What better way to remember your pet than walking over them everyday...
A family have divided opinion after deciding to turn their beloved pet golden retriever into an ornamental rug for their living room.
After their pet passed away, the family in Australia decided to hire the services of a taxidermist to make the dog a permanent fixture of their home.
Australian company Chimera Taxidermy created the eccentric accessory for the mourning family so the canine could "head home".
Sharing the bizarre creation on Instagram, the taxidermist wrote: "Beautiful old golden retriever preserved as a pelt for his family. Finally ready to head home".
Owner Maddy, 29, explained they had preserved the family's pet as a pelt to create a memorial that will last a lifetime.
She said it had been "tanned and turned to leather so the fur won't fall out", allowing it to take pride of place in the customer's lounge.
The taxidermist compared the process to people keeping the ashes of a lost loved one, as the family "wanted to keep a part of him forever".
Safe to say, people have had mixed reactions since the video was posted, although several pet owners admitted that, while it wasn't for them, it was still 'beautiful'.
One person wrote: "It’s beautiful. But I couldn’t deal with the pain of the dog I lost not being with us anymore. I lost my dog earlier this year, and I couldn’t imagine seeing her every day like this."
While another said: "Idk if I would be able to handle seeing this after my goldi dies. Beautiful but not for everyone."
But someone else commented: "My memories give me peace, I couldn't do this, it would make it harder for me."
Another added: "This is interesting but certainly isn’t for everyone."
The rug includes claws and all (@chimerataxidermy/Instagram)
The business owner has defended her work, and understands that it is "definitely not for everyone."
She told
Yahoo News: "It's sometimes difficult working with pets compared to other animals ".
"But it's more rewarding to be able to help people with their grief and allow them to keep a part of their pet forever.
"Pet taxidermy has only really become more popular in the last five years or so, so it's a very new thing to see for most people.
"Some are more of a sentimental keepsake, others are on display resting in their beds or however their owners wanted them preserved".
Maddy said she has been asked to preserve "pretty much any pet you can think of" including cats, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and goats.
This article originally appeared on joe.co.uk
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