Preserving your pet from Covina: the first hours and beyond
Roughly 1,500 dogs and cats die in Covina 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
- No pressure, we reply by email
Covina, California
Getting your pet frozen and to a specialist from Covina
Grief often comes in waves, especially at familiar moments like evenings when your pet used to greet you. That is normal and usually eases with time. If sadness lingers for weeks and affects sleep, appetite or work, pet loss support groups, helplines or a counselor can help. Talking about your pet with people who knew them is often a first step.
If your pet lived to old age, you may have spent months managing medications and vet visits, and the loss can bring relief alongside sadness. That mix is common and nothing to feel guilty about. Some families mark the end of that care with a small ritual, like putting away the bowl, planting something in the yard or donating unused supplies to a local shelter.
Working dogs around Covina, such as a herding dog or a livestock guardian, can be big. A large dog won't fit into a small chest freezer once stiff, so settle them on one side with legs folded into a shape that fits before stiffness sets in. Big dogs also cost more and take longer, so ask practitioners to quote for a partial piece as well.
About 49,404 people live in Covina, which makes it the 164th-largest of the 307 California communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Anaheim, about 17 miles (28 km) away, which is where some providers serving Covina are based.
The closest communities we cover are West Covina (3 miles, a larger centre), Azusa (4 miles) and Walnut (4 miles). Providers serving those towns often travel to Covina too, so it can be worth asking them for a quote.
Our estimate
18,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Covina
How we calculated this
49,404 ÷ 2.5 = 19,762 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 18,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
1,500
dog and cat deaths per year in Covina, our estimate
How we calculated this
18,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,500 a year. A floor, not a ceiling.
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.
The published sources behind those figures are American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
Cremation, burial and preservation in California
Where cremation is as common as it is in California, at about 70.5%[5], a preservation request can surprise the clinic desk. Staff may gently check that you understand the cost and the wait. That's care, not judgment. Give a short, firm answer, such as asking for your pet to be frozen for a preservation specialist, and ask them to write it on the file so the next shift doesn't route your pet to the crematory out of habit.
That California rate is a human one, published by NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). We quote it for Covina only as a pointer to how families here already think about cremation.
Seasons, shipping and humidity in Covina
Hot months in Covina bring storms and heavy demand on the power grid, and a freezer that loses power can undo everything. If an outage hits, keep the freezer lid shut, cover it with blankets for insulation and buy dry ice if the power will be off for more than a day. A full chest freezer stays frozen far longer than a half-empty upright one.
With July, August and September running hot in Covina, 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.
Prices by pet size, and what adds to them
It helps to set preservation beside ordinary aftercare. Private dog cremation averages about $260[6] nationally, while one price guide puts freeze-drying a cat or little dog at $1,000–$2,500[7]. By our estimate, that makes freeze-drying roughly ten times the price of a private cremation[8]. Seen that way, a single preserved paw with the rest cremated can be a sensible middle path for families in Covina.
The full price table by product is on our California page, and the services page explains what each option includes.
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 California
Preserving a domestic pet is generally allowed, and most rules that touch taxidermy are about wildlife. Many places license taxidermists who work on game animals and restrict what can be done with native wild birds and protected reptiles. A cat, dog, rabbit or captive-bred parrot is usually straightforward. If your pet is a native species, ask the practitioner which permits apply before you ship. Burial and scattering rules only come into it for any part of your pet that's buried or cremated.
California keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Covina.
Start with the California rules, which cover burial, scattering and oversight for the whole state, and treat Covina's local ordinances as a possible extra layer.
Just lost your pet? An order to follow
- 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 while they're still limp: resting on one side with the legs tucked softly. Leave the coat unbrushed and unwashed.
- 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 inside a few hours; a refrigerator isn't cold enough. Once they're in, resist the urge to open the bags and check.
- Take photos you already have and gather more: their face from several angles, how their ears sat, any markings. The practitioner will need them.
- Choose a practitioner by their pet work, then get the price, deposit, return date and shipping plan in writing before anything leaves home.
Living with a preserved pet in Covina
Covina's downtown Thursday market and parades bring neighbors together through the year, and many residents have lived on the same street for decades. When a pet dies, people who saw it on the porch every morning will often ask. Telling them, even briefly, tends to bring kind words back. At home, a quiet farewell with the family before collection is often all that is needed.
or compare your instinct with the poll results, read our guides and latest articles, See what each option includes on our services page, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures. More local pages: San Jose, Los Angeles, Fresno and San Francisco, the California overview and every city in the United States.
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 you were preserving your pet, which route would you lean toward?
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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
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Covina?
There is no frozen-ground season here; average lows stay above freezing all year. The other pressure point is August, when highs around 91°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
Will I have to travel to Anaheim to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Anaheim (roughly 17 miles from Covina) 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.
How many pet owners live in Covina?
By our estimate, about 18,000 households in Covina have at least one dog or cat, and around 1,500 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 49,404, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Covina?
Usually yes. West Covina is about 3 miles away, Azusa is about 4 miles away and Walnut is about 4 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Can my vet in Covina 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.
It's August in Covina. How fast do I need to act?
As fast as you can. In summer heat, a pet's body can start to break down within a few hours, and fur slip can set in sooner than people expect. Get your pet onto a cool hard floor in air conditioning straight away, then double-bag and freeze them. If you have no freezer space, ask a vet or emergency clinic to hold them.
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 California's cremation rate at 70.5% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] CareCredit's 2025 cost study put the US national average for private dog cremation at $260 (range $206-$473). CareCredit (Synchrony) - How Much Does It Cost To Euthanize a Dog? (2025 ASQ360 procedural cost study), 2025.
- [7] 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.
- [8] 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.
- [9] 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.
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