Pet freeze-drying and taxidermy in San Dimas
Roughly 1,000 dogs and cats die in San Dimas 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.
- Freeze first, decide later
- Published prices by pet size
- Help finding a specialist who takes your species
San Dimas, California
Getting your pet frozen and to a specialist from San Dimas
Many San Dimas families say goodbye at home or by the paddock, with a few words, flowers and a favorite blanket or halter. Some providers can arrange a private visit with your animal before cremation, which some families find important. Others gather later in the backyard or at the park once the ashes come back, sharing stories from the trail.
San Dimas riders tend to know each other's horses by name, so a death often ripples through the trail community as well as the family. Accepting a card, a visit or a group ride in the animal's memory can ease things. If you would prefer to keep it within the family for now, people will understand. Other pets in the house may also seem unsettled for a while.
Working dogs around San Dimas, 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.
San Dimas's population is around 32,978, the 201st-largest of the 307 California communities we cover. Anaheim, roughly 20 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover San Dimas run from there.
San Dimas sits within easy reach of La Verne (2 miles), Glendora (3 miles) and Covina (4 miles). A provider based in any of them will usually collect from San Dimas; ask what the mileage adds to the bill.
Our estimate
12,000
How many dog- or cat-owning households San Dimas has (estimate)
How we calculated this
32,978 ÷ 2.5 = 13,191 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 12,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
1,000
San Dimas families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
12,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,000 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.
Local aftercare habits and pet preservation
Because around 70.5%[5] of people in California are cremated, aftercare providers here are organised around cremation, and preservation specialists are few by comparison. That's a reason to plan the handover carefully if you combine the two. Agree in writing who takes your pet first, who removes any part being preserved, and that the cremation of the rest is private so the ashes you get back are your pet's.
The California 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 San Dimas, not as a count of pets.
San Dimas weather, freezing and power cuts
When highs reach about 91°F in San Dimas, shipping your pet needs extra care. Practitioners usually want pets packed in a thick cooler with plenty of dry ice and sent overnight early in the week, so the box never sits on a hot dock over a weekend. Ask them how much dry ice to use in summer, and never leave the packed cooler in a hot car.
Once your preserved pet is home in San Dimas, sunlight is the quiet risk. Strong summer light through a window fades dark fur toward brown and dries the delicate skin of the nose and ears. Pick a spot that never gets direct sun, or ask for a case with UV-filtering glass. Room warmth alone is rarely the problem; sun, moisture and time together are.
What pet preservation costs in San Dimas
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 San Dimas is usually far lower than for a cat or dog.
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.
Permits, contracts and paperwork in California
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 California apply.
Not sure which office covers San Dimas? The California local government directory is the official list.
We keep California's burial and scattering rules in one place: the California rules summary. Before a home burial in San Dimas, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
What to do first if you might preserve your pet
- If your pet is at a clinic, have the staff note clearly on the file that your pet is being kept for preservation and is not to go for cremation.
- Ask them to freeze, not refrigerate, and to avoid shaving more fur than they need to.
- 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, add whatever labels your carrier asks for, and ship it overnight early in the week, 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.
Caring for the piece, and for the memories
Children in San Dimas horse families often form deep bonds with the animals they ride and groom. When one dies, answer questions honestly and simply. Keeping a lock of mane or tail, hanging a halter in their room, or writing a letter to the horse gives them something to hold. Their grief may resurface at unexpected moments, such as the first ride on another horse.
go deeper with the guides or catch up on recent articles, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, Compare every option on our services page, or compare your instinct with the poll results. Close to San Dimas we also cover Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco; the full list for California and for the United States is a click away.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
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If your pet died today, could you freeze them properly within a few hours?
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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 San Dimas?
The closest communities we cover are La Verne (about 2 miles), Glendora (about 3 miles) and Covina (about 4 miles). Providers based in those places often serve San Dimas too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Will I have to travel to Anaheim to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Anaheim (roughly 20 miles from San Dimas) 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 do California attitudes to cremation compare?
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) puts the California human cremation rate at about 70.5%[5]. We show it on the San Dimas 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.
How does San Dimas's weather affect pet aftercare?
August is the hottest month in San Dimas, with average highs around 91°F, so prompt collection matters most then. Winters are mild, with average lows staying above freezing, so outdoor burial or scattering is usually possible year round.
It's August in San Dimas. 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.
Is preservation worth it if the nearest practitioner is far from San Dimas?
Distance matters less than you might think. Most families who preserve a pet send them frozen to a practitioner chosen for the quality of their work, not their address, often hundreds of miles away. What distance does add is cost and planning: a cooler, dry ice, an overnight shipping counter or a long drive. Ask practitioners to include delivery in their quote.
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] 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] Freeze-drying a 10 lb cat at one published price list would cost about USD 2,290–2,590. Our estimate: Low: 2,095 + 49 x (10-6) lb; High: 2,095 + 49 x 10 lb. How we calculate.
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.