Preserving pets after death growing popular as an option
Taxidermists help those who aren’t ready to part with furry companions
Taxidermist Daniel Ross acknowledges it’s a controversial topic, but says the owners “aren’t weird, they just really love their pets.”
Mary Kaufman of Lonoke, Ark., knew the end was near for her beloved Brittany. The 14-year-old Yorkie had lost her sight and hearing.
Brittany had been with Kaufman, 64, when she lost her son, Billy Giger, who died in 1998 and her husband, Howard Sims, in 2004. Letting go when the dog’s time came was going to be hard.
“I have memories of Brittany playing with Billy’s kids,” Kaufman says. “And she never left Howard’s side. Brittany was my living connection to them.”
Kaufman saw a newscast about a taxidermist who preserves pets. “I had never heard about it, but I knew instantly that’s what I wanted to do,” she says. “They (the taxidermist’s work) all looked so real.”
Pets are big business. Americans spent about $50 billion — a record — on their pets in 2011, according to the American Pet Products Association. The association’s 2011-12 National Pet Owners Survey says 62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 72.9 million homes.
Preserving those pets after they die with a freeze-drying process is increasingly becoming an option.
Daniel Ross, the taxidermist profiled on the newscast, is also featured on Animal Planet’s new reality TV show Animal Stuffers, which shows pet owners as they grieve their loss and rejoice when reunited with their preserved pets at Ross’ shop, Xtreme Taxidermy, in Romance, Ark. “It definitely is something people are doing more,” Ross says of the process. “It’s the real animal.”
Freeze-drying slowly removes water from the animal over the course of several months — up to six months for a larger dog, he explains. Traditional taxidermy places an animal’s skin on a mold, which Ross says makes it harder to capture a pet’s look as the owner remembers.
Ross says he has freeze-dried everything from small birds and snakes to tarantulas and iguanas. His basic price is $725 for any pet up to 10 pounds plus $49 for every pound over that.
Many taxidermists don’t embrace pet preservation. “None of us seek that type of work,” says Scott Wilkinson, president of the United Taxidermists of New York. “We talk about it, but mostly jokingly.”
Roger Hutton, president of the Iowa Taxidermy Association, says he gets one or two calls a year about pet preservation but usually tries to talk owners out of it. “Clients often say, ‘It’s like a family member.’ My thinking is, you wouldn’t want to mount your mom or dad. Why would you want to mount your dog?” Hutton says. Still, Hutton concedes Animal Stuffers may lead to increased demand for pet preservation.
Ross admits he also didn’t like the idea immediately. But after more than 100 pets preserved, Ross has changed his tune. “I often feel like a pet mortician,” Ross says. “If I can help someone with their grief, I’m all for it. . . . It’s kind of a controversial topic right now, but these people aren’t weird, they just really love their pets.”
Alma Bond of New York, a psychologist who has focused on counseling people on grief and aging during her 37-year career, says the connection to a loved one makes pet preservation a positive for dealing with grief.
“Grief is often very traumatic,” Bond says. “I lost a child, and I treasure the things I know he touched. And I know many people love their pets as much as their children, so I can see how it could keep you in touch with the positive feelings you had for your pet.”
Animal Stuffers senior executive producer Mick Kaczorowski says the show, which he refers to as a “docusoap,” is a way to tell a story with interesting characters who are passionate about animals. There are both funny and emotional moments. “It’s a real family drama,” he says. Vera Edmier, 71, of Scottsdale, Ariz., awaits the return of her Maltese, Coco, from taxidermist Perpetual Pet of New Port Ritchey, Fla. She has no children and says Coco was “my little child.”
“She was with me every minute of the day,” Edmier says. “I took her shopping with me. She never left my side. We were just like glue.”
Sandra Calagan of Perpetual Pet says she understands. She got into pet preservation because of her own cat, Naomi.
“I couldn’t bear to bury or cremate her, so we bought a freeze-drying machine,” Calagan says.
After 10 years in business, Perpetual Pet has eight freeze-drying machines. The company’s prices are similar to those charged by Xtreme Taxidermy.
Dogs and cats make up the majority of the business, but Calagan and her husband, Chris, have preserved bunnies, hamsters, ferrets and even a hedgehog.
Kaufman, who keeps Brittany in a baby cradle at the foot of her bed, has no regrets.
“I know she’s not here,” Kaufman says, “but I can see her and touch her and talk to her every day. I would do it again.”