Understanding Taxidermy Prices for Dogs: A Guide to Preserving Your Furry Friend!

So, I’ve been thinking a lot about my old buddy, Buster. He was a good dog, a real pal. Crossed the rainbow bridge a while back, and it hit me hard. Got me thinking about ways to remember him, you know? That’s when I stumbled upon this whole taxidermy thing for pets. Sounds a bit weird at first, but the more I looked into it, the more it made sense.

First thing I did was hop online and start looking up “taxidermy prices for dogs“. Man, was that a rabbit hole! Found out that it’s not exactly cheap. We’re talking anywhere from $500 to over $1,200, and some places even quote up to $2,000! Depends on a bunch of stuff, like how big your dog was and what kind of pose you want. Buster was a medium-sized guy, so I figured it would be somewhere in the middle.

Then there was this one place that said they charge between $2,500 and $6,000 for small to medium dogs. That is a huge price that no one can accept. And they said a medium dog is like a Springer Spaniel. Buster was a bit smaller, but still, that’s a lot of dough.

After that, I tried to figure out the whole process. From what I saw, the best way seems to be this whole deal where they split the dog along the spine, take out all the insides, tan the hide, and then sew it back up. Sounds gruesome, but I guess that’s how it’s done. There’s also something called “dry preserving” with salt and borax, but it sounds like that’s not great for dogs because they have a lot of fat that can leak out. No one wants a leaky Buster, right?

• I looked for local taxidermists who specialize in pets.
• I called a few places to get quotes and get a feel for their process.
• I looked for reviews or examples of their work.

I also started checking out different taxidermists near me. Found a couple that had decent reviews and seemed to know what they were doing. One guy quoted me around $800, which seemed reasonable. Another was closer to $1,000 but had some really impressive pictures of his work. And the one said that the cost to do the skull is between $75 to $150. I think this is economical and can accept it.

Of course, money is money, and it’s not like I have a ton of it lying around. So, I spent some time looking for ways to maybe save a bit. Found some tips online about negotiating prices and maybe opting for simpler poses. I also considered the emotional aspect of it all. Like, is this really something I want to do? Is it a healthy way to remember Buster? After all the consideration, I think I will try to do the taxidermy for my dog. Maybe just the skull to save some money.

The Result

The taxidermy was completed after two months, and the taxidermist notified me to pick it up. I took my son to pick it up together. When I saw it, I was a little scared, but my son cried and said he missed Buster. It looks very realistic, but there are still some differences. I put it in the living room. I will miss Buster forever.