Pet preservation in Regina
Pet preservation is a small craft with few practitioners, so most owners in Regina don't have one down the road. That's fine. A pet frozen quickly and kept frozen can travel, and can wait while you choose.
- Freeze first, decide later
- Published prices by pet size
- Help finding a specialist who takes your species
Regina, Saskatchewan
What pet preservation is like in Regina
Prairie winters are long and dark, and grief can feel heavier when you're stuck indoors and the routine you shared with your pet is gone. Keep some structure, get outside on bright days and talk with people who understand. If the sadness isn't lifting after a few weeks, pet loss support services, a counsellor or your doctor can help. Grieving deeply for an animal is normal.
Children often grieve a pet openly and do better with honest, simple explanations. Let them take part in a farewell by choosing a photo, painting a stone or helping plant a tree in spring. On farms, children may know about death already but still need support for a pet they loved. Marking the anniversary together keeps your pet part of family life.
Shipping a frozen pet from Regina is more routine than it sounds. Practitioners who accept pets by post usually ask for an overnight service sent on a Monday or Tuesday, so the box never sits in a depot over a weekend. Before you pack anything, ask your chosen practitioner which carrier and service they want, and whether they'll book the collection for you.
Regina's population is around 228,000, the 2nd-largest of the 2 Saskatchewan communities we cover.
Our pages for Saskatoon (146 miles) describe the same choices from those towns' point of view, and the providers overlap, so a quote from one often covers Regina as well.
81.1%[1]
CANA projects the Canadian cremation rate will reach 81.1% by 2030.
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.
The numbers above come from Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire and Embrace Pet Insurance, if you'd like to read the original sources.
Cremation, burial and preservation in Canada
With roughly 81.1%[1] of people cremated in Canada, crematory vans often collect from vet clinics on a fixed schedule, sometimes daily. Ask what time the collection comes. If your pet died in the afternoon, there may be only hours before they're loaded with other pets. One call asking the clinic to pull your pet from the list and freeze them is the most useful thing you can do today.
CANA Industry Statistical Information (2030) is where the Canada figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Regina tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
Seasons, shipping and humidity in Regina
Humidity matters once your preserved pet comes home to Regina. Freeze-dried tissue can take up moisture from damp air, so keep the piece in a dry room, out of direct sun and away from bathrooms and heating vents. A glass case helps in any climate, especially if you have other pets or children.
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.
Prices for Regina track the wider Saskatchewan market, so use the Saskatchewan 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.
Rules worth knowing in Saskatchewan
Most people never need to think about law when preserving a pet. The exceptions are wild or native animals, pets that died of a notifiable disease, and pets sent across a border, where animal health paperwork may apply. If any of those fit, raise it with your vet and practitioner first. Anything you don't keep follows the ordinary burial and scattering rules.
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 Saskatchewan page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. Regina's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
What to do first if you might preserve your pet
- Tell your vet or clinic straight away that you're considering preservation, so your pet isn't sent for cremation with the day's collection.
- Lay your pet in a relaxed position on their side, legs gently folded, before the body stiffens. Don't wash or brush them.
- Double-bag them in heavy plastic bags, pressing out as much air as you can, and seal each bag.
- Put them in the coldest freezer available within a few hours, not the fridge. Leave them there and don't take them out to look.
- Take photos you already have and gather more: the face from different sides, the natural set of the ears, every marking. Your practitioner works from these.
- Choose a practitioner by their pet work, then make sure cost, deposit, return date and how they'll travel are written down before your pet leaves the house.
Living with a preserved pet in Regina
Regina is a friendly city, and a pet's death is often shared with neighbours, family and friends. A small farewell at home, in the yard or at a favourite spot by the lake can help everyone say goodbye. In winter, many families hold a short gathering indoors and plan a scattering or planting for spring. There's no wrong way to do it.
or see what other families chose in the poll results, read our guides and latest articles, For a plain comparison of the choices, open services, use the free tools before you ring anyone. You can also browse every city in Canada. Nearby, we also cover Saskatoon, and every city in Saskatchewan.
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.
If your pet died today, could you freeze them properly within a few hours?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you were preserving your pet, which route would you lean toward?
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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
How do Canada attitudes to cremation compare?
CANA Industry Statistical Information (2030) puts the Canada human cremation rate at about 81.1%[1]. We show it on the Regina 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.
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 should I send the practitioner besides my pet?
Photographs, and plenty of them. The face in good daylight from the front and both sides, how your pet's ears and eyes looked when relaxed, their favorite sleeping position and any unusual markings. Mention quirks too, like a tongue that always poked out. Practitioners never met your pet, so these details are what make the finished piece look like them rather than any cat or dog.
Can I preserve just a paw or tail and have the rest of my pet cremated?
Yes, and many families find it easier to live with than a full-body piece. The practitioner preserves the paw, tail, wing or feathers, and the rest of your pet goes to a cremation provider. Agree in writing who handles the handover and that the cremation is private, so the ashes you get back are your pet's alone. Partial work usually costs far less and takes less time.
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.
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.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] CANA projects the Canadian cremation rate will reach 81.1% by 2030. CANA Industry Statistical Information, 2030.
- [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] On a per-pound-above-threshold reading of its price list, one Ohio studio would charge about $4,851 to freeze-dry a 50 lb dog. Our estimate: $2,781 + $69 × (50 − 20) lb. 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
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