𝔏𝔞𝔲𝔯𝔢𝔫 𝔎

On Thursday afternoon, I lifted Laika’s coat from her salty sleep to move her onto her next phase of preservation; tanning. The moment I raised her body up to move her into her travel basket, the sun set behind the buildings across the street, casting drowsy shadow into the studio. I took notice but tried not to make a big deal out of it. It wasn’t until I had already laid her inside the haphazardly chosen linen dress, that it dawned on me that this was the very cloth I was wearing on Laika’s last full day alive, while I sat vigil with her, and simultaneously, Tome was being born into the world. It is often that families of ours will experience synchronicities like these, and they are always too coincidental to be coincidence. I just feel so grateful that I’ve been able to feel them too, so unexpectedly and earnestly ~

Wishing you and all the families we care for a peaceful new year ahead, met with golden memories of those passed to warm the days ahead of us ~~~ Hearts of gold of sibling feline and canine, Nohea and Charlie. While containing no organic matter of the natural heart, these structures are molded, cast, and leafed in 18 carats, capturing the exact size and shape of the real heart to last hundreds of years in memory of their bearers. Thank you to Nohea and Charlie’s loving family for their trust and their willingness to share. As always, only kindness will be tolerated in the comments ✨ #preciouscreature #petpreservation #naturalhistory #heartofgold #rainbowbridge

Diabalita, a charming xoloitzcuintli lady we had the pleasure of sending home to her midwestern family. This articulation was made by our incredibly talented Triss Krohne, who I would like to honor and thank in this post for their dedication, care, and light they bring every day to the Precious Creature studio. While xolo’s can be furred, partially hairless, or completely hairless, that same gene type that is responsible for hair production is in change of tooth production. So, most xolos you’ll ever meet have little to no teeth! As always, only kindness and sensitivity will be tolerated in the comments, as Diabalita is a cherished family member. Thank you to Diabalita’s family for their trust with such delicate and precious work 🌷 #preciouscreature #petpreservation #petaftercare #petmemorial #rainbowbridge

“He was bigger than words can express. His name was Chainsaw because he purred so loud and so constantly when anyone was around. He bridged the differences between every pet and we all feel his absence every day. He was the most beautiful cat that I’ve ever seen. He could catch bugs in the air with a clap between his paws. He could mimic different bird calls and would spend hours watching them on the power lines, chirping back. He was not good at jumping, so he learned to pull himself up onto shelves instead. Even if he was sleeping, his tail would wag the second he heard his favorite people coming. We won’t ever stop missing him. Thank you for taking care of our baby. Your work is incredible. Did you know ragdoll cats that don’t have blue eyes are called Cherubim? It’s bittersweet to learn that after he’s gone. We had him for such a short amount of time and you’ve helped give us a little bit more in closure.” Full body coat preservation and skeletal cleaning for Chainsaw. His people wanted to capture the structure of his powerful paws and his expressive face, so these portions are mounted with interior custom forms while the remainder of the body was left unmounted; it’s the perfect hybrid of soft mount and fur stole, granting flexibility for reverence, display, and handling 🐾 Thank you to Chainsaw’s loving family for their trust and for letting us share his memorial with you. As always, only kindness will be tolerated in the comments 🐾 #preciouscreature #petpreservation #petmemorial #petaftercare #osteology #taxidermy #pettaxidermy #softmount #naturalhistory #rainbowbridge

I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me over this year and in the last couple of days to offer their kindness and support in the wake of Laika’s death. I always knew that I would have to be the one to take care of her in the afterlife, and it’s never felt like an obligation, but the greatest gift and privilege. Many folks were concerned that I was struggling in the throes of complete devastation, but I wasn’t. Working with her brought me so much comfort and even, joy. I finally got to learn why her nose was bent and laughed with tears in my eyes to recognize the familiar crooked snout, sans fur and skin, revealing an angled irregularity in the nasal bone itself! More so, now that her preservation is in progress, she is one step closer to coming home with me. I am still wavering in the exacts, but for now, I am preserving her complete coat and cleaning all of her bones after taking a few more molds and measurements. Thank you again for your care and love, and for 72 downloads of Laika’s Spotify playlist 🐾 Her facial cast is still in progress. This is draft no.1 and I will be making a smoother more perfected version from the first resin cast 🐾

failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged missing me one place search another I stop somewhere waiting for you ~ from “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman “Sammie was the most cat-like dog that existed. She was opinionated and strong-willed with frequently inconvenient preferences. Her most common nickname was “Nasty.” Her favorite things to do were pin people to the sofa, eat (and vomit) carrots on the carpet, and generate excess body heat. She hated nail trims, cold surfaces, and most human beings that didn’t live in her house. Even in her final days, she remained bright and shrewd, enjoying the full and leisurely life she had known for 15 years. She was incredibly devoted and sweet to her humans, never missing an opportunity to cuddle or receive scratches. We will never be able to find another dog just like her. She was singularly unique and irreplaceable, and also the tallest chihuahua I’ve ever seen. So we knew we had to find a way to preserve her perfect little body, which housed such an unforgettable soul. We are so grateful to the Precious Creature’s team for the beautiful work they did to capture Sammie’s essence.” Skeletal articulation by our very own Triss Krohne, and heart shaped coat preservation. Thank you to Sammie’s family for letting us share her with you. As always, only kindness will be tolerated in the comments 🖤 #preciouscreature #petpreservation #petmemorial #memorialtaxidermy #skeletalarticulation #afterlife #naturalhistory #griefjourney #griefandhealing #osteology #rainbowbridge

“Mico saved my life, so many times. Both just by being an emotional presence, and also by her virtue of being a task trained service dog, but also, there were so many times where she seemed to know exactly what to do without it being a task we specifically trained for. She just inherently knew. She was self-sacrificing in a way I have never seen nor expected from any animal, not even a service animal. She would put herself in harms way for me, without me asking or wanting that, and it was beautiful and devastating, and I would do the same for her without hesitation. Our connection was and continues to be incredibly deep. She is my soul dog forever. The grief I have for her is almost violent, but it’s because I love her so hard. I frequently comfort myself with the thought that it hurts so bad to lose because we had something so great. I still write letters to her, and plan on working on our scrap book while recovering from surgery. Losing her is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I know she wanted me to live so badly, so now I will.” Traditional taxidermy preservation of Mico for Dani. Two star crossed souls still writing their story together. Thank you for your trust 🤍 As always, only kindness will be tolerated in the comments. Thank you for your kindness 🤍 #preciouscreature #petpreservation #memorialtaxidermy #naturalhistory #taxidermy #japanesespitz #griefjourney #petmemorial #remembrance #afterlife #rainbowbridge

Cirrus cloud cat, Kilo, returned to his family but forever home in the heavens 🪽 “He was adored by everyone who met him. A regal boy with very little thoughts but an incredible kitty heart and a moter that wouldn’t stop. Holding him was like holding a cloud, he felt like home. I had never met an angel child like him before, he was the biggest lover in the home. His time on earth was cut short but I know I’ll find him some day on the the other side. He will be dearly missed.” Posable taxidermy tail preservation and skull cleaning for beloved Kilo. Thank you to Kilo’s family for allowing me to share him with you. As always, only kindness will be tolerated in the comments 🪽 #preciouscreature #petpreservation #petaftercare #memorialtaxidermy #taxidermy #cloudcat #petmemorial #griefjourney #naturalhistory #rainbowbridge

“The feistiest, smartest escape artists there ever were. They brought joy to all who met them in so many wonderful ways. Thank you, my dearest angels, for the love you brought each and every day, and thank you for bringing me together with the loves of my life. We will treasure and love you forever and always.” Taxidermy preservation for two sister dwarf hamsters, Potato and Daisy. They rest on a French braided cloud of sheep’s wool, protected by a glass cloche to last until the end of time 🪽 Thank you, as always, to their loving guardian for allowing us to share them with you. Please note, that only kindness will be tolerated in the comments. #preciouscreature #petpreservation #memorialtaxidermy #taxidermy #naturalhistory #griefandloss #petmemorial #dwarfhamster #petaftercare #afterlife #rainbowbridge

I recently had the honor of caring for Sweetums, the housemate of a dog I taxidermied many years ago named Hades. Instead of full body taxidermy this time, Sweetums’ guardians opted for skull cleaning and full body soft coat preservation. I really love this style of memorial because it so gracefully preserves every tangible part of your loved one as it was in life. The nails and paw pads are left intact and even the ears lay soft and flexible to touch and remember fondly. Thank you to Sweetums’ guardians for allowing me to share her with you. As always, only kindness will be tolerated in the comments 🌷 #preciouscreature #petpreservation #petaftercare #petmemorial #memorialtaxidermy #coatpreservation #mementomori #naturalhistory #rainbowbridge

“So constant and faithful and true in heart - must in eternity have some part. And I sometimes think, when I’ve crossed life’s sea - I’ll find her waiting to welcome me.” ~ from Nettie E. Nicol’s poem, “Only a Dog,” late 19th century. Traditional taxidermy preservation of Yorkie, Stormi; the smallest dog we have yet to mount if you don’t count puppies. She was her family’s world despite being just shy of 2 pounds, and such a joy to us to share in her earthly presence. Much gratitude to Stormi’s family for allowing me to share her with you. As always, only kindness will be tolerated in the comments. #preciouscreature #petmemorial #petpreservation #petaftercare #traditionaltaxidermy #pettaxidermy #griefjourney #griefandloss #naturalhistory #toyyorkie #rainbowbridge

“G-Dog, otherwise known as fluffy butt, dumdum, and G embodied everything an early 20s girl wanted in a man. Sweet, handsome, and a little dumb. Though we only were able to spend his final 4 years together, I am grateful to have been able to give him the life he deserved. After being found chained up in a backyard in Philadelphia, he ended up at a rescue center and then into our lives. The 3 hour stinky car ride was just the beginning. He was my partner in crime as health diagnosis’ took us through the toughest times. His fluffiness and signature tramp stamp brought so much joy and cuddles. He would dance and show off his tail in excitement for walks with the family. He was a gentle, smiley soul and spoiled with many stuffed animals. As his decline started, I couldn’t imagine my life without him. I’m grateful to still have him in my life with a few less farts.” Coat preservation pillow (finished with gold metal zipper, so that the feather down insert inside can be replaced every few years or so), skull, and wearable tail preservation necklace in honor of a very good boy. Thank you to G-Dog’s lovely family for allowing me to share a little bit of his life story and memorial with you, and wishing everyone a bright new year ahead. Please remember, this is something a dear friend and client reminded me of; just because we are heading into a new calendar year, does not mean that you are leaving your loved one behind in time. They come foreword, along with us on our journeys. #preciouscreature #petpreservation #petaftercare #coatpreservation #petmemorial #memorialtaxidermy #osteology #skullcleaning #mementomori #mementovivere #naturalhistory #trampstamp #rainbowbridge