Pet Preservation in Wyoming
Freeze-drying, traditional taxidermy or a single preserved paw: this page explains what each involves for owners in Wyoming, what the published prices are and what the finished piece will honestly look like.
- What to tell your vet or emergency clinic
- Freezer and power-cut backup plans
- Practitioners chosen by portfolio, not postcode
Wyoming, the United States
Pet Preservation in Wyoming: what to know
Practitioners who accept pets from Wyoming are usually chosen for their finished animals, not their address. Before contacting anyone, gather your pet's species and weight, a few clear photos and a note of when they died and when they were frozen. With that, a practitioner can give you a straight answer about suitability in a single email.
Very few people in Wyoming preserve pets for a living, and many taxidermists here mainly mount game animals. That's why most owners choose a practitioner by portfolio rather than by distance. A pet who's frozen solid and properly packed can travel overnight, so the studio whose finished cats and dogs look like real pets is within reach.
We cover 10 communities in Wyoming, from Cheyenne, Casper and Gillette to smaller towns. Conditions vary a lot across Wyoming: summer highs reach about 89°F in Casper, while winter lows average 2°F in Evanston. In 100% of the Wyoming communities we cover, average lows drop below freezing for three months or more, which matters for home burial.
Our estimate
105,000
Estimated pet-owning households across the communities we cover in Wyoming
How we calculated this
The sum of our per-city estimates for the 10 communities in Wyoming on this site: each city's population ÷ national average household size × the national share of households with a pet. Households with several pets count once.
Every Wyoming community we cover
Choose your city or town for local prices, weather and timing, and rules. 10 communities in Wyoming, largest first below.
Why preservation means speaking up early in Wyoming
With about 78.5%[1] of people in Wyoming choosing cremation, most friends and relatives will assume your pet's ashes are coming home. A preserved pet can surprise people. It helps to have a simple sentence ready, such as that you wanted to keep them as they were. Nobody needs more than that, and most people understand once they see how much care went into it.
The cremation figure for Wyoming comes from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It counts people, not pets, so treat it as a guide to local attitudes rather than a pet statistic.
How much to budget for preservation
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[2], 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[3], so ask for a written total before you pay a deposit.
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[4]; by our estimate, a 50 lb dog would come to ~$4,851[5] 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.
| Pet and method | Published price | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried pet under 1 lb (hamster, budgie, small lizard) | USD 650[6] | 4 to 6 months[6] |
| Freeze-dried pet of 1 to 6 lb | $1,250–$2,095[7] | 6 to 8 months[7] |
| Freeze-dried cat or small dog | $1,000–$2,500[8] | 6–12 months[9] |
| Traditional taxidermy, cat or small dog | $800–$2,500[10] | 6–12 months[9] |
| Freeze-dried dog over 20 lb | $2,781 + $69/lb[4] | 7+ months[11] |
| Custom base, pose or positioning | $150–$800[2] | Added to the total |
None of the figures on this this page are ours alone: they rest on Memorials.com and Animal Family Pet.
Free tool
Freeze-dry & taxidermy cost estimator
Estimate cost and waiting time for freeze-drying or taxidermy by size and pose.
Permits, contracts and paperwork in Wyoming
Most people never need to think about law when preserving a pet. The exceptions are wild or native animals, pets that died of a notifiable disease, and pets sent across a border, where animal health paperwork may apply. If any of those fit, raise it with your vet and practitioner first. Anything you don't keep follows the ordinary burial and scattering rules.
- Burial at home: Confirm the rule for the actual parcel and proposed burial with the local authority and property owner.
- Scattering ashes: Ask the exact land manager about scattering before making arrangements; a general gathering permission is a separate matter.
- Who oversees it: the authority responsible for the specific activity and location; this guide does not identify a universal permit or licensing rule
- Worth knowing: Record the service method, release authority, identification and return instructions in writing.
A city's population does not establish which aftercare activities are allowed at an address. Check the actual site and activity before proceeding.
County and city offices set many of the local rules. To find yours, start with the official Wyoming local government directory.
Just lost your pet? An order to follow
- Tell your vet or clinic straight away that preservation is on the table; otherwise your pet may go out with the cremation pickup that afternoon.
- Lay your pet in a relaxed position while they're still limp: resting on one side with the legs tucked softly. Leave the coat unbrushed and unwashed.
- Double-bag them using two thick plastic bags, squeezing the air from each one before you close it.
- Put them in the coldest freezer available within a few hours, not the fridge. Leave them there and don't take them out to look.
- Take photos you already have and gather more: the face from different sides, the natural set of the ears, every marking. Your practitioner works from these.
- Choose a practitioner by their pet work, then get the price, deposit, return date and shipping plan in writing before anything leaves home.
Remembering your pet while you wait
A glass dome or case is worth considering for any preserved pet. It keeps dust, insects and curious hands off delicate work, evens out humidity and makes the piece feel intentional rather than just placed on a chair. Ask your practitioner for the case dimensions they'd recommend, and budget for it alongside the preservation itself.
Compare every option on our services page, try the free planning tools or see how other readers answered in our polls. You can also go back to all locations.
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 you were preserving your pet, which route would you lean toward?
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?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
Is there a pet taxidermist in Wyoming?
There may be a few, but pet specialists are rare, and many taxidermists in Wyoming mainly mount game. Choose by the quality of finished pets of your species, then plan how to get your pet there frozen. Tell us your species, weight and city, and we'll email back practitioners who take pets from your area.
How do I keep a preserved pet in good condition in Wyoming?
Keep it out of direct sun, away from damp rooms and heating vents, and check it now and then for moths or carpet beetles. Dust gently with a soft brush or a hair dryer on cool, and never wash it. In humid months, a dehumidifier or a sealed glass case helps protect freeze-dried work.
Should I choose freeze-drying or taxidermy if I live in Wyoming?
Where you live matters less than your pet and the pose you want. Freeze-drying keeps your pet's own body and suits resting poses; taxidermy fits the tanned skin onto a sculpted body and allows alert or sitting poses. In humid parts of Wyoming, a sealed case matters more for freeze-dried work. Ask a practitioner which method suits your pet, and why.
Do colder parts of Wyoming make it easier to keep a pet frozen?
A little, in winter. In 100% of the Wyoming communities we cover, average lows stay below freezing for three months or more, and places such as Evanston reach lows near 2°F. Cold helps a freezer through a short outage and slows thawing in transit, but it never replaces a real freezer: sun and daytime thaws still damage fur outdoors.
How long does pet preservation take for families in Wyoming?
Usually months. Freeze-drying takes three to six months for small pets and seven or more for large dogs[11], and both freeze-drying and taxidermy often run 6–12 months[9]. Add the practitioner's queue. Ask for a return date in writing and whether they'll send updates.
How much does pet preservation cost in Wyoming?
US guides put freeze-drying a cat or small dog at $1,000–$2,500[8] and traditional taxidermy at $800–$2,500[10], with large dogs costing several thousand dollars more. Location matters less than weight, method and pose. Add bases, posing and shipping both ways, and compare written totals.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Wyoming's cremation rate at 78.5% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] Taxidermy and freeze-drying add-ons such as custom bases or positioning cost about $150–$800. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [3] 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.
- [4] 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.
- [5] 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.
- [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 charges $1,250 to freeze-dry a 1–2 lb pet and $2,095 for 2–6 lb, with 6–8 month turnaround. Animal Family Pet Preservation – Pricing, 2026.
- [8] Memorials.com puts freeze-drying at $1,000–$2,500 for a cat or small dog and $2,000–$5,000+ for a medium to large dog. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [9] Both traditional taxidermy and freeze-drying typically take 6–12 months, sometimes longer. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [10] Memorials.com puts traditional taxidermy at $800–$2,500 for a cat or small dog and $1,500–$5,000+ for a medium to large dog. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [11] Freeze-dry preservation takes 3–6 months for small pets, 7+ months for large dogs and up to a year for very large animals. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2024.
- [12] 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.
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.