One taxidermist admitted people call him crazy for freeze-drying family pets, but he has yet to have any dissatisfied customers.
Chuck Rupert ignored criticism for his odd jobs and began charging up to $4,000 for his highly sought-after services.
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In 2014, at the age of 50, Rupert was abruptly laid off from his job in the oil and gas industry and had to scramble to make money.
A friend of his at the time owned a taxidermy business in rural Pennsylvania and offered to show Rupert the ropes of the business.
After working with a friend for a while, Rupert bought a taxidermy business and started Second Life Freeze-Dry, where he still happily works.
For the past 10 years, Rupert has worked on a variety of animals, including wild animals such as otters, deer, snapping turtles, and squirrels.
The wildest project he worked on was freeze-drying women's feet because of their religious beliefs.
But the bulk of Rupert's business comes from rescuing small family pets such as cats and dogs.
In an exclusive conversation with the US Sun, Rupert said asking someone for a stuffed pet can be an emotional experience as the customer is still grieving the death. .
Additionally, potential customers will ask Rupert if it is strange for them to want to hire his services.
“My answer to them is, 'If you're crazy, what am I?'” he said.
“I don't think there's a black and white picture with this deal… Either people think this is the greatest thing that ever happened, or you're completely crazy.”
frozen fido
Rupert explained that preserving pets through freeze-drying is effective because the severe cold removes all moisture from their bodies without tearing them apart.
This means you can take your pet out of the machine, make some simple modifications, and send it back to its loving owner.
However, the freeze-drying process can also be incredibly time-consuming, as it takes several months for the body to heal.
As a result, Rupert has been forced to increase the cost of treating large pets, which take up valuable space in freeze-drying containers.
“Some people were paying upwards of $4,000 for a large dog,” he says.
“My average small dog or cat is 10 to 12 pounds and will be in the dryer for four to five months.
“But I had a large dog there, 60 or 70 pounds, for almost a year.”
Rupert said he typically focuses on small animals now because treating large pets takes time, which allows him to work with far more clients per year.
Taxidermists say dealing with grieving customers can be difficult, but that's what makes the job special.
“You have a different connection than me selling you horseshoes or something,” he said.
“That's kind of nice, but it's a double-edged sword.”
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