Freeze Drying Your Pet's Body

oakash

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#22
I get tears in my eyes when I even think about Suzie passing away. I'm so scared she'll die when I'm at college or something. I do not want her lifeless body reminding me that she isn't here. It would just help with the unbelief that she's dead I think.
 

Laurelin

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#23
Well you know since they take all the fluids out of the body it's going to be stiff feeling and just feel wrong. That would bother me and I don't see how it could be 'nice' or 'comforting' to pet a stiff dead dog. It would just be another reminder that the dog is very dead.

I agree with Allie, I think it's unhealthy and doesn't allow people to move on.

Mia is so soft, I threaten to make her into mittens on occasion (joking).
 

~Jessie~

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#24
Mia is so soft, I threaten to make her into mittens on occasion (joking).
I was watching Dirty Jobs one day and they were doing an episode about a company that spun fur into wool. I guess a good bit of people will send in their pet's hair to get turned into yarn.

I tell Tucker I'm going to make him into a sweater. Haha.

And yeah, I bet it would be really, really strange to pick up the dog once it's freeze dried... I can imagine it'd be a LOT stiffer than a stuffed animal.
 

milos_mommy

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#25
I personally wouldn't have it done, but I am surprised by how many of you are so quick to judge it as "creepy" or "sick" or disrespectful to the animal. People deal with death in a TON of different ways, that have different rituals, different things they do with the bodies, and I don't see anything wrong with wanting to preserve the animal's body and keep it around if it will make it easier for someone to memorialize their pet.
 

~Jessie~

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#26
I don't think it's creepy or disrespectful... I agree, it is just another way to preserve your pet. It's not something that I think I'd ever do... I think I'd have a harder time seeing my pet laying there.

People deal with grief in different ways. I've never had to deal with one of my own dog's dying (and hopefully won't for a long time), but it's interesting to see what is out there.
 

Lossalfling

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#27
I mean never said it was disrespectful, But when i say creepy its a personal oppinion for my pets. if i had that done it would creep me out everytime i saw them. To each there own but im not a big fan of any kind of taxadermy.
 

PlottMom

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#28
I joke about having Daisy stuffed in her most prevalent position (curled into a sleeping ball) and moving her around the house every few days in a basket, and seeing how long it takes friends/family to notice.

Obviously I would never do this, but it is a long, well thought out plan.
 

PlottMom

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#29
...and now that I've seen the website and read through the comments accompanying the photos, while I can't say I personally would ever do that (mostly because my family would probably take me to the nuthouse and write me off as horridly unhealthy), I can COMPLETELY understand where these people are coming from. I won't lie, Daisy is practically my entire world and the thought of her completely "gone" is so terribly heartbreaking, I'm not sure what I'd do. Part of me can totally understand wanting to have her looking peaceful and curled up in a bed in the corner. Honestly, I'd probably talk to her every morning. I'm not entirely sure it's different that having ashes hanging around years after the fact..?

And now that you all think I'm the crazy person, I'll go take a nap...
 

Laurelin

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#30
Hmmmm... I understand people grieve differently but there are ways people grieve that I truly believe are unhealthy and I stand by that. To me, holding onto a body and pretending they're alive is unhealthy. It reminds me of elderly people who are found to have been living with a dead spouse or sibling for years because they don't want to let them go. It's terribly sad that they are compelled to do this but at the same time it's not a healthy coping mechanism.
 

PlottMom

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#31
I agree it's totally unhealthy and I'd never do it (social stigma and all that ;) ), just saying while reading their comments I can understand. It makes my heart hurt :(
 

AllieMackie

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#32
Hmmmm... I understand people grieve differently but there are ways people grieve that I truly believe are unhealthy and I stand by that. To me, holding onto a body and pretending they're alive is unhealthy. It reminds me of elderly people who are found to have been living with a dead spouse or sibling for years because they don't want to let them go. It's terribly sad that they are compelled to do this but at the same time it's not a healthy coping mechanism.
^ this.

A lot of the testimonials on that site are written by people who obviously have not come to terms with their animal's death. In a lot of cases, with taxidermy or this, people AREN'T grieving. They're pushing their grief down, down, down and pretending their animal never left, it is "still with them".

Creepy? Yes. I think the level of disrespect is a matter of opinion (I think it is disrespectful), but I think someone memorializing their pet in this way might need counselling in healthy ways to grieve.
 

Laurelin

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#33
As far as respect goes I'll admit my personal beliefs get in the way on this one. I view a being as having a spirit or a soul, something intangible that makes them 'them'. To turn something alive and vibrant into a grotesque display of a shell of itself is disrespectful to what the animal or person really was.

Imagine if you had your pet stuffed and in your house... EVERYONE that saw it would not think 'Oh what a nice memorial there', they're thinking 'OMG, wtf is wrong with you?' or 'That's sick/disturbing/etc'. So again the animal is now turned from a real being with a soul (in my beliefs) and feelings into an object that is grotesque and inspires repulsion from most people.

Then again, I don't like taxidermy period and I also don't like open casket funerals for the same reason. (I hate how everyone comments on how 'good' the person looks... ummmm.... they're dead. It's just weird).

So that's my view as far as 'respect' goes, but obviously people won't agree because our beliefs are different about these things. I'm saying *I* could never do that to *MY* pet because *I* would find it disrespectful to *MY* pet.
 

Fran101

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#34
Im sorry but that is just creepy. If I ever walked into someones home and saw that, I would FREAK OUT.
To each their own, I'm not saying it should be outlawed, I'm saying it is creepy.

I don't think its healthy for people to have their dead pets sitting around..and "cuddling" them. Its NOT getting over the loss, I don't care how you spin it. Can you imagine if someone did that with a person?

Aww we love grandpa so much and it was so sad when he passed, its nice to just have him sitting on his rockingchair as always!

I would NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER do that to my pets. Not only because of disrespecting their memory, or the money it costs..
but can you imagine the damage to your social life/relationships with people for having a DEAD ANIMAL sitting in your living room?!

$575.00 for a 5-7 pound animal.. plus $50 for each additional pound.. its not like this is running cheap!!

Its says it all right there on the main page of the site..

This allows pet owners to see, touch and hold their pets, and in a sense, "never have to let go."

and some of the testimonials like under the KITTEN

"We didn't have Little Trigger very long, but we were still so attached to him. Now we can keep him forever! He looks just like he was!"
and hes like playing with a thing of yarn.

I can't even wrap my head around WANTING something like this... I love my dog, he is a part of my life.. but Wow.. to not be able to go on living because my dog/cat isn't around? to be willing to spend all that money just to have a nonmoving substitute?? I can't even imagine.

I honestly think some (ok..most) of the people who do this stuff probably should've spent the money on therapy instead.
 

MPP

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#35
I find it creepy and sick. In my eyes, when a person (or a pet) dies, what's left is simply the container that once held the soul/spirit/life force. You should treat it respectfully, but there's no sense in clinging to the wrapper, so to speak, when the essence is gone.

All the people, all the pets I have lost do live on---in my memory. I loved them dearly in life, and I cherish them now. Keeping dead body parts around seems unnecessary and grotesque.
 

Kat09Tails

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#36
In the 1800s taxidermy of valued family pets was considered common among the wealthy. They were stuffed and displayed in the family curio cabinet. I don't consider it weird, I've considered doing it. Not to pretend that the dog is still alive (puppy isn't coming back) but to look upon the physical form and remember in greater clarity.

A few years back there was a person on NGC on taboo who did taxidermy on her own pets after they passed. I remember her working on IGs. I'm not quite ready to do that but I can respect the idea.
 

Dekka

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#38

MH<3dogs

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#39
Nope too expensive for me. I've started cremating my pets (3 so far) and that's how far I will go to keep them "with me".
 

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