A family grieving the loss of their beloved pet golden retriever hired a professional taxidermist to turn their dog into a rug and a social media video of it is getting thousands of views.
Chimera Taxidermy, based in Melbourne, Australia, and run by 29-year-old Maddy shared the video on Instagram saying that the beautiful old golden retriever has been preserved as a pelt for his family and is finally ready to go home.
In the comments of Maddy’s Instagram post, she explained “the pelt has been tanned and turned to leather so the fur won’t fall out,” meaning it will remain in good condition for many years to come.
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The video got mixed responses from people who thought the pet pelt was a “beautiful” idea, while others were not so sure about it.
“This is interesting but certainly isn’t for everyone,” one commenter on the Instagram post.
“My memories give me peace, I couldn’t do this, it would make it harder for me,” another wrote.
One person said that the idea was “sweet” and would be good for the right person, however, they personally wouldn’t do it to their pet.
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Maddy spoke with Yahoo News and confirmed that it’s definitely not for everyone and that’s something she fully respects.
“Pet taxidermy has only really become more popular in the last five years or so, so it’s a very new thing to see for most people,” she told Yahoo News. “Some are more of a sentimental keepsake, others are on display resting in their beds or however their owners wanted them preserved. Most of the requests I get are for full taxidermy mounts. Pelt preservation is less commonly asked for, but I still do quite a few pelts.”
Looking at her Instagram, you can see that she doesn’t just do dogs, she also preserves other animals too.
“I’ve been asked to preserve pet cats, dogs, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, pretty much any pet you can think of,” she said.
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Maddy says she started doing taxidermy work when she was 18 years old but has switched to doing exclusively pets for nearly three years now.
“It’s sometimes difficult working with pets compared to other animals,” she said. “But it’s more rewarding to be able to help people with their grief and allow them to keep a part of their pet forever.”
Check Out More Of Her Work In The Photos Below
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