We’re a pet loving nation. According to a survey conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2012, approximately six out of ten (63.2% to be more precise) pet owners considered their pet to be a family member. Cats and dogs are of course among the top pets we own with 70 million dogs and 74 million cats in the U.S.

 

Missouri is no exception to the above statistics. Even though Missouri is 18th in population rank, The Show-Me State, according to the same survey mentioned above, is ranked number four in the nation in dog ownership with 45.9 percent homes owning a dog. While cat ownership doesn’t make it to the top ten for Missourians, still 32.2 percent of homes own cats.

 

With such a huge number of pets in the state, the sad fact remains that an equally large number of beloved pets, including dogs and cats, ultimately pass away. The pet owner and other family members are obviously bereaved by the passing away of their pets, especially those households that consider the pet to be a family member, as mentioned in the survey. While the traditional route of bidding goodbye to a pet is a burial, cremation, mummification, or even cryogenically freezing the pet, there are other options such as taxidermy and freeze-drying which allow the pet owner to retain their pet in some form.

 

To match the number of pet owners in Missouri, there are many pet taxidermy services and freeze-drying services. One has to be careful though to choose a service provider that has years of experience, loves their job, and comes well-recommended by its past customers. Among the many companies available, the nation’s largest freeze-drying service happens to be located in Missouri. Eddy’s Wildlife Studio has close to 30 years of experience and does well over a hundred pet preservations a year. Compared to normal taxidermy, freeze-drying allows the pet to be preserved in a more natural looking life-like form. While freeze-drying is not for everyone and is more expensive than traditional taxidermy, the company can provide the service for those who want it. People as far away as Israel and Japan have thanked the company for its services and some even weep at seeing what a good job the company has done in preserving the beloved pet. A lot of passion goes into the job, which is not unlike that of a mortician. The company has to not only preserve the pet’s body but also to console and comfort the grieving members of the family. If your beloved pet is close to passing away, you may want to look into service providers such as Eddy’s.