Pet Funerals—a service built on care, respect and understanding, ensuring families are reunited with their beloved pets as quickly and gently as possible.
