pet taxidermy

Quite a few people are so distraught when their pet passes that they will do anything to keep them near them, such as having them preserved. Is that a good idea though? One taxidermist responds with a resounding “NO!”

Not many taxidermists will work with pets. They will mount anything you catch in the wild, be it fish, or bears or deer. But when you want your dog or your cat preserved for all time, many a taxidermist will frown at you. It’s not that they’re lazy or mean, they just don’t think it’s a good idea! As George, a professional taxidermist for many years put it:
“I flatly refuse them, not because I don’t have the talent, but out of respect to the owner and the pet. Pets have personality just like people. Would you want us to do a family member. After all, an undertaker at their best, makes dead people look dead. We can’t put that personality back.”
This taxidermist won’t even consider preserving his own pets:
“I have 2 Pomeranians that are like family to me, and I have cut a lot of people short when they ask me if I intend to mount them when they die. NO! I plan to get another Pom and create new memories while honoring the old ones of my current pet.”
Of course, if you really want to preserve your pet, you can! Taxidermy is probably not the answer though.
Conventional taxidermy is impractical and quite costly. These days there are more specialized ways to preserve a pet, like freezedrying. Most start at around $400 and go up quickly as the weight of the animal increases. Some “mount” the animal in an alert alive position, but most pose the animal at rest, “asleep”.
For more on freeze drying read this article.

Tags: Taxidermy on pets