Thinking about preserving your pet in Perth?
Roughly 58,000 dogs and cats die in Perth each year, by our estimate, and most go to cremation by default. If you'd like to preserve yours, tell your vet today and get them into a freezer within hours.
- Freeze-drying, taxidermy or a partial keepsake
- Honest about waits and results
- Written quotes you can compare
Perth, Western Australia
Arranging preservation from Perth: the practical side
In a city this spread out, a farewell often happens at home or in the backyard rather than at a clinic across town. You can arrange a home euthanasia visit, sit with your pet for as long as you need, and then have them collected. If you want the family together, including children, pick a time outside the school run and peak traffic so nobody arrives rushed. A short moment in the garden before collection is enough for many families.
Grief can feel lonelier in Perth when close family lives on the other side of the country or overseas. A video call during a small home farewell, or sharing photos with relatives in different time zones, can help people feel included. Australia also has free pet loss support lines and online groups, and your vet clinic can often point you to local counsellors who understand that losing an animal is a real bereavement.
Emergency hospitals in Perth may handle several deaths in one night, and deceased pets are often moved to a shared cold room within the hour. When you ask for preservation, ask to see your pet's tag or label and check that it says freeze and hold. Take a photo of it on your phone. It's a small step, but it guards against a mix-up on a busy shift.
Perth's population is around 2,092,000, the largest of the 2 Western Australia communities we cover.
Perth sits within easy reach of Bunbury (96 miles). A provider based in any of them will usually collect from Perth; ask what the mileage adds to the bill.
Our estimate
695,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Perth
How we calculated this
2,092,000 ÷ 2.5 = 836,800 households; × 49% (dog) + 34% (cat) = 695,000. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
58,000
Estimated dog and cat losses in Perth each year
How we calculated this
695,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 58,000 a year. The real figure is unlikely to be lower.
49%[1]
49% of Australian households have at least one dog, up from 40% in 2019.
12.69 years[2]
US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years.
34%[3]
34% of Australian households have at least one cat, up from 27% in 2019.
11.18 years[4]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
Where these figures come from: Animal Medicines Australia, Pets in Australia 2025 (media release) and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
Cremation, burial and preservation in Australia
Cremation is the norm in Australia: roughly 71%[5] of people who die there are cremated. Many families who choose preservation still end up using a crematory as well, for the parts of the pet they aren't keeping. A preserved paw with the rest of your pet cremated privately is a common pairing, and it fits comfortably with the way most people here already think about aftercare.
We take the Australia rate from FuneralSmart (2023). It is a human statistic; there is no equivalent pet figure for Perth, and we would rather show a real number than invent one.
How Perth weather changes your timeline
In any climate, think about power. If Perth loses electricity while your pet is in the freezer, keep it shut, insulate it with blankets and look for dry ice if the outage lasts more than a day. Thawing and refreezing damages fur and skin in ways a practitioner can't fully repair.
What pet preservation costs in Perth
Some Australian freeze-dry studios publish much shorter turnarounds than US studios, such as 8–12 weeks[6] for a small cat or dog, against US waits that often run 6–12 months[7]. Before comparing, check whether the quoted time starts when your pet arrives or when they go into the chamber, and whether a busy season lengthens it.
Prices for Perth track the wider Western Australia market, so use the Western Australia price table as your baseline and the services page to see what is included.
Free tool
Freeze-dry & taxidermy cost estimator
Estimate cost and waiting time for freeze-drying or taxidermy by size and pose.
What Western Australia rules mean for a preserved pet
Shipping a frozen pet has its own rules. Dry ice is regulated for transport, so carriers ask for the package to be labeled with the amount used, and some services won't accept it at all. Ask your practitioner which carrier they want and follow their packing instructions exactly. For anything you don't preserve, the usual burial and scattering rules in Western Australia apply.
In Australia, many pet parrots, cockatoos and pythons are native species kept under state licences, and preserving or keeping their remains can need a permit from your state wildlife authority. Domestic cats, dogs and introduced species are simpler. Summer heat makes freezing within hours essential, and distances are long, so ask practitioners how they want pets delivered across states.
Home burial and scattering are governed at the Western Australia level first; our Western Australia rules summary has the detail. Then check whether Perth or your HOA adds anything.
What to do now, and what can wait
- Freeze first, decide later. Once your pet is frozen and stays that way, taking a few weeks to choose does no harm.
- Blot, don't wash. Dab off any moisture with paper towel and keep the coat as dry as it is.
- Pose gently and bag tightly. A natural sleeping curl, then two heavy bags with the air pressed out to prevent freezer burn on the face and ears.
- Plan for a power cut. Know where you'd get dry ice or a backup freezer if the electricity went off for more than a day.
- Ask two or three practitioners whether they take your species and size, how long their queue is and how they want your pet delivered.
- Ship or drop off frozen, early in the week if shipping, and ask for confirmation the moment your pet arrives.
Caring for the piece, and for the memories
Perth's outdoor lifestyle means the gaps a pet leaves are often very visible: the empty spot on the verandah, the quiet backyard, the morning routine that suddenly has nothing to it. It is normal to find those moments hard, and a small farewell in the garden can help mark the change. Later, planting something in the pet's memory or marking their birthday each year gives the loss a place to sit.
The services page is the place to compare what is included, or see what other families chose in the poll results, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details. You can also browse every city in Australia. Nearby, we also cover Bunbury, and every city in Western Australia.
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.
Where would a preserved pet live in your home?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
How do you feel about waiting months for a preserved pet to come home?
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If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
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Questions people ask
Roughly how many pets die in Perth each year?
Our estimate is around 58,000. It comes from Perth's population (about 2,092,000), the average household size, the share of homes with a dog or cat (about 695,000 households here) and the average lifespan. It is arithmetic, not a count, so read it as a rough floor.
How do Australia attitudes to cremation compare?
FuneralSmart (2023) puts the Australia human cremation rate at about 71%[5]. We show it on the Perth page because pet aftercare choices tend to track it: where cremation is normal for people, communal and private pet cremation are both easy to find.
Can I put my pet in the kitchen freezer?
Yes, if they fit and the freezer runs cold, as long as they're sealed in two heavy bags and kept apart from food in a box or bin. Small pets such as hamsters, rats, budgies and kittens fit easily. For a cat or dog, a chest freezer is usually easier. Avoid a fridge for anything longer than a few hours.
Does the euthanasia injection affect preservation?
Generally, no. Practitioners routinely work on pets who were put to sleep. What matters far more is what happens next: how much fur was clipped, whether your pet was kept cool and how soon they were frozen. Mention any shaved patches or bandaged areas when you describe your pet, so the practitioner knows what to expect when your pet thaws.
Can I keep my pet's skull or skeleton instead of a full preservation?
Yes. Some practitioners clean and whiten a skull, and a few articulate full skeletons, especially for birds, reptiles and small mammals. It's a quieter keepsake than a lifelike piece and suits people who like the idea of keeping something real but find fur and glass eyes unsettling. Ask about the method used, the wait and whether the remaining body can go for cremation.
Is it legal to preserve my pet bird, turtle or snake?
For captive-bred pets such as budgies, cockatiels, parrots, corn snakes and most pet tortoises, usually yes. Native wild species are different: many wild birds, turtles and reptiles are protected, and possessing or preserving them can require a permit even if you kept them legally. Tell the practitioner exactly what species your pet is and where they came from before you ship.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 49% of Australian households have at least one dog, up from 40% in 2019. Animal Medicines Australia, Pets in Australia 2025 (media release), 2025.
- [2] US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [3] 34% of Australian households have at least one cat, up from 27% in 2019. Animal Medicines Australia, Pets in Australia 2025 (media release), 2025.
- [4] US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [5] Australian cremation rates hovered around 70-72% between 2020 and 2023, with Sydney and Melbourne often above 80%. FuneralSmart, 2023.
- [6] A Queensland freeze-dry pet preservation studio says a small cat or dog takes 8–12 weeks and a very large dog up to 4–5 months. Down Under Taxidermy – Freeze-dry pet preservation, 2026.
- [7] Both traditional taxidermy and freeze-drying typically take 6–12 months, sometimes longer. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [8] Freeze-drying a cat or small dog costs about 10 times a private cremation. Our estimate: midpoint freeze-dry $1,750 ($1,000–$2,500) / $175 (private cremation 3–24 lb, NC provider). How we calculate.
Ask which practitioners take 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.