Pet taxidermy and freeze-dry options for Wellington, New Zealand
Roughly 4,750 dogs and cats die in Wellington 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.
- Clear steps for the first few hours
- Shipping frozen, explained plainly
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Wellington, New Zealand
Where Wellington owners find freezer space and practitioners
A pet's farewell in Wellington can be simple: a moment at home with the family before collection, a few words, or a small gathering in the garden if the wind allows. Some families like to include a karakia, a reading or a waiata; others prefer quiet. Children often want to help, perhaps by picking flowers or writing a note. Include those wishes in your request and we'll look for providers in the region who can honor them.
Wellington has a large population of public servants, students and young professionals, many living alone or far from family, and for them a pet is often the most constant companion. Losing that can feel overwhelming. Grief like that is real, not an overreaction. Many people find a blustery hour on the waterfront or a slow climb through the Botanic Garden clears the head, and sharing stories with a friend who knew your pet helps it settle.
A good first call from Wellington is to someone who preserves pets, not to a cremation provider. Describe your pet's species, weight, how they died and how long they've been frozen. A practitioner can often tell you straight away whether preservation is likely to work, which saves you money and heartache if it isn't.
Wellington is home to about 212,000 people.
Our estimate
55,500
Wellington: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
212,000 ÷ 2.7 = 78,519 households; × 31% (dog) + 40% (cat) = 55,500. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
4,750
Estimated dog and cat losses in Wellington each year
How we calculated this
55,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 4,750 a year. The real figure is unlikely to be lower.
31%[1]
31% of New Zealand households have a dog, down from 34% in 2020.
12.69 years[2]
US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years.
40%[3]
40% of New Zealand households have a cat - cats are NZ's most popular pet.
11.18 years[4]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
None of the figures on this this page are ours alone: they rest on Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and Companion Animals New Zealand, 2024 NZ Pet Data Report.
Why preservation means speaking up early in New Zealand
In New Zealand, cremation accounts for about 69%[5] of human deaths, so both burial and cremation traditions run through local families. If relatives feel strongly one way, a preserved pet can seem out of step. Many families settle on something in between, like a freeze-dried paw kept on a shelf with the rest of the pet buried or cremated as the family prefers.
The New Zealand percentage above is from The Spinoff, citing FDANZ 2023 Funeral Industry Trends Report (2023) and refers to human funerals. Treat it as context for Wellington, not as a count of pets.
Seasons, shipping and humidity in Wellington
In any climate, think about power. If Wellington 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.
Published prices and waits for Wellington owners
With few specialists spread across large distances, most families in Australia and New Zealand choose a practitioner by their pet work and then plan the delivery. Ask whether they accept frozen pets by courier, what packing they want, and how the finished piece comes home. Get the deposit and full price in writing before anything is sent.
For a line-by-line price table, see the New Zealand 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.
Wildlife permits, shipping and local rules in New Zealand
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 New Zealand, most native birds and reptiles are protected by law, so preserving a native species usually needs Department of Conservation approval, while domestic cats, dogs and introduced birds are generally straightforward. Pet preservation specialists are very few. Biosecurity rules make sending a pet's body overseas and back difficult, so partial keepsakes done locally are often the practical choice.
Just lost your pet? An order to follow
- Find the nearest vet or emergency clinic wherever you are, and ask whether they can freeze your pet today.
- Ask how long they could hold your pet, and whether a practitioner or courier could collect from them directly.
- If you have to drive home, pick up a rigid cooler and dry ice; if dry ice isn't available, use plenty of bagged ice. Seal your pet in two bags and put a towel between them and the ice.
- Check the ice every few hours on the road, and never leave the cooler in a parked car in the sun.
- Keep the clinic's paperwork, with the date, weight and cause of death, because the practitioner will want it.
- Choose the practitioner once you're settled, and take their advice on whether your pet should travel from the clinic or from home.
Other ways to keep your pet close
Wellingtonians are used to talking things through, and grief for a pet goes easier when you don't keep it to yourself. Counselors who understand animal loss and online pet loss groups are available across New Zealand if the sadness hasn't lifted after a few weeks. Some families here find a quiet ritual helps too, like returning to a favorite south coast beach on the anniversary, or watching the tree they planted for their pet come into flower each spring.
try the free planning tools, Our services overview lays out every option side by side, or see what other families chose in the poll results, the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones. the full list for New Zealand and for New Zealand is a click away.
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.
How do you feel about waiting months for a preserved pet to come home?
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
Is Wellington big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 55,500 Wellington households keep a dog or cat and around 4,750 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 212,000), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
Why does the Wellington page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. The Spinoff, citing FDANZ 2023 Funeral Industry Trends Report (2023) reports about 69%[5] of New Zealand residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Can a pet still be preserved after a post-mortem?
Usually not as a whole-body piece, because a post-mortem (necropsy) involves incisions and removing tissue. A smaller piece, like a paw, the tail or feathers, may still be possible if those areas weren't affected. If you want both answers about how your pet died and a preserved piece, talk to your vet and a practitioner before the examination, not after.
Is it safe to leave my pet in the freezer for weeks while I decide?
Yes, if they're sealed well and the freezer stays cold. Many practitioners accept pets who have been frozen for months, provided they went in quickly and never thawed. Press the air out of two heavy bags so the ears and face don't get freezer burn, keep the lid shut and use the time to compare practitioners and talk it over at home.
Can my vet in Wellington freeze my pet for me?
Many vets can hold a pet frozen for a few days, but you have to ask, because the usual routine is to send deceased pets for cremation. Tell the clinic as soon as possible that you're considering preservation, ask them to freeze rather than refrigerate, and ask them to note it on the paperwork. Check how long they can keep your pet and when you need to collect.
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.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 31% of New Zealand households have a dog, down from 34% in 2020. Companion Animals New Zealand, 2024 NZ Pet Data Report, 2024.
- [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] 40% of New Zealand households have a cat - cats are NZ's most popular pet. Companion Animals New Zealand, 2024 NZ Pet Data Report, 2024.
- [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] 69% of bodies in New Zealand were cremated in 2023, per the Funeral Directors Association of NZ. The Spinoff, citing FDANZ 2023 Funeral Industry Trends Report, 2023.
- [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.
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.