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But twenty-nine-year-old Madeleine of Chimera Taxidermy in Australia does not mind assisting grieving families in preserving their furriest loved one's memories in ways that make the most sense for their family.
And for one family, what made the most sense was to preserve the pelt of their late Golden Retriever.
On a recent Instagram video, Madeleine captioned it:
"Beautiful old golden retriever preserved as a pelt for his family. Finally ready to head home."
Chimera Taxidermy offers services in but not limited to pet taxidermy, soft mount taxidermy, and animal pelts.
While her work on Instagram in pet taxidermy and skull artistry typically garners positive attention from pet and art enthusiasts alike, the audience wasn't quite as ready to accept this project.
Some Instagrammers found the pelt to be a beautiful gesture.
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
Others agreed it was beautiful but not something they were comfortable pursuing themselves.
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
Some were blatantly angry that someone would turn their pet into a pelt.
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
@chimerataxidermy/Instagram
Twitter was equally appalled and angry at the news.
Madeleine found in general that there was quite a bit of misunderstanding surrounding the pet pelts, especially where they are positioned in the home. While they could be positioned on the floor, as a bearskin rug might be, that was not the intention of Madeleine's project. Rather, she sees the pelts as an additional heirloom to be kept on a shelf to be viewed and touched.
When asked how to clean "the rugs," Madeline replied:
"The pelts I preserve aren't actually rugs. They don't get stepped on at all and they don't go on the floor. They're mostly stored on a shelf along with the pet's ashes, collar, photos, etc., so they don't require cleaning."
In another video, originally posted on TikTok, Madeline shows a black fur pelt that has been neatly folded, with the paws, tail, and facial features carefully tucked inside, and tied with a shiny bow before being placed on a memorial shelf with other pets, including a memorial painting and an urn, among other items.