Our policy on accepting pets for taxidermy at taxidermyuk.net
Reading and understanding this document completely is a pre condition of discussing pet taxidermy. You will find almost all of your questions answered here, and also be able to reflect on the situation in light of what you learn here.
Is pet taxidermy a good idea?
If you have only just lost your pet you will be very upset and emotional. If you are reading this, you may be considering that taxidermy of your pet is the solution to your loss.
I have been doing taxidermy over 30 years, added to that, I have lost two much loved pet dogs of my own and some other none canine pets. So I know very well the emotions you may be feeling. Right now you do not require a taxidermist. What you do need right now is time to adjust to the situation and take any decisions with informed consideration. You should read this document in full with great care. This is for your protection, so that you do not make a knee jerk emotional decision. You need to be fully aware that high quality taxidermy of a pet is very expensive, and it can take easily over a year to complete. You will have moved on, emotionally, a very long way, in that time and you will see matters very differently. You may also have large vet bills to settle, if your pet was treated prior to its passing so you don’t need more big bills right now.
My personal opinion on it.
It may seem perverse, a taxidermist talking a potential client out of having some taxidermy done. However, I am not in the business of taking money from people who are in a deeply emotional state. It is my considered opinion, after 30 plus years of work in this area (and the loss of two of my own much loved canine friends) that deciding on taxidermy, as a reaction to the loss of a pet is, for most people, completely the wrong decision.
Time is the healer of loss, not taxidermy. Please consider this very deeply, and if you have any doubts at all about taxidermy as an option, then I would strongly advise against it.
Deciding on taxidermy of a pet requires a calm, pragmatic well thought out decision. Few of us can take a decision like that when we have just lost our friend of many years. It is for these reasons that we respectfully request that you do not contact us immediately, we are not an emergency or storage service for deceased pets, nor are we qualified to council people on pet bereavement. Please do not call or email us until you have read, acted on, and fully understood this entire policy document. It is a strict condition of discussing the matter with you. If you have read and understood the following, this should be several weeks or even months following your pets’ demise.
About pet taxidermy
Working on pets is unlike any other area of taxidermy, because of the intense emotions involved with the death of a much loved Pet. If you are reading this document then you have done at least some research into the subject and may be considering it as an option for your own pet or that of someone you know.
The reason Pet taxidermy is so much more costly than most other taxidermy work is because it is far more demanding technically and artistically. It requires a very different technique and approach to most commercial taxidermy and, done well, is more akin to high end museum quality taxidermy. It also requires far more none studio working time to be spent on consultation with the client and other administration work. This time too must be accounted for. It is for these reasons that many taxidermists will decline to do pets.
In the following text I have addressed the main issues raised, regarding this delicate subject, and deal with some of the most frequently asked questions and issues. At the same time I have set out my own personal approach and strict policy with regard to working on Pets.
Only very rarely do people plan in advance to have their pet set up, or mounted, as taxidermists prefer to call it. In the majority of cases (at least in my experience) people only consider taxidermy as an option in the first hours after their pet has died. They will be upset and often confused about the best choice to make over the fate of their pet. They often do not wish to be parted from the mortal remains and find the prospect frightening and upsetting. Many feel under pressure to decide quickly on how to proceed. My policy on pets hopefully goes some way to explaining and clarifying things as regards taxidermy and particularly our own approach.