Many pet owners find ways to honor their pets’ memory after they pass — but one family may have taken “man’s best friend” a little too far.
After an Australian family’s golden retriever passed, they decided to turn their beloved pet into a rug.
While some might find the memento disturbing, pet taxidermy is becoming a popular way to honor a pet, according to the professional who was hired by the family.
“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,” Maddy, the owner of Melbourne-based company Chimera Taxidermy, told Yahoo! News Australia.
“Some are more of a sentimental keepsake, others are on display resting in their beds or however their owners wanted them preserved,” she added.
The 29-year-old agreed that the method is “definitely not for everyone,” and she respects that.
Maddy, who started taxidermy when she was just 18, shared an Instagram post to the company account of the golden retriever rug, writing: “Beautiful old golden retriever preserved as a pelt for his family. Finally ready to head home.”
The reel has received almost 5,000 views and has been shared 106 times as of Tuesday morning.
Maddy explained in the comments that “the pelt has been tanned and turned to leather so the fur won’t fall out,” which she said will keep the rug in good condition for many years.
She also shared that preserving pets as pelts is “not as common as people wanting full taxidermy mounts” and most of the pets she taxidermies are sleeping, but she also can do the rugs without the pets’ heads.
The souvenir has received mixed, but mostly positive reactions from people in the comments, with people saying the idea is “beautiful but not for everyone.”
“Though morbid and sad, I’ve wondered what it would look like for [my dog] to one day be preserved like [a rug],” one person commented.
“Might not be for everyone, but it’s an interesting way to keep that sensory connection alive far after the beloved pet is gone,” another said.
One person reacted with angry face emojis in the comments, to which someone responded: “This dog wasn’t killed for its pelt. This is someone’s pet and they asked specifically for the pelt, chill.”
“Idk if I would be able to handle seeing this after my goldi dies,” one user wrote with a crying face emoji.
While the company received mainly responses in approval, commenters in response to a “Smiley Morning Show” Facebook post had more negative feedback — with many saying it’s “very creepy.”
“This made my stomach churn. Its poor little deflated face,” one disgusted user wrote.
“I’m sorry but this is completely disrespectful to the dog! Let him Rest In Peace,” another exclaimed.
“Omgosh this is morbid, there is no way that I could ever do that,” someone wrote.
“I would never and I LOVE my dogs. This is super creepy,” a person said.
Maddy preserves more animals than just dogs — she has also been asked to preserve pet cats, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, goats and “pretty much any pet you can think of.”
“It’s sometimes difficult working with pets compared to other animals,” she admitted. “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.”