Pet taxidermy and freeze-dry options for Des Moines, Washington
By our estimate, about 12,000 households in Des Moines 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
Des Moines, Washington
Where Des Moines owners find freezer space and practitioners
A goodbye in Des Moines might be a family gathered on a deck at sunset, passing around photos and telling the stories everyone remembers. Others prefer a short visit at the provider's premises first; if that matters to you, ask whether a private room is available and whether it adds to the bill. Let children decide something small, like which blanket travels with the body.
Some families here prefer to wait for a bright summer evening at the marina or the beach park to remember an animal together, long after the ashes have come home. There's no pressure to pick a date; the remains can stay in their container indefinitely. Bringing a favorite photo and saying a few words is enough. Invite whoever walked the shoreline with you and your animal over the years.
Overnight carriers don't always reach small towns overnight. From Des Moines, you may need to drive the cooler to a depot or shipping counter in a larger centre such as Tacoma to make the cut-off. Ask your practitioner what service they want, then call the depot ahead to confirm the late pickup time and whether they accept packages containing dry ice.
With roughly 33,032 residents, Des Moines is the 40th-largest of the 67 Washington communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve Des Moines are based about 11 miles away in Tacoma, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
Nearby, we also have local pages for SeaTac (4 miles), Kent (5 miles, a larger centre) and Federal Way (5 miles, a larger centre), which can help if your vet or the provider you prefer is based there.
Our estimate
12,000
How many dog- or cat-owning households Des Moines has (estimate)
How we calculated this
33,032 ÷ 2.5 = 13,213 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 12,000. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
1,000
dog and cat deaths per year in Des Moines, our 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. 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.
Where these figures come from: Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry.
Cremation, burial and preservation in Washington
Because around 79.1%[5] of people in Washington 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.
Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024) is where the Washington figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Des Moines tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
Heat, cold and a freezer that mustn't fail in Des Moines
Mild weather in Des Moines can make it feel as though there's no hurry. For cremation, that's true. For preservation, it isn't. Freeze your pet within a few hours, double-bagged with the air pressed out. The fridge buys you a short while if the freezer is full, but don't rely on it overnight.
Shipping from Des Moines is usually straightforward in a mild climate, with fewer heat or snow delays than many places. Still pack generously: a thick cooler, plenty of dry ice and your pet frozen solid for at least a day or two before sending. Send early in the week so there's time to recover if a delivery slips.
Preservation prices beside other aftercare
The simplest guide is weight. One published US price list charges USD 650[6] for a pet under a pound, $2,095 plus $49 a pound for pets of 6 to 19 lb, and $2,781 plus $69 a pound above 20 lb[7]. On our reading of that list, a 10 lb cat comes to about USD 2,291–2,585[8]. Other studios charge less, and some more.
For a line-by-line price table, see the Washington 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.
Rules worth knowing in Washington
Taxidermy licensing mostly exists to stop trade in protected wildlife, not to regulate pet owners. Still, a careful practitioner will ask what species your pet is and where they came from, and may ask for proof that an unusual pet was legally kept. That's a good sign. If part of your pet is going to be buried or cremated, the usual rules for Washington apply to that part.
To find your county or city office in Washington, start with the official Washington local government directory.
Home burial and scattering are governed at the Washington level first; our Washington rules summary has the detail. Then check whether Des Moines or your HOA adds anything.
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. Pat away any fluid with a paper towel and leave the fur dry.
- 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. Work out now where dry ice or a spare freezer could come from, in case the power stayed off longer 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.
Keepsakes, displays and gentler options
The death of an animal can hurt as sharply as losing a person, and the dark, rainy months can make that hurt linger. Pet-loss hotlines run through veterinary schools, internet forums and therapists focused on animal bereavement are all within reach. If you're still unable to sleep or focus several weeks on, speaking with a professional is a reasonable next step.
the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones, For a plain comparison of the choices, open services, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, or compare your instinct with the poll results. More local pages: Seattle, Spokane, Bellevue and Vancouver, the Washington 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 your pet died today, could you freeze them properly within a few hours?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Where would a preserved pet live in your 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
How many pet owners live in Des Moines?
By our estimate, about 12,000 households in Des Moines have at least one dog or cat, and around 1,000 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 33,032, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
How does Des Moines's weather affect pet aftercare?
August is the hottest month in Des Moines, with average highs around 78°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.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Des Moines?
The closest communities we cover are SeaTac (about 4 miles), Kent (about 5 miles) and Federal Way (about 5 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Des Moines too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Will I have to travel to Tacoma to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Tacoma (roughly 11 miles from Des Moines) 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.
Will my preserved pet look like they did when alive?
They'll look like your pet at rest, not like a living animal. Fur, markings and body shape usually come through well. Faces are harder: noses can darken, lips and eyelids shrink slightly, and open eyes are usually glass. Closed-eye sleeping poses tend to look most natural, and lots of reference photos help the practitioner capture what made your pet recognizable.
Is preservation worth it if the nearest practitioner is far from Des Moines?
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] Washington had a 79.1% cremation rate in 2024, among the highest in the US. Direct Cremate (citing CANA), 2024.
- [6] One U.S. pet preservation studio charges USD 650 to freeze-dry a pet under 1 lb, with a 4–6 month turnaround. Animal Family Pet — Pet Preservation Pricing & Shipping, 2026.
- [7] 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.
- [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.
- [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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