Thinking about preserving your pet in Northglenn?
By our estimate, about 14,500 households in Northglenn 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.
- Freeze first, decide later
- Published prices by pet size
- Help finding a specialist who takes your species
Northglenn, Colorado
Preserving a pet from Northglenn: the local picture
Some Northglenn families pause for a quiet moment in a pet's memory by Webster Lake, a picnic in a favorite park or a new plant in the garden each spring. Others keep the farewell within the family. Most households around Denver now choose cremation, and many leave the ashes in the house for a long while before deciding anything further. Take all the time you need.
Retirees make up a sizeable share of Northglenn's older neighborhoods, and for many of them a pet sets the rhythm of each day. After a loss, the quiet can be overwhelming. Reaching out to a friend, a faith community or a therapist familiar with bereavement can help, and several grief groups in the north metro area welcome people mourning an animal.
Rural power can be less reliable than in town, and preservation depends on a freezer that never fails. If your area around Northglenn loses power in storms, think now about a backup: a generator, a neighbor's freezer on a different line, or dry ice from a larger centre such as Denver. A full, closed chest freezer holds its cold much longer than an upright one.
Northglenn is home to about 38,893 people, the 24th-largest of the 36 Colorado communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Denver, about 12 miles (19 km) away, which is where some providers serving Northglenn are based.
Northglenn sits within easy reach of Thornton (3 miles, a larger centre), Broomfield (5 miles, a larger centre) and Westminster (6 miles, a larger centre). A provider based in any of them will usually collect from Northglenn; ask what the mileage adds to the bill.
Our estimate
14,500
Northglenn: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
38,893 ÷ 2.5 = 15,557 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 14,500. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
1,200
Northglenn families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
14,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,200 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.
To check the figures yourself, see American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
What local cremation habits mean for your request
Because around 77.4%[5] of people in Colorado 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 Colorado figure comes from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It describes people, not pets, so read it as a sign of local attitudes rather than a pet statistic.
How Northglenn weather changes your timeline
Northglenn has 5 months with average lows below freezing, which slows things down a little in winter. Cold doesn't replace a freezer, though. A garage or porch warms up during the day and cools again at night, and those freeze-thaw swings damage skin and fur. Use a proper freezer, even in December, and keep your pet in it once they're in.
With 5 months of freezing lows in Northglenn, a death in December may come when roads are icy and clinics short-staffed. If you can't safely get to the vet, keep your pet indoors in the coolest room, not outside, and use your own freezer. A small pet fits a kitchen freezer, and a cat or dog can wait a few hours in a cooler packed with ice until the roads improve.
What pet preservation costs in Northglenn
Large dogs are where prices climb fastest. On one US studio's published list, pets over 20 lb are priced at $2,781 + $69/lb[6]; by our estimate, a 50 lb dog would come to ~$4,851[7] on that list before a base or shipping. Ask several practitioners for a quote by weight, and ask whether a head-and-shoulders piece or a paw would be possible instead.
For a line-by-line price table, see the Colorado 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.
Permits, shipping and burial rules in Colorado
Before you commit to preservation, check two things with the practitioner: whether your species needs any permit where they are, and whether they're allowed to receive it. Rules for domestic cats and dogs are light; rules for native birds and reptiles can be strict and vary by place. If the rest of your pet is going to be buried or cremated, check what Colorado allows for home burial and scattering too.
Not sure which office covers Northglenn? The Colorado local government directory is the official list.
The rules that apply across Colorado (home burial, scattering and who oversees pet cremation) are summarized on our Colorado page. Northglenn may add its own conditions, so check with the city or county before digging.
A checklist for the first hours
- Raise preservation before the euthanasia appointment, not afterward, so the clinic can plan where your pet will be held once they've died.
- Ask the vet to clip as little fur as possible for the injection or catheter, and to tell you which leg they'll use.
- Bring a towel and a sturdy cooler so your pet can go straight from the room to a freezer, yours or the clinic's.
- Take your time saying goodbye, and afterward, while your pet is still soft, arrange them into the sleeping or curled position you want.
- If you've already picked a practitioner, check with them in advance how they prefer a pet posed and bagged for the freezer.
- Note the time of death and the time of freezing in your phone; those two times are the first things any practitioner asks.
Remembering your pet while you wait
Northglenn's neighborhoods are full of long-time residents who have watched each other's pets and children grow up. When a pet dies, telling the neighbors on either side can bring unexpected comfort, since they may have their own memories to share. Before collection, a short family goodbye in the backyard or living room gives everyone a moment to say what they need to say.
use the free tools before you ring anyone, or look at how readers voted in our polls, go deeper with the guides or catch up on recent articles, Our services overview lays out every option side by side. More local pages: Fort Collins, Lakewood, Denver and Colorado Springs, the Colorado 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.
Where would a preserved pet live in your home?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you were preserving your pet, which route would you lean toward?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
Where are the providers that serve Northglenn actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Denver, about 12 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Northglenn and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Roughly how many pets die in Northglenn each year?
Our estimate is around 1,200. It comes from Northglenn's population (about 38,893), the average household size, the share of homes with a dog or cat (about 14,500 households here) and the average lifespan. It is arithmetic, not a count, so read it as a rough floor.
Does the Northglenn climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In July, with highs near 88°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. In January, February, March, November and December, when lows sit below freezing, a home burial may have to wait for a thaw, so cremation with ashes returned keeps your options open.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Northglenn?
Usually yes. Thornton is about 3 miles away, Broomfield is about 5 miles away and Westminster is about 6 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Can I keep my pet frozen outside during a Northglenn winter?
It isn't safe for preservation. Outdoor temperatures rise during the day, sun warms dark fur and wild animals can get at a bag or box. Even a few hours of partial thawing followed by refreezing damages skin and fur. Use a real freezer, or ask your vet, an emergency clinic or a friend to hold your pet until you've chosen a practitioner.
Why is it so hard to find a pet preserver near Northglenn?
Because it's a small craft. One industry report counts a little over 100 US pet taxidermy businesses[9], spread across a country where most households have a pet. Many are one- or two-person studios with long queues. That's why most families choose by portfolio and send their pet frozen to wherever the right practitioner is, rather than settling for whoever is closest.
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 Colorado's cremation rate at 77.4% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] 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.
- [7] 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.
- [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 U.S. has more than 100 pet taxidermy businesses, generating an estimated USD 25–30 million in annual revenue. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2023.
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.