Thinking about preserving your pet in River Falls?
By our estimate, about 6,600 households in River Falls 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.
- Clear steps for the first few hours
- Shipping frozen, explained plainly
- No pressure, we reply by email
River Falls, Wisconsin
Finding a practitioner from River Falls
Many people pay tribute with a spring hike along the Kinnickinnic when the trout lilies bloom, or by digging a new flower bed once the snowbanks shrink. Others spend the anniversary swapping stories at the dinner table, maybe with the animal's photo propped against the salt shaker. Take whatever time you need; there's no deadline for remembering, and grief often returns in surges long after the first weeks.
Some River Falls families prefer that the vet come to them, so their animal stays in familiar surroundings to the end. Others go to their regular clinic, whether in Wisconsin or across the river in Minnesota. If seeing the body afterward or holding a short ritual matters to you, say so when you first phone the provider, and ask about any added charge.
With about 17,916 people, River Falls 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.
River Falls is home to about 17,916 people, the 49th-largest of the 50 Wisconsin communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve River Falls are based about 24 miles away in Saint Paul, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
Our pages for Hastings (14 miles), Cottage Grove (15 miles, a larger centre) and Woodbury (15 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 River Falls as well.
Our estimate
6,600
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in River Falls
How we calculated this
17,916 ÷ 2.5 = 7,166 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 6,600. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
550
River Falls families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
6,600 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 550 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.
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 Wisconsin
Where cremation is as common as it is in Wisconsin, at about 70.7%[5], a preservation request can surprise the clinic desk. Staff may gently check that you understand the cost and the wait. That's care, not judgment. Give a short, firm answer, such as asking for your pet to be frozen for a preservation specialist, and ask them to write it on the file so the next shift doesn't route your pet to the crematory out of habit.
The Wisconsin 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 River Falls's climate affects the first hours
In January, February, March, November and December, it's tempting to leave a pet outside in River Falls 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.
River Falls 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 January, and keep your pet in it once they're in.
What pet preservation costs in River Falls
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.
Prices for River Falls track the wider Wisconsin market, so use the Wisconsin 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.
Permits, shipping and burial rules in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin apply.
Wisconsin keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers River Falls.
We keep Wisconsin's burial and scattering rules in one place: the Wisconsin rules summary. Before a home burial in River Falls, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
Just lost your pet? An order to follow
- Tell your child what's happening in simple words before their pet goes into the freezer, so it isn't a secret kept in the kitchen.
- Double-bag a small pet and place them in a lidded tub, so they can't be squashed by frozen food.
- Let your child help pick a pose by looking through photos together: asleep in a curl, or upright the way they'd wait by the cage door.
- Explain the wait honestly: it will be months, and when their pet comes back they'll look like they're sleeping, not awake.
- Make a memory box together while you wait, with a drawing, the name card from the cage and a favorite photo.
- Agree where the finished piece will live, a place your child can look at whenever they like but won't be touching daily.
Living with a preserved pet in River Falls
Students at UW-River Falls who lose a pet, sometimes a companion brought from home or adopted during college, may feel the loss sharply while far from family. Campus counseling, roommates and internet support boards for grieving owners can help. A simple gathering, even a few friends swapping stories in a dorm lounge or apartment, can make the loss feel recognized rather than overlooked.
or see how other readers answered in our polls, try the free planning tools, look through our guides and the blog, Our services overview lays out every option side by side. More local pages: Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine and Appleton, the Wisconsin 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.
How do you feel about waiting months for a preserved pet to come home?
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?
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Questions people ask
Is River Falls big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 6,600 River Falls households keep a dog or cat and around 550 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 17,916), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
How does River Falls's weather affect pet aftercare?
July is the hottest month in River Falls, with average highs around 82°F, so prompt collection matters most then. Average lows drop below freezing in January, February, March, November and December, which can make digging a grave hard until spring.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from River Falls?
Usually yes. Hastings is about 14 miles away, Cottage Grove is about 15 miles away and Woodbury is about 15 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Why does the River Falls page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 70.7%[5] of Wisconsin residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Do I need a permit to have a wild bird preserved in the US?
Most native wild birds are protected under federal law, and possessing one, even a bird you found dead, can be illegal without a permit. Domestic and captive-bred birds, such as budgies, cockatiels, parrots, chickens and domestic pigeons, are generally outside those rules. If your bird is anything else, ask the practitioner and your state wildlife agency before you ship.
Is it legal to preserve my pet bird, turtle or snake?
For captive-bred pets such as budgies, cockatiels, parrots, corn snakes and most pet tortoises, usually yes. Native wild species are different: many wild birds, turtles and reptiles are protected, and possessing or preserving them can require a permit even if you kept them legally. Tell the practitioner exactly what species your pet is and where they came from before you ship.
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 Wisconsin's cremation rate at 70.7% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 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.
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.