Cold comfort: Devoted dog mom chooses freeze-drying over burial to keep ‘baby present’

A grieving woman dealing with the loss of her furry best friend has chosen to process the grief in an unusual way.

The dog owner has gone viral on TikTok for her dog, who will physically remain in her life. The woman revealed how she chose to ‘freeze-dry’ her dog, affectionately called “Baby”, to cope with the loss. She spoke about the “taboo” decision as she reflected on the year her four-legged friend was freeze-dried and also put the deceased animal on display. It’s spot on reposted the video.

“It’s been a year since Baby passed away, and I wanted to talk about his freeze-drying process… He passed away on November 6, 2024. I chose to have him freeze-dryed. I feel like it’s kind of taboo; not all people do that with their animals, so people feel very uncomfortable about that. But that’s something that I feel like has helped with my grief. It’s been able to help me move on from his passing.”

She then described his large, inoperable tumor that ultimately led to the dog’s death. While the dog’s brain and tongue remained intact, she initially planned to use its other organs. However, the dog had some replacements, such as its eyes.

The woman hoped to take out his heart and make a necklace from it. However, the person supervising the procedure urged her to reconsider as the diseased organ could become a biohazard.

She also delved into the realities of freeze-drying your dog. On TikTok, she noted the differences between other ways to preserve a pet’s physical essence.

“It’s basically his whole body. He’s still soft in some places, so it’s a little different than taxidermy. This is his fur, his ears… his nose hasn’t been replaced. His paws aren’t soft anymore; they’re frozen. But hey, this is him.”

While the display left virtual spectators feeling scared, the woman has no plans to put her “baby” in a corner.

“I’m not going to lock him up for anyone; this is my dog,” she claimed to TikTok. “His skeleton is still intact.”

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