Freeze-Dried Pets Comfort Grieving Owners

[bijou]

Mike McCullough never intended to start freeze-drying beloved pets for grieving owners. But more than a decade ago, a friend of a friend asked the Fort Loudon, Penn., taxidermist to save his beloved dog from the grave or cremation by preserving the animal instead. McCullough agreed.

Then he talked to a Wall Street Journal reporter about the process. It made the front page. Requests from bereaved owners started rolling in. Today, McCullough's taxidermy shop, Mac's Taxidermy, is one of a handful of places around the country that will preserve not only hunting trophies, but also the hunting dog.
"It's a whole different game for us," McCullough told LiveScience. "You have to be a counselor, you know what I mean? It's tough."
Preserving pets

McCullough and other taxidermists like him use a special process to keep Fido or Fluffy looking lifelike even in death. Traditional taxidermy involves skinning an animal and stretching its hide over a three-dimensional mold. That won't cut it for the family pet, as the animal's features end up looking generic, nothing like the unique creature that owners knew and loved.

Instead, pet preservationists use freeze-dry chambers, which lower air pressure to the point that ice turns directly into gas without going through the liquid phase. Many taxidermists use freeze-dryers to preserve small animals or fish. Taxidermist Cathy Huntley, owner of Freeze Dry By Cathy in Newaygo, Mich., first got her freeze-dryer to preserve flowers before branching into turkey heads and eventually pets. ...

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If the pictures are anything to go by, it does give a more convincing effect than taxidermy.

[SarasotaRepub]

OK...that's a widdle creepy.

[Zeus]

OK...that's a widdle creepy.

At first take it does seem a little creepy. but upon further consideration other than the emotional aspect, is it any different than doing the same to a bear or a horse or deer etc.

[Novaheart]

I saw this on some reality program. It's interesting and it's weird.

[Novaheart]

At first take it does seem a little creepy. but upon further consideration other than the emotional aspect, is it any different than doing the same to a bear or a horse or deer etc.

I sometimes catch my old Rotty out of the corner of my eye when she isn't even here anymore, I can't imagine having a lifelike preservation of her, not to mention that I might pick her up and put her in her bed at night, or pose her at the picture window in the daytime.

You know someone is going to freeze dry Momma and put her in her regular chair.

[Zeus]

You know someone is going to freeze dry Momma and put her in her regular chair.

Also already been done.

[Retread]

Roy stuffed Trigger decades ago.