January 1, 2022
Kristy Boyd
"Losing a loved one is the hardest thing in this life…feeling like there is a hole in your heart…not knowing how to best keep part of them with you and honor their memory. Even though we had Sophie in our family for almost 19 & 1/2 years, when you love a little buddy, it’s never long enough. And that is what Animal Family Pet Preservation has helped us do. They are kind and caring. They understand what we go through as pet parents because they have been through it themselves. I searched for this pet preservation option because I felt like tradional burial and cremation left me feeling like I was still losing her forever. And this way I could keep as much of her with us as possible. We did the VIP option as well because I just needed her home before Christmas. She looks beautiful…like she is peacefully napping on a beddy. And it gives me great comfort. I am so glad that we chose Animal Family Pet Preservation to help memorialize Sophie. I would definitely choose them again. We drove to them each time - 6.5 hour drive - really glad we did that as well so we had no worries about keeping her in pristine condition. They are very deserving of the awards they’ve won for preservation. Sincerely & with gratitude, Kristy Boyd"
October 24, 2021
Darrell Stapleton
"These are wonderful caring people that done a wonderful and incredible job preserving my dog to be with me for the rest of my life. I highly recommend them if you don't want to say goodbye forever your pet that you love dearly."
October 17, 2021
Angela Rose
"Such a great experience, from the customer service to the finished product."
October 15, 2021
Troy Newham
"I am going to give a full review, which may be a little too much information, but I think may help others. Shortly after we got Snowball 15 years ago, my wife became attached and said that after he died, she wanted to have him stuffed. Being a country boy, I knew this meant skinning the animal and putting the fur on a fake mold, something that I would never allow to something I cared about. Fast forward to the day he died. He had lost a LOT of weight. He started breathing hard. We went to the park and when we came back an hour later, he had died. My wife had given me permission to take him to my mother’s to bury him (that being a more permanent location than present), so I gathered him up and put him in a freezer. Shortly after, she became very upset by the loss and wanted to have him stuffed. We discussed it, and she was adamant. Searching for a taxidermist, I came across freeze-drying. Outside of the internal organs, the animal was left intact. This took the horror out of the process to me. Then I considered what would happen to poor Snowball once he was buried (decay and consumed), and I considered how that was in any way preferable to him remaining with my wife and giving her comfort. I searched around for the best price. I did find some low-cost places, but the pictures they put on their website (and some had no pictures at all) looked terrible. I figured, if the ones they showed off were terrible...what would a bad outcome look like? This was something I only had one chance. If the taxidermist in question screwed him up, he would look like that forever, and for what? To have saved a few bucks? As such, I opted to go with Animal Family Taxidermy. They were very helpful regarding advising the best way to ship him. The wait time is hard. I sent him off in March and got him back in September. This is due to the demand for their services and the time required to do the actual freeze-dry process. I opted to have his organs cremated, and the box they put the ashes in is very pretty, secure, and clearly but tastefully marked. The process fluffed him up a bit. He had been painfully thin, so painful it hurt to look at him much less pet him. The process set the clock back to where he as thinner than his usual obese self, but healthy. He sits on our dresser. He looks peaceful. I look over and it just looks like he was still with us, just napping. My wife’s initial reaction was “He looks so real.” Initially, there is a mix of feelings. I couldn’t bring myself to take him out of the box at first. I was worried about injuring him or that I would touch him and it would be instantly alien to me. The bottom of him is flat and boardlike. This is somehow comforting as he lays securely on the table rather than rocking about. His fur is so soft as it had always been, softer than the scraggly fur it had become as he stopped grooming himself (not to mention he had wet (etc) himself in death and I had merely placed him in a plastic bag as I assumed I was burying him in a couple of days). My wife commented “I’m happy he’s home...but...sad too.” My three-year-old was ecstatic to see her old friend. She has been asking me, “Where’s Snowball?” I told her he went to Ohio. Now my wife happily passes him (after one day) and cheerfully says, “Oh hi, Snowball.” She says it is like he’s still here, just napping when she first sees him. Here’s what I will say: Animal Family may seem expensive. It isn’t cheap, for sure. There are cheaper options that you can find. However, I have another cat that is going to die soon. When she does, I will have her preserved as well. That’s the best review I can give. I made a hard decision, I saw the result, and I will gladly do it again. I hope that this has helped."
