Thinking about preserving your pet in Kelowna?
Freeze-drying, traditional taxidermy or a single preserved paw: this page explains what each involves for owners in Kelowna, what the published prices are and what the finished piece will honestly look like.
- Clear steps for the first few hours
- Shipping frozen, explained plainly
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Kelowna, British Columbia
Where Kelowna owners find freezer space and practitioners
Kids handle the loss of a pet better when they hear the truth and get to help. Invite them to decorate a memory box, choose a plant or help plan the farewell. Grandchildren visiting for the summer may want to take part too. An anniversary ritual lets scattered family remember together. Everyone grieves on their own timeline. Older kids may need extra check-ins.
Kelowna has a large retired population, and for someone living alone, a pet often shapes the whole day. When that companion dies, the quiet can be hard. A small farewell at home, on the patio or somewhere by the lake, with friends or neighbours who knew your pet, gives you a moment together. A video call can bring distant family in.
In a city the size of Kelowna, your vet may know of someone who preserves pets, or may never have been asked. Either answer is normal. Ask them to freeze your pet rather than send them for cremation, then do your own research on practitioners. Many work from small home studios and take pets from all over the country, so local reputation matters less than their portfolio.
With roughly 144,000 residents, Kelowna is the 3rd-largest of the 6 British Columbia communities we cover.
87%[1]
British Columbia's cremation rate is estimated at about 87%, the highest in Canada.
USD 1,000–2,000[2]
Freeze-drying a pet typically costs USD 1,000–2,000.
3–6 months (small pets)[3]
Freeze-dry preservation takes 3–6 months for small pets, 7+ months for large dogs and up to a year for very large animals.
3-5% of body weight[4]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
To check the figures yourself, see Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire and Embrace Pet Insurance.
Cremation, burial and preservation in British Columbia
In British Columbia, about 87%[1] of people are cremated, so cremation is the default most families expect, for people and pets alike. That's why vets and emergency clinics tend to route deceased pets straight to a crematory. If you want to preserve your pet, you're choosing the less usual path here, so be clear and early: tell the clinic you want your pet frozen and held, not collected for cremation.
We take the British Columbia rate from DFS Memorials 'Cremation Nation' (estimate citing CANA) (2025). It is a human statistic; there is no equivalent pet figure for Kelowna, and we would rather show a real number than invent one.
Seasons, shipping and humidity in Kelowna
Whatever the weather in Kelowna, a freezer is the only safe place to hold a pet for preservation. Fridges, cool rooms and outdoor spaces all let the body keep changing. If you don't have space at home, ask your vet, an emergency clinic or a friend with a chest freezer to hold your pet for a few days.
How much to budget for preservation
Size drives the price wherever you are. A small pet under a pound is at the low end, with one US studio listing USD 650[5], and big dogs sit at the top, often several thousand dollars. Add delivery each way, a base or case and any painting or touch-ups, then compare written totals rather than headline prices.
For a line-by-line price table, see the British Columbia overview; for what's included in each option, see our services.
Free tool
Freeze-dry & taxidermy cost estimator
Estimate cost and waiting time for freeze-drying or taxidermy by size and pose.
Permits, shipping and burial rules in British Columbia
Two kinds of rules can apply to a preserved pet. Wildlife rules come first: if your pet is a native wild bird, turtle, snake or other protected species, possessing or preserving them may need paperwork, even if you kept them legally for years. Then there are the ordinary aftercare rules on burial at home and scattering ashes, for any part of your pet you don't keep.
In Canada, provinces license taxidermists mainly for wildlife and game, so a domestic cat or dog is usually outside those rules, while native birds and some reptiles are not. There are few pet preservation specialists, and sending a pet's body across the US border involves import paperwork and the risk of delays. Most Canadian families look within Canada first, even if it means a long drive or a domestic courier.
The British Columbia page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. Kelowna's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
A checklist for the first hours
- Raise preservation before the euthanasia appointment, not afterward, so the clinic can plan where your pet will be held once they've died.
- Ask the vet to clip as little fur as possible for the injection or catheter, and to tell you which leg they'll use.
- Bring a towel and a sturdy cooler so there's no delay between the appointment and a freezer, whether that's at home or at the clinic.
- Take your time saying goodbye, then settle your pet into the curled or resting shape you'd like before their body stiffens.
- If you've already picked a practitioner, check with them in advance how they prefer a pet posed and bagged for the freezer.
- Note the time of death and the time of freezing in your phone; those two times are the first things any practitioner asks.
Living with a preserved pet in Kelowna
Smoky summers and gray winter days under the valley cloud can make grief feel heavier. Keep simple routines, get outside when the air is clear and talk about your pet with people who understand. If sadness isn't easing or it's affecting sleep or appetite, reaching out to a counsellor, your doctor or a pet loss support line is a sensible step.
or look at how readers voted in our polls, use the free tools before you ring anyone, the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones, Compare every option on our services page. You can also browse every city in Canada. Nearby, we also cover North Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey and Vancouver, and every city in British Columbia.
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?
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If your pet died today, could you freeze them properly within a few hours?
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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
Is cremation common in British Columbia?
For people, yes: about 87%[1] of British Columbia deaths end in cremation, according to DFS Memorials 'Cremation Nation' (estimate citing CANA) (2025). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Kelowna follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Is freeze-drying or taxidermy better for my pet?
Neither is better in general. Freeze-drying keeps your pet's actual body and suits sleeping or lying poses; it takes longer and is more sensitive to humidity. Taxidermy fits tanned skin over a sculpted form, allows sitting or alert poses and depends heavily on the artist's sculpting. Freeze-drying is the more common choice, at 62.3%[7] of the market by one industry estimate.
What happens if something goes wrong during preservation?
Occasionally a practitioner finds damage once a pet thaws, often fur slipping because of a delay before freezing. A good one will call you, explain what they see and offer choices, such as switching to a partial piece or arranging cremation. Ask about this, and about refunds of the deposit, before you pay anything.
Will my preserved pet look like they did when alive?
They'll look like your pet at rest, not like a living animal. Fur, markings and body shape usually come through well. Faces are harder: noses can darken, lips and eyelids shrink slightly, and open eyes are usually glass. Closed-eye sleeping poses tend to look most natural, and lots of reference photos help the practitioner capture what made your pet recognizable.
How do I look after a preserved pet at home?
Protect it from sunlight, damp and insects. Direct sun fades fur, humid air can soften freeze-dried tissue and moths or carpet beetles can damage fur over time. Keep the piece in a dry room away from bathrooms and heating vents, dust it with a soft makeup brush or a hair dryer on cool, and never wash it. A glass case helps with all three.
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.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] British Columbia's cremation rate is estimated at about 87%, the highest in Canada. DFS Memorials 'Cremation Nation' (estimate citing CANA), 2025.
- [2] Freeze-drying a pet typically costs USD 1,000–2,000. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2024.
- [3] Freeze-dry preservation takes 3–6 months for small pets, 7+ months for large dogs and up to a year for very large animals. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2024.
- [4] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [5] One U.S. pet preservation studio charges USD 650 to freeze-dry a pet under 1 lb, with a 4–6 month turnaround. Animal Family Pet — Pet Preservation Pricing & Shipping, 2026.
- [6] Freeze-drying a pet costs about 6 times as much as an average cremation. Our estimate: USD 1,500 (midpoint of USD 1,000–2,000) / USD 250. How we calculate.
- [7] Freeze-drying accounted for 62.3% of the pet preservation services market. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2023.
Find a preservation specialist 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.