Pet freeze-drying and taxidermy in Goodyear
By our estimate, about 46,000 households in Goodyear have a dog or cat. Only a small share of families ever consider preservation, so if you're one of them, here's how to freeze your pet in time and what comes next.
- Clear steps for the first few hours
- Shipping frozen, explained plainly
- No pressure, we reply by email
Goodyear, Arizona
Where Goodyear owners find freezer space and practitioners
Young families in Goodyear often face a pet's death for the first time with small children. A simple farewell, such as drawing a picture, keeping a collar or planting a desert flower, can help children understand. Receiving the ashes after an individual cremation lets you hold a small ceremony at home when the family is ready. Many families wait for a cooler evening to gather outside.
The weeks after losing a pet can feel lonelier than people expect, especially through the long summer when heat keeps everyone indoors. Grief groups and counselors across the Valley work with pet owners, and several meet online. Talking about the loss is a normal step. Neighbors who knew your pet may welcome the chance to share a memory. Your vet's front desk usually keeps a list of local resources.
If your vet in Goodyear can't hold your pet frozen, a larger centre such as Phoenix may have an emergency hospital with more freezer space. Call before you drive. Carry your pet wrapped in a cooler with ice packs or bagged ice, keep the car cool and go straight there, because every warm hour matters for the fur.
Goodyear is home to about 125,359 people, the 12th-largest of the 29 Arizona communities we cover. Phoenix, roughly 22 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Goodyear run from there.
The closest communities we cover are Avondale (5 miles), Buckeye (20 miles) and Phoenix (22 miles, a larger centre). Providers serving those towns often travel to Goodyear too, so it can be worth asking them for a quote.
Our estimate
46,000
Goodyear: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
125,359 ÷ 2.5 = 50,144 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 46,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
3,850
Goodyear families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
46,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 3,850 a year. The real figure is unlikely to be lower.
53%[1]
53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households.
12.69 years[2]
US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years.
39%[3]
39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households.
11.18 years[4]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
We built the this numbers from Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, and both are worth a look if you want the detail.
What local cremation habits mean for your request
In Arizona, about 80.7%[5] 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.
The Arizona percentage above is from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) and refers to human funerals. Treat it as context for Goodyear, not as a count of pets.
Seasons, shipping and humidity in Goodyear
With May, June, July, August, September and October running hot in Goodyear, the window between death and damage is short. Don't lay your pet on a soft bed or carpet, which holds heat against the body, and don't leave them in a car, even briefly. If you have to transport them to a clinic freezer, pack them in a cooler with bagged ice under a towel and run the air conditioning.
Goodyear gets hot: July averages highs around 105°F. Heat is the enemy of preservation, because warmth loosens the skin's hold on the fur within hours and no practitioner can put slipped fur back. If your pet dies at home in the warm months, move them onto a cool hard floor in an air-conditioned room immediately and get them into a freezer as soon as you can, not tomorrow.
What pet preservation costs in Goodyear
Pet preservation is priced by weight, method and pose, not by city, so what you'd pay from Goodyear depends mostly on your pet and the practitioner you choose. One US price guide quotes freeze-drying a cat or small dog at $1,000–$2,500[6] and traditional taxidermy at $800–$2,500[7]. Large dogs cost several thousand dollars more. The published prices below come from US price lists and cost guides.
For a line-by-line price table, see the Arizona 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.
What Arizona 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 Arizona apply.
Not sure which office covers Goodyear? The Arizona local government directory is the official list.
We keep Arizona's burial and scattering rules in one place: the Arizona rules summary. Before a home burial in Goodyear, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
Your checklist, in the order it matters
- Find the nearest vet or emergency clinic to where you happen to be, and ask if they have a freezer your pet could go into 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, buy a hard-sided cooler and dry ice, or failing that a generous load of bagged ice, with your pet sealed in two bags beneath a towel.
- Check the ice every few hours during the drive, and don't leave the cooler behind in a car sitting in the sun.
- Keep the clinic's paperwork showing the date, your pet's weight and what they died of; the practitioner will ask to see it.
- Choose the practitioner once you're settled, and let them advise whether your pet ships from the clinic or from your own freezer.
Caring for the piece, and for the memories
For retirees who moved to Goodyear, a pet is often a daily companion and a reason to get out and meet neighbors. Losing that companion can be very hard. Take a few minutes alone with your pet before anyone arrives. Ask whether pickup can be timed so a friend or relative can be there with you. Even a few quiet minutes with a favorite blanket matter.
or see what other families chose in the poll results, run the numbers with the free planning tools, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, For a plain comparison of the choices, open services. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa and Chandler, and every city in Arizona.
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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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
Which nearby towns can I compare with Goodyear?
The closest communities we cover are Avondale (about 5 miles), Buckeye (about 20 miles) and Phoenix (about 22 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Goodyear too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Does the Goodyear climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In July, with highs near 105°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. Winters here are mild enough that burial or scattering is possible in any month.
Why does the Goodyear page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 80.7%[5] of Arizona residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Will I have to travel to Phoenix to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Phoenix (roughly 22 miles from Goodyear) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
Can my vet in Goodyear 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.
What if the power goes out while my pet is in the freezer?
Keep the freezer shut and cover it with blankets for insulation. US food-safety guidance says a full freezer holds its temperature for about two days and a half-full one about a day, if the door stays closed. If the outage will run longer, buy dry ice, handle it with gloves and place it on top, or move your pet to a freezer that has power.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 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] 39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 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] The NFDA projected Arizona's cremation rate at 80.7% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] 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.
- [7] 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.
- [8] The pet preservation (freeze-dry/taxidermy) market adds only about USD 2.7 million a year, far slower than pet funeral services. Our estimate: (112.7M - 88.6M) / 9 years. How we calculate.
Tell us about your pet and what you'd like kept
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.