Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/stuffed-animals-for-grieving-pet-owners/

When you have a pet in your life, they are more than just a household guest; they are a member of the family. We treat them as such, and we continue to draw closer to them as the days go by.

Unfortunately, animals don’t have a lifespan like humans, so we may lose them far too early. When an animal is lost, we can go through a grieving process, and it is very difficult to manage.

Trying to remember and honor our friends is something that many pet owners do. Some of them may have the pet cremated and keep the ashes, while others may pay for a burial.

Of course, every pet owner grieves in their own way. Some are happy having a picture of the pet on a shelf, but others use taxidermy to create a replica of their pet.

There is also a new option offered by a man in the Philippines. When you lose a pet, he can create a realistic replica and send it to you.

David Tan, the owner of Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, knows how difficult it can be to lose a pet. According to Inside Edition, he lost a golden retriever in 2019, and that is when the idea for this option was conceived.

Tan was already making stuffed toys, so he decided to make a replica of his dog using the same materials used for those toys. He felt a sense of comfort after doing so.

Ever since making one for himself, he and his 20 employees have been focused on making realistic stuffed animals for dogs and cats that have passed away.

Pictures are sent to him so he knows the look of the animal. He makes sure that they have the proper silhouetted markings, and he designs a customized plushie in that image.

It isn’t only dogs and cats that have been memorialized in this way. They have even made rabbits and hamsters for those who are experiencing loss.

In an interview with Inside Edition, Tan said that the animals look realistic, but they are only toys. He said they don’t do taxidermy, so it “removes that ick factor.”

It takes about two days to finish one of these plushies for a cost of about $65. As you can imagine, that is a small price to pay for the comfort it can give.

Check out the video below:

[embedded content]
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog