Pet Preservation in the United States
By one industry estimate, freeze-drying usually costs USD 1,000–2,000[1] and takes months. Here's how people in the United States get their pet frozen in time, find one of the few specialists and decide whether full preservation is right for them.
- Clear steps for the first few hours
- Shipping frozen, explained plainly
- No pressure, we reply by email
the United States
Pet Preservation in the United States: what to know
Preserving a pet in the United States usually means waiting months. Freeze-drying and taxidermy often take 6–12 months[2], and a practitioner's queue adds more. Families who cope with the wait best tend to have chosen carefully, agreed everything in writing and found a small way to mark the months while their pet is away.
For families in the United States, the biggest hurdle is often the freezer, not the practitioner. A pet needs to be frozen within hours and kept frozen without a break, sometimes for weeks. Clinic freezers, borrowed chest freezers and dry ice during outages are what the whole process rests on, wherever in the United States you live.
We cover 2458 communities in the United States, from New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago to smaller towns. Conditions vary a lot across the United States: summer highs reach about 107°F in Phoenix, while winter lows average -11°F in Fairbanks. In 51% of the the United States communities we cover, average lows drop below freezing for three months or more, which matters for home burial.
Our estimate
63,790,000
Estimated pet-owning households across the communities we cover in the United States
How we calculated this
The sum of our per-city estimates for the 2458 communities in the United States on this site: each city's population ÷ national average household size × the national share of households with a pet. Households with several pets count once.
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How the United States thinks about cremation, and where preservation fits
With cremation at roughly 55.7%[3] in the United States, neither burial nor cremation dominates. That balance often means vets here ask families what they'd like rather than assuming. Use the question: say you're considering preservation and want your pet frozen for now. If you later choose burial or cremation instead, a week in a freezer has cost you nothing.
That the United States rate is a human statistic published by NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024); there is no pet equivalent, so we use it as a signal of how families here already think.
Prices by pet size, and what adds to them
Shipping, a custom base and special positioning all sit on top of the headline price. One price guide puts add-ons such as bases or posing at about $150–$800[4], and return shipping of the finished piece is often quoted separately. By our estimate, freeze-drying costs about six times as much as an average pet cremation[5], so ask for a written total before you pay a deposit.
Birds, reptiles and small mammals have their own price points. One US studio lists $650–$1,350[6] for a small bird, with bearded dragons around $850 and hedgehogs, rats or ferrets around $950[6]. Small pets also ship in smaller coolers with less dry ice, so the total from the United States is usually far lower than for a cat or dog.
| Pet and method | Published price | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried pet under 1 lb (hamster, budgie, small lizard) | USD 650[7] | 4 to 6 months[7] |
| Freeze-dried pet of 1 to 6 lb | $1,250–$2,095[8] | 6 to 8 months[8] |
| Freeze-dried cat or small dog | $1,000–$2,500[9] | 6–12 months[2] |
| Traditional taxidermy, cat or small dog | $800–$2,500[10] | 6–12 months[2] |
| Freeze-dried dog over 20 lb | $2,781 + $69/lb[11] | 7+ months[12] |
| Custom base, pose or positioning | $150–$800[4] | Added to the total |
Where these figures come from: Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire and Animal Family Pet.
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 the United States
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.
Just lost your pet? An order to follow
- If your pet is at a clinic, ask the staff to write on the paperwork that your pet is held for preservation and must not be cremated.
- Ask them to freeze, not refrigerate, and to keep any clipping of the coat to the bare minimum.
- Bring your pet home frozen in a cooler, or arrange for the practitioner or a courier to collect.
- Keep your pet frozen solid for a day or two at minimum before shipping; practitioners generally insist on this.
- Pack in a thick cooler with dry ice, labeled as the carrier requires, and send overnight on a Monday or Tuesday.
- Keep the tracking number, then check with the practitioner that your pet was moved into their freezer the moment the box arrived.
Remembering your pet while you wait
If cost is what makes you hesitate, you're weighing something real. By our estimate, freeze-drying a cat-sized pet costs roughly ten times a private cremation[13]. Smaller keepsakes close that gap: one US provider lists paw prints and fur clippings at $49–$133[14], depending on framing. Our memorial budget planner helps you set a ceiling before you ask anyone for a quote.
Next: see what each choice includes on services, run your own numbers in the tools, check the poll results, or pick another area from all locations.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
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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 there a pet taxidermist in the United States?
There may be a few, but pet specialists are rare, and many taxidermists in the United States mainly mount game. Choose by the quality of finished pets of your species, then plan how to get your pet there frozen. Tell us your species, weight and city, and we'll email back practitioners who take pets from your area.
What should I do first if my pet dies in the United States and I might want them preserved?
Freeze them within hours. Lay your pet in a natural resting pose, don't wash them, double-bag them with the air pressed out and put them in the coldest freezer you have. If your pet is at a clinic, ask staff to freeze rather than refrigerate and to keep your pet out of the cremation collection. Everything else can wait.
Should I choose freeze-drying or taxidermy if I live in the United States?
Where you live matters less than your pet and the pose you want. Freeze-drying keeps your pet's own body and suits resting poses; taxidermy fits the tanned skin onto a sculpted body and allows alert or sitting poses. In humid parts of the United States, a sealed case matters more for freeze-dried work. Ask a practitioner which method suits your pet, and why.
Do I need a permit to preserve my pet in the United States?
Not for a domestic cat, dog, rabbit or captive-bred parrot, in most places. Permits mainly apply to native wild birds, turtles and other protected species, which can be restricted even if you kept them legally. Tell the practitioner exactly what your pet is before you ship, and ask which rules apply.
How do I keep a preserved pet in good condition in the United States?
Keep it out of direct sun, away from damp rooms and heating vents, and check it now and then for moths or carpet beetles. Dust gently with a soft brush or a hair dryer on cool, and never wash it. In humid months, a dehumidifier or a sealed glass case helps protect freeze-dried work.
Does it matter which vet in the United States my pet is with when they die?
Mostly it matters whether they have freezer space and whether they'll take your pet off the crematory list. Any clinic can do that if you ask clearly. If yours can't freeze your pet, ask them to recommend a practice or emergency hospital nearby that can, or collect your pet quickly and use a freezer at home.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 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.
- [2] Both traditional taxidermy and freeze-drying typically take 6–12 months, sometimes longer. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [3] The NFDA projected New York's cremation rate at 55.7% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [4] Taxidermy and freeze-drying add-ons such as custom bases or positioning cost about $150–$800. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [5] 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.
- [6] Freeze-drying costs about $850 for a bearded dragon, $950 for a hedgehog, rat or ferret, and $650–$1,350 for a small bird at one Ohio studio. Animal Family Pet Preservation – Pricing, 2026.
- [7] 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.
- [8] An Ohio pet preservation studio charges $1,250 to freeze-dry a 1–2 lb pet and $2,095 for 2–6 lb, with 6–8 month turnaround. Animal Family Pet Preservation – Pricing, 2026.
- [9] Memorials.com puts freeze-drying at $1,000–$2,500 for a cat or small dog and $2,000–$5,000+ for a medium to large dog. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [10] Memorials.com puts traditional taxidermy at $800–$2,500 for a cat or small dog and $1,500–$5,000+ for a medium to large dog. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [11] An Ohio pet preservation studio prices freeze-drying for pets over 20 lb at $2,781 plus $69 per pound, and 6–19 lb pets at $2,095 plus $49 per pound. Animal Family Pet Preservation – Pricing, 2026.
- [12] 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.
- [13] 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.
- [14] Final Gift charges $49 for ink paw prints, $76 for a clay or silver-clay paw print, $111 framed, and $133 framed with a fur clipping; a fur clipping alone costs $23. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
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.