Pet Preservation Services are located in South East Queensland Australia. Contact Markus and you will discover compassionate, and reliable answers to your questions regarding Freeze Dry pet preservation available to you. Pet preservation is one of the most important decisions you will ever make regarding your family pet, we are here assist you.
Freeze-drying is a method of preservation which eliminates the decaying process inherent in the living tissues of plants and animals. Through a combination of very low temperature and vacuum application, all moisture is removed, leaving the tissues otherwise unaltered. Upon completion of the process, the trohpy animal or pet is returned to room temperature, and remains indefinitely in the same condition thereafter, subject to the same care and treatment as other valued possessions.
How does the freeze-dry process work?
The animal is carefully prepared and posed, supported by a custom made framework. Next, it is frozen into that pose. It is then placed into a sealed vacuum chamber at extremely low temperature. Over time, frozen moisture is slowly converted into a gaseous state, and then extracted. The larger the subject, the greater the amount of moisture to be extracted. Typically, a small cat or dog will take 8 to 12 weeks. Larger animals will take a longer period of time, perhaps as much as 4 to 5 months in the case of a very large dog. However, all animals are unique, and sometimes take a bit more or less time than expected.
At Downunder Taxidermy we know how important your trophy animal or pet is to you. We strive to maintain your animal as completely and exactly as possible. During preparation, we keep the entire body of the pet intact, doing as little alteration as possible and taking several additional steps in order to produce better results. Equipment used in the freeze-dry process is very costly to purchase, operate, and maintain.
How will my trophy animal or pet look and last?
If you are having your pet preserved, we will ask you to send pictures of your animal and will also communicate with you to try to ensure it will be posed as you would like. We work to create a pose and appearance that will look as natural as possible. If the entire process is done correctly, using quality equipment and techniques, the results should be very life-like looking, even at close viewing. For this reason, for your pet, we highly recommend a sleeping or at least lying down posture, which looks the most natural in the absence of movement. However, we will work with you to accommodate any other pose or special considerations you would like.
Your animal will weigh much less than it did when it was alive, due to the removal of the water and other liquids which account for the majority of an animal’s weight. If not subjected to subsequent damage (dirt, spills, stains, weather, mistreatment, etc.) there should be no further change or deterioration. With a little care, your pet can be held, carried, transported, and even gently petted.
How do I prepare my pet for shipment to the Taxidermist?
After your animal passes away, immediately place it into a sealed plastic bag and then into a standard freezer. If you are preserving a pet, then Veterinarians and kennels or operators are usually happy to do this for you. Any heavy soiling or debris should be removed, but no washing, bathing or other preparation is necessary. We will attend to this for you.
Your animal must remain frozen for overnight shipment to us, by Express Post or Express Courier. Normally, this is not difficult to arrange. We will discuss specific instructions with you regarding packing, or any other special considerations. Shipment should be made at the beginning of the week in order to avoid weekend delays.
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