A Family Turned Their Dead Dog Into A Golden Retriever Rug & The Internet Debate Is Fierce

Losing a pet is never easy and coping with grief can take many forms, especially when you're saying goodbye to the loyal family dog.

One Australian family didn't want to bury their beloved golden retriever and instead wanted to find a way to preserve the dog. That's when they turned to taxidermy to get the job done.

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Chimera Taxidermy, a Melbourne-based company, took on the job and shared the final results across their social media accounts recently, and the post has triggered some intense feelings ranging from love to hate.

"Beautiful old golden retriever preserved as a pelt for his family. Finally ready to head home," says the caption on the video. The video itself, which has been viewed 1.8 million times, shows what once was a dog now turned into a rug.

Based on the comments people seem to be divided on whether turning the pet into a pelt is horrifying or a sweet way to remember the animal.

Many people are commenting on the TikTok post saying they could never go through with it.

One user commented, "my memories give me peace; I couldn't do this; it would make it harder for me. To each their own."

Another wrote, "props to you... I couldn't do it."

"This is interesting but certainly isn't for everyone," commented another.

Another user shared how they "could not do that. It would be too hard. No barking, no following around, no kisses!"

Meanwhile, many other people are sharing very different opinions on the company's Instagram post, where some are taking inspiration from the idea.

One user wrote, "beautiful work as always!"

"Super cute, never seen pets preserved as pelts before," wrote another, to which the owner responded, "it's definitely not as common as people wanting full taxidermy mounts, but I still get the occasional request."

Others were curious about the rates the company charges for the work and inquired about possibly getting the same process done for their pets.

"This is Amazing... thinking about this and planning ahead for the worst," wrote one user. "My girl is very much known for her soft fur. Any chance you could message me pricing? She's a 31kg blonde lab. Thank you."

"Never thought of this... might not be for everyone, but it's an interesting way to keep that sensory connection alive far after the beloved pet is gone. Well done," wrote another user, who then followed up by asking, "I know size sometimes matters with taxidermy. Could you have done, say, a 20-pound dog? Cheers."

The owner responded to the comment by saying that doing bigger dogs is "not a problem at all!"

"I've done a few dogs that size, lots of smaller cats and also a few pet rats," they added.

Would you ever get your pet turned into a pelt after they die?

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.