Thinking about preserving your pet in Memphis?
By our estimate, about 225,000 households in Memphis 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.
- What to tell your vet or emergency clinic
- Freezer and power-cut backup plans
- Practitioners chosen by portfolio, not postcode
Memphis, Tennessee
Getting your pet frozen and to a specialist from Memphis
Memphis summers are when pets are most at risk from heat, and a sudden loss in July can leave families feeling guilty as well as sad. If that is how you feel, talking it through with your vet can help you understand what happened. Grief mixed with guilt is common after any pet's death, and a pet loss counselor or support group can help you work through both.
For many Memphis children, a family pet is their first experience of death. Tell them simply and honestly, let them join a small farewell or service if they want to, and answer their questions as they come, sometimes weeks later. Drawing a picture, writing a letter to the pet or choosing a spot for a memorial gives children something to do with their sadness.
Emergency hospitals in Memphis may handle several deaths in one night, and deceased pets are often moved to a shared cold room within the hour. When you ask for preservation, ask to see your pet's tag or label and check that it says freeze and hold. Take a photo of it on your phone. It's a small step, but it guards against a mix-up on a busy shift.
With roughly 609,647 residents, Memphis is the 2nd-largest of the 35 Tennessee communities we cover.
Families in Memphis often end up using a provider from West Memphis (8 miles), Horn Lake (14 miles) and Bartlett (14 miles). That is normal: crematories serve a radius, not a single town, and the drive is priced into collection.
Our estimate
225,000
Memphis: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
609,647 ÷ 2.5 = 243,859 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 225,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
18,500
Memphis families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
225,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 18,500 a year. Treat it as a minimum.
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 Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry.
Aftercare traditions in Tennessee, and choosing to preserve
Cremation is relatively rare in Tennessee, at about 48.9%[5], so pet crematories may be fewer and further apart than in many places. That can help you: vets here are less likely to send your pet off on an automatic collection. Still, ask clearly for freezing rather than cold storage, because a clinic used to burial handovers may only have a fridge.
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) is where the Tennessee figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Memphis tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
Heat, cold and a freezer that mustn't fail in Memphis
In July, when Memphis highs sit near 92°F, even the walk from the car to the clinic door warms a pet's body. Carry them in a cooler rather than in your arms, park in shade and keep the air conditioning running. A pet who died of heatstroke is already very hot inside, so press ice packs against the belly and chest to cool them quickly before freezing.
Hot months in Memphis 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.
How much to budget for preservation
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.
Rather than repeat the price table on every city page, we keep one for Tennessee: Tennessee costs. What each service includes is on the services page.
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 Tennessee
Most of the paperwork you'll sign for preservation is a contract, not a permit. Read what it says about the deposit, storage fees if you can't collect on time, and what happens to your pet if the studio closes or the practitioner falls ill. Keep a copy with your pet's photos. For whatever won't be kept, the rules for Tennessee below apply.
City of Memphis publishes Memphis's official guidance. Note that it deals with public collection, not with booking a private cremation. The official Tennessee local government directory lists every county and city office, which is the quickest way to find who to ask in Memphis.
For Tennessee's rules on burying a pet at home or scattering ashes, see the Tennessee guide. Local rules in Memphis can be stricter than the state's, especially in homeowners' associations and rentals.
Your checklist, in the order it matters
- Freeze first, decide later. A pet frozen quickly and kept frozen can wait weeks while you choose.
- Blot, don't wash. Dab off any moisture with paper towel and keep the coat as dry as it is.
- Pose gently and bag tightly. Curl them as if asleep, then seal them in two thick bags, squeezing out the air so the face and ears don't get freezer burn.
- Plan for a power cut. Know where you'd get dry ice or a backup freezer if the electricity went off for more than a day.
- Ask two or three practitioners whether they take your species and size, how long their queue is and how they want your pet delivered.
- Ship or drop off frozen, early in the week if shipping, and ask for confirmation the moment your pet arrives.
Living with a preserved pet in Memphis
In Memphis, church and family often carry people through a death, and many find those same circles help after losing a pet. A backyard farewell with a few words or a prayer, a gathering with food, or a quiet hour alone with your pet before collection are all fitting ways to say goodbye. Take the time you need; there is no single right way to do it.
use the free tools before you ring anyone, or see what other families chose in the poll results, See what each option includes on our services page, look through our guides and the blog. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Clarksville, Nashville, Knoxville and Murfreesboro, and every city in Tennessee.
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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If you were preserving your pet, which route would you lean toward?
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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
How many pet owners live in Memphis?
By our estimate, about 225,000 households in Memphis have at least one dog or cat, and around 18,500 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 609,647, 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 Memphis?
Usually yes. West Memphis is about 8 miles away, Horn Lake is about 14 miles away and Bartlett is about 14 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
How do Tennessee attitudes to cremation compare?
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) puts the Tennessee human cremation rate at about 48.9%[5]. We show it on the Memphis 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.
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Memphis?
There is no frozen-ground season here; average lows stay above freezing all year. The other pressure point is July, when highs around 92°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
What should I send the practitioner besides my pet?
Photographs, and plenty of them. The face in good daylight from the front and both sides, how your pet's ears and eyes looked when relaxed, their favorite sleeping position and any unusual markings. Mention quirks too, like a tongue that always poked out. Practitioners never met your pet, so these details are what make the finished piece look like them rather than any cat or dog.
It's July in Memphis. 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 Tennessee's cremation rate at 48.9% 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 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.
Find a preservation specialist for 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.