About this pet preservation guide
We're an independent guide and request service for pet freeze-drying, taxidermy and partial keepsakes. We don't preserve pets ourselves; we help you find people who do, and explain the field honestly.
- Independent: no workshop, freezer or studio of our own
- Every figure linked to where it came from
- Straight answers about what preservation can't do
The short version
What this site is, and what it isn't
This site explains pet preservation for people who are considering it, often in the hours after a death and often with no idea where to start. We write guides, run polls and build simple tools so you can see what freeze-drying, taxidermy or a partial keepsake would involve for your own pet.
We are not a taxidermy studio. We don't own freeze-drying chambers, beetle colonies or display workshops, we don't collect pets, and we won't pretend otherwise. When you ask for help, we look for independent practitioners who take your pet's species and size, and email you what we find. The work, the contract and the price are always between you and the practitioner you choose.
Part of our network is a set of sister sites about cremation for particular species. Those cover ashes and urns in depth; this site stays focused on the preservation crafts, and on the lighter alternatives described in our taxidermy alternatives guide.
Why a separate guide
Why pet preservation needs its own plain-English guide
Preservation is small, specialist and easy to misunderstand. One market report valued the worldwide pet preservation market at about USD 88.6 million[1] in 2023, a sliver of pet aftercare as a whole. By the same report, North America is the largest region, holding 48.3%[2] of that market, yet the work is spread across a fairly small number of studios and part-time artists.
USD 88.6 million[1]
The global pet preservation services market (freeze-drying and taxidermy) was valued at USD 88.6 million in 2023.
100+ businesses / USD 25–30M[3]
The U.S. has more than 100 pet taxidermy businesses, generating an estimated USD 25–30 million in annual revenue.
~USD 2.7 million/yr[4]
The pet preservation (freeze-dry/taxidermy) market adds only about USD 2.7 million a year, far slower than pet funeral services.
Growth is slow, too. By our estimate, working from two published market forecasts, the field adds only ~USD 2.7 million/yr[4] in new business, so waiting lists are unlikely to shrink soon. That's why clear information matters: most people have one chance to freeze their pet correctly, and they usually need to find someone reputable while they're still in shock. Our page on pet preservation timelines shows what a typical commission looks like month by month.
Step by step
How a request works, from form to written quote
- You send the form. Species, weight, where you are, how your pet is stored now, and which kind of preservation interests you.
- We look for a match. Pet preservation is specialist, so we look for practitioners who take your species and size and will accept a pet from your area, including by frozen shipping. Our locations pages explain how that differs from area to area.
- We email you back with options and the prices and waiting times they publish or share, plus anything you should ask before paying a deposit.
- You decide. You contact the practitioner directly. There's no obligation, and you can simply keep your pet frozen while you think.
If you're weighing up whether to preserve at all, read preservation or cremation keepsakes first. It compares which steps can be undone and which can't. For a plain summary of every kind of work we can help you find, see our services.
Our numbers
How we research prices, timelines and statistics
Every figure on this site comes from a published source: market research reports, practitioners' own published price lists, government data such as the UK Competition and Markets Authority's review of vet and pet cremation pricing, and peer-reviewed studies like the PLOS ONE study on pet grief. Each stat links to a footnote naming where it came from and the year. You can see the whole list on our research page.
Some figures are labeled our estimate. Those are calculations we've made from published numbers, such as working out what one studio's per-pound price means for a 10 lb cat, or comparing freeze-drying with average cremation costs. We show them because they answer real questions, and we label them so you know they're ours rather than someone else's finding.
What we promise, and don't
Our editorial standards
- No invented reviews, ratings, testimonials or customer stories.
- No claims about being the biggest, first or top anything.
- No promises about prices, results or response times we can't back up.
- Honest descriptions of how preserved pets really look, including the parts owners find disappointing.
- Respect for people who choose preservation and for those who find it uncomfortable.
We also try to keep grief and decision-making separate. Choosing preservation in the first raw hours is understandable, and freezing gives you room to think. Our article on deciding while grieving explains how.
What would matter most to you in a preserved pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Beyond the guides
Tools and polls that make the decision easier
The preservation cost estimator gives a price and waiting-time range from your pet's size, the method and the pose. The memorial budget planner adds it to everything else you might spend. Our reader polls ask the questions people rarely say out loud, like how a family really feels about a preserved pet in the living room. The live poll results show how those answers are adding up.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Interest in personal memorials is widespread: one market study reported 51% / 70%[5] of owners, respectively, interested in personalized memorials and seeing memorialization as significant. Preservation is one of the most personal choices of all, and we'd like you to make it with your eyes open. If you have a question we haven't answered, contact us.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
What would matter most to you in a preserved pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
How did (or would) the people you live with react to preserving your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Who made (or will make) the aftercare decision in your household?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
Do you preserve pets yourselves?
No. We're an independent guide and request service. We don't operate a studio, freeze-drying equipment or a collection service. When you send us your pet's details, we look for practitioners who take that species and size and email you their options and prices. You then deal with them directly.
Is it free to ask for help?
Yes. Sending the form and receiving our email reply costs you nothing and doesn't commit you to anything. Any preservation work is agreed and paid for directly with the practitioner you choose, on their written terms. Keep your pet frozen while you decide, and don't feel rushed into a deposit.
How do you decide which practitioners to suggest?
We look at who takes your species and size, whether they accept pets from your area or by frozen shipping, and whether they publish examples of finished pets rather than only wildlife. We can't inspect every workshop, so we always suggest you look at their portfolio and get terms in writing before paying.
Where do your statistics come from?
From market research reports, practitioners' published price lists, government data and academic studies, each footnoted with its source and year. Figures marked "our estimate" are our own calculations based on those sources. The full list with links is on our research page.
Can you help if I decide against preservation?
Yes. Plenty of people start here and choose a partial keepsake, a paw cast or cremation instead. Our guides on alternatives and hybrid options explain how to do that without losing the chance to keep something, and our sister sites cover cremation for specific species in more detail.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The global pet preservation services market (freeze-drying and taxidermy) was valued at USD 88.6 million in 2023. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2023.
- [2] North America held 48.3% of the pet preservation market in 2023, and dogs accounted for 57.6%. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2023.
- [3] The U.S. has more than 100 pet taxidermy businesses, generating an estimated USD 25–30 million in annual revenue. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2023.
- [4] The pet preservation (freeze-dry/taxidermy) market adds only about USD 2.7 million a year, far slower than pet funeral services. Our estimate: (112.7M - 88.6M) / 9 years. How we calculate.
- [5] Astute Analytica reports 51% of pet owners are interested in personalized memorials and 70% consider memorialization significant. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2024.
Ask us to find a practitioner for your pet
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.