Planning tools for preserving your pet
Freeze-drying costs ~6x[1] as much as an average pet cremation, by our estimate. These two tools show you what that means for your own pet before you talk to anyone.
- Price and wait ranges from published figures
- Works without sharing any personal details
- Results update as you change the options
Before the first phone call
Why a rough number helps before you ask for quotes
Most people have no reference point for preservation prices. They know roughly what a cremation costs, and then a studio quotes a figure several times higher, often while they're still raw from the loss. A ballpark range, worked out quietly at home, makes that conversation much less of a shock.
The two tools on this page do different jobs. One estimates the preservation itself. The other adds preservation to everything else you might spend, from shipping to a display case. Neither needs your name or email, and both run in your browser. When you want real numbers, send us your pet's details and we'll email back practitioners' actual prices. For what each type of work involves, see the services overview; for studios that accept pets from your area, see locations.
Tool one
Freeze-dry and taxidermy cost estimator
Choose a method (freeze-drying, traditional taxidermy or a partial piece), your pet's size and a pose, and the estimator returns a price range and a waiting-time range. It uses published figures: an industry report's freeze-dry range of USD 1,000–2,000[2], and one US studio's per-pound price list, which charges USD 2,095 + USD 49/lb[3] for a cat or dog between 6 and 19 lb.
Pose matters more than people expect. A curled, eyes-closed sleeping pose is the simplest to set and usually the cheapest. Sitting, standing or head-up poses take more wiring and shaping, and for anything truly upright you'll often be steered toward traditional taxidermy instead. The estimator nudges the range up for more demanding poses, so try a couple to see the difference.
Free tool
Freeze-dry & taxidermy cost estimator
Estimate cost and waiting time for freeze-drying or taxidermy by size and pose.
Use it when you're deciding whether preservation is realistic at all, or comparing a full body with a single paw. The cost estimator's own page explains exactly how the numbers are built and works through an example for a 10 lb cat.
Tool two
Memorial budget planner
Preservation is rarely the only cost. There may be a euthanasia visit, frozen shipping both ways, a glass case or dome, a cremation for the rest of your pet if you choose a partial piece, and perhaps a paw cast or engraved plaque. The budget planner lists these as a checklist with editable low and high amounts, and keeps a running total range.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
It's useful when you're splitting costs with family or setting a firm limit before you commit. For a line-by-line walk-through with preservation figures filled in, see the memorial budget planner page.
Using both
Using the two tools together, step by step
- Run the cost estimator for the option you're drawn to, then again for a smaller alternative such as a paw.
- Take the low and high figures into the budget planner as your preservation line.
- Add shipping, a display case and any cremation for the rest of your pet.
- Compare the full totals, not just the preservation fee.
- Send us the range you're comfortable with, and we'll look for practitioners inside it.
If a full-body piece comes out beyond your means, the lighter options in our hybrid cast plus cremation guide often cost a fraction as much and still leave you with something to hold.
If you were preserving your pet, which route would you lean toward?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Read this before trusting a number
What the tools can't tell you
Published price data for pet preservation is thin. Freeze-drying has a handful of public price lists; traditional taxidermy has almost none, because artists quote each pet individually. The estimator's taxidermy and partial ranges are therefore wider and should be read as a starting point, not a quote. That's different from human funerals in the US, where the FTC's Funeral Rule requires written price lists; pet studios have no such rule, so ask for a written quote.
The tools also can't judge your pet's condition, which decides whether preservation is possible at all, or a practitioner's skill, which decides whether the result looks like your pet. For those, read our suitability checks and the questions to ask a practitioner.
One more way to think it through
See how other owners answer the same questions
Numbers aren't the only thing people weigh. Our reader polls ask about poses, waiting times and how families feel about a preserved pet at home, and the live results show how other readers have answered so far. They're not a scientific survey like the RSPCA's pet-loss research with more than 4,000 owners, but they can make a lonely decision feel a little less so.
Preservation remains a minority choice: ~7%[5] of pet owners choose taxidermy, according to one market study. If you're among them, there's no wrong reason for wanting your pet close.
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.
How much would you spend on a memorial item, beyond the cremation itself?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
How accurate is the preservation cost estimator?
It gives a realistic range, not a quote. Freeze-dry estimates are built from a published industry range and one studio's per-pound price list, so they're reasonably grounded. Taxidermy and partial ranges are wider, because artists rarely publish prices. Use the result to set expectations, then ask two or three practitioners for written totals.
Do the tools save or send my information?
No. Both tools run in your browser and don't ask for your name, email or location. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere. If you'd like real quotes afterwards, you can choose to send your details through the form at the top of the page.
Why does my pet's weight change the price so much?
A heavier pet needs a longer freeze-drying cycle, more chamber space and more hands-on preparation, and a taxidermist needs a larger form and more hours of sculpting. One published price list adds $49 per pound for mid-size pets and $69 per pound above 20 lb[6], so every extra pound shows up in the total.
Can I include cremation in the budget planner?
Yes. If you're preserving only a paw, tail or wing, the rest of your pet usually goes to cremation, and the planner has a line for it. Private cremation, where you receive your own pet's ashes, typically costs more than communal. Adjust the default amounts to match any quote you already have.
Which pose should I pick in the estimator if I'm unsure?
Start with a sleeping pose. It's the most common choice for freeze-dried pets, the gentlest to live with and usually the least expensive. Then try a sitting or alert pose to see how the range changes. Many owners find the calmer pose looks more like their pet at rest than an active one does.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 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.
- [2] Freeze-drying a pet typically costs USD 1,000–2,000. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2024.
- [3] The same studio charges USD 2,095 plus USD 49 per lb for 6–19 lb dogs and cats, and USD 2,781 plus USD 69 per lb for pets over 20 lb, with a 6–8 month turnaround. Animal Family Pet — Pet Preservation Pricing & Shipping, 2026.
- [4] The average pet cremation cost about USD 250 (Foresight Companies, 2020). The Foresight Companies — Industry Spotlight: The Pet Business (2020), 2020.
- [5] About 7% of pet owners choose taxidermy, per Astute Analytica. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 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.
Turn your estimate into real quotes
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.