Pet taxidermy and freeze-dry options for Pullman, Washington
Roughly 1,050 dogs and cats die in Pullman 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.
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Pullman, Washington
Finding a practitioner from Pullman
Some Pullman residents hold a remembrance at the end of the semester, or wait until they're home with family. The remains will keep, so there's no rush. A walk up Kamiak Butte, a scrapbook, or a gift to a Palouse animal shelter can mark the loss. Grief keeps its own calendar, and even a year later is fine. Summer break can be a good time.
For students far from family, an animal's death can land in the middle of exams or a packed semester. Campus counseling services are there for this too, alongside pet-loss hotlines and online groups. Let a professor or advisor know if you need a little time. Grief can scramble concentration and sleep, and friends who knew the animal often want to help, so let them.
With about 33,756 people, Pullman isn't likely to have a pet preserver of its own, and that's true of most towns. It doesn't stop you. Get your pet frozen solid, then choose a practitioner anywhere in the country by the quality of their pet work. Families from small towns do this all the time, usually by overnight shipping or a single long drive.
About 33,756 people live in Pullman, which makes it the 39th-largest of the 67 Washington communities we cover. Spokane, roughly 65 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Pullman run from there.
Our pages for Moscow (8 miles), Lewiston (25 miles) and Spokane Valley (64 miles, a larger centre) describe the same choices from those towns' point of view, and the providers overlap, so a quote from one often covers Pullman as well.
Our estimate
12,500
Pullman: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
33,756 ÷ 2.5 = 13,502 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 12,500. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
1,050
dog and cat deaths per year in Pullman, our estimate
How we calculated this
12,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,050 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.
We built the this numbers from Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, and both are worth a look if you want the detail.
Aftercare traditions in Washington, and choosing to preserve
With roughly 79.1%[5] of people cremated in Washington, crematory vans often collect from vet clinics on a fixed schedule, sometimes daily. Ask what time the collection comes. If your pet died in the afternoon, there may be only hours before they're loaded with other pets. One call asking the clinic to pull your pet from the list and freeze them is the most useful thing you can do today.
The Washington percentage above is from Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024) and refers to human funerals. Treat it as context for Pullman, not as a count of pets.
Keeping your pet frozen through Pullman's weather
In January, February, March, April, November and December, it's tempting to leave a pet outside in Pullman because it's cold enough. Please don't. Sunlight, wild animals and daytime thaws are all real risks, and a preserved pet needs to have stayed frozen without interruption. If there's no freezer space at home, ask your vet, or a friend with a chest freezer, to hold your pet for a few days.
Frozen ground through January, February, March, April, November and December in Pullman means burying anything you don't keep may have to wait until spring. That's fine. Whatever the practitioner returns, or your whole pet if you change your mind, can stay in the freezer until the soil softens. Label the bag clearly with your pet's name and the date so nobody opens it by mistake.
Preservation prices beside other aftercare
Shipping, a custom base and special positioning all sit on top of the headline price. One price guide puts add-ons such as bases or posing at about $150–$800[6], and return shipping of the finished piece is often quoted separately. By our estimate, freeze-drying costs about six times as much as an average pet cremation[7], so ask for a written total before you pay a deposit.
Prices for Pullman track the wider Washington market, so use the Washington price table as your baseline and the services page to see what is included.
Free tool
Freeze-dry & taxidermy cost estimator
Estimate cost and waiting time for freeze-drying or taxidermy by size and pose.
When the rules in Washington come into play
Two kinds of rules can apply to a preserved pet. Wildlife rules come first: if your pet is a native wild bird, turtle, snake or other protected species, possessing or preserving them may need paperwork, even if you kept them legally for years. Then there are the ordinary aftercare rules on burial at home and scattering ashes, for any part of your pet you don't keep.
To find your county or city office in Washington, start with the official Washington local government directory.
For Washington's rules on burying a pet at home or scattering ashes, see the Washington guide. Local rules in Pullman can be stricter than the state's, especially in homeowners' associations and rentals.
What to do now, and what can wait
- Find the nearest vet or emergency clinic wherever you are, and ask whether they can freeze your pet today.
- Ask how long they could hold your pet, and find out if they'd release your pet to a courier or practitioner straight from their premises.
- If you have to drive home, buy a hard-sided cooler and dry ice, or failing that a generous load of bagged ice, with your pet sealed in two bags beneath a towel.
- Check the ice every few hours during the drive, and don't leave the cooler behind in a car sitting in the sun.
- Keep the clinic's paperwork, with the date, weight and cause of death, because the practitioner will want it.
- Choose the practitioner once you're settled, and take their advice on whether your pet should travel from the clinic or from home.
Living with a preserved pet in Pullman
Farewells in Pullman are often small: roommates or family gathered in an apartment or backyard with photos and stories. If you share the animal with roommates, give everyone a chance to say goodbye. Friends back home can join by video call. Children in faculty households might pick out a blanket or plaything to accompany the body, and a viewing can be requested from the provider if one is offered.
or compare your instinct with the poll results, See what each option includes on our services page, there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details, try the free planning tools. Close to Pullman we also cover Kent, Vancouver, Tacoma and Seattle; the full list for Washington and for the United States is a click away.
Reader polls
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Questions people ask
Is Pullman big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 12,500 Pullman households keep a dog or cat and around 1,050 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 33,756), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
Why does the Pullman page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024) reports about 79.1%[5] of Washington residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Does the Pullman climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In August, with highs near 86°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. In January, February, March, April, 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.
Where are the providers that serve Pullman actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Spokane, about 65 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Pullman and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Can I put my pet in the kitchen freezer?
Yes, if they fit and the freezer runs cold, as long as they're sealed in two heavy bags and kept apart from food in a box or bin. Small pets such as hamsters, rats, budgies and kittens fit easily. For a cat or dog, a chest freezer is usually easier. Avoid a fridge for anything longer than a few hours.
Can I preserve just a paw or tail and have the rest of my pet cremated?
Yes, and many families find it easier to live with than a full-body piece. The practitioner preserves the paw, tail, wing or feathers, and the rest of your pet goes to a cremation provider. Agree in writing who handles the handover and that the cremation is private, so the ashes you get back are your pet's alone. Partial work usually costs far less and takes less time.
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] Taxidermy and freeze-drying add-ons such as custom bases or positioning cost about $150–$800. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [7] Freeze-drying a pet costs about 6 times as much as an average cremation. Our estimate: USD 1,500 (midpoint of USD 1,000–2,000) / USD 250. 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.