Still Life Pets

Anthony Eddy’s Wildlife Studio

by Ms. Jade, TheDogPress Legislative Reporter
 

Freeze-drying is not just for coffee at AEWS (Anthony Eddy’s Wildlife Studio). Located in Slater, Missouri they are one of only a very few taxidermy studios in the US that offer this modern, high tech alternative to burial, cremation or donating your deceased pet to the local veterinary school. AEWS has been a leader in this field since 1986 and is the largest facility of its kind in North America, with ten large (36’ x 66’) North Star freeze-dryers and a compassionate staff. They also traditional taxidermy services for dogs, cats, birds, lizards, you name it, and a “field trip” to their facility rivals a natural history museum. The first (and somewhat obvious) question is why??
 

OK, aside from the obvious answer of “why not?” I can only honestly say this is a story I never, ever imagined myself writing. When it’s my turn to “cross over” I just want the county to dispose of my temporary shell however they see fit. No funeral, no memorial, no muss, no fuss and no expense. Someday when I am finally reunited with the beautiful American Pit Bull Terriers that have graced my life, the continued existence of this amazing breed is the legacy I hope to leave behind. It has become my life’s work. Whatever happens after I’m gone is out of my control. Even if my beloved breed is changed dramatically in the years that follow (and dog breeds often are), I feel compelled to document the history and ever changing legacy of these dogs for future generations.
 

A wise person once said something to the effect that the only bad thing about dogs is that their lives are too short. However, to the serious breeder, dogs live on through their offspring. Maybe it’s why we persevere through all the heartache, media vilification and financial hardship. In a way, we are chasing immortality. As humans, we can rationalize this eventuality and find a way to make our peace with the circle of life, whatever our religious or philosophical beliefs. Unlike our dogs who, perhaps fortunately, live more in the moment. From the day we accept a dog into our life, despite denial, we try and prepare for the day that they will leave it.

Most of us will be lucky enough to own one dog in our life that was extra, extra special. If we are truly blessed, there will be more than one. The dog which sets the standard for all the others that might follow in their paw prints. ADBA and AADR Champion, Jade’s Dynasty’s “Dana” was for me, one of those dogs (not pictured).
 

Dana was the first champion I ever bred (daughter of the first champion I ever exhibited, “Jade’s Chocolate Demon” and Fenton’s “Catfish”), my first dual registry titled dog, the foundation of my breeding program and the center of my universe. I had given no small consideration as to how I would someday pay homage to her contribution to my life when she was gone As an artist with a respectable amount of talent it was only natural for me to want to sculpt her likeness, with the knowledge that bronze can exist perpetually. When awarded the first Eugenia Everett scholarship to study sculpture for a semester at the Sedona Art Center in AZ I chose Dana as my subject. The school (a blessed sanctuary of sanity in a town full of lunatics) graciously allowed my “pit bull” to patiently sit in the studio every day among the other sculptors while I worked. At the conclusion of the semester the sculpture was not ready to cast so I wrapped it up and carefully packed it away in my storage unit, confident that I would have plenty of time to finish.
 

Weeks and then months rolled by and I started to feel anxious about Dana’s advancing age and the unfinished sculpture waiting for me in another state while we followed the dog show circuit around the country. Then the unthinkable occurred, and Dana chewed up a pair of sandals. She tried to throw them back up, only to choke on it. Despite heroic efforts to revive her, she died in my arms. I was over two thousand miles away from the pet cemetery where her mother was buried (along with “Warlock”, my first APBT) and at a complete loss about what do with her (and without her). I’ll spare you a graphic description of my personal meltdown but when coherent thoughts finally began to bubble up to the surface of my consciousness, I suddenly remembered that “Sgt. Stubby” the famous “pit bull” war hero and original “bulldog” of Yale University had been preserved and was in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum. I wondered what it would actually cost to do something like that so to satisfy my curiosity I called a local taxidermist and inquired. The nice man on the other end of the phone informed me that everyone was “taking their pets to that place in Missouri” to be freeze-dried.
 

I vaguely remember a television news story years ago about this seemingly bizarre service. At the time I thought, well, probably the same thing you’re thinking right about now. You’ve got to be kidding me! But it did seem to be the answer to my unfinished sculpture dilemma. So after an hour of internet searching (key word “pet preservation”), I finally found “that place in Missouri”, Anthony Eddy’s Wildlife Studio. After a lot more than an hour of soul searching, I decided to do it.
 

Why freeze-dry? Well as opposed to traditional taxidermy, it’s non-invasive and the dog (or cat) retains its natural underlying structure, physical characteristics and natural expression. The process takes several months and is not cheap. The size of the animal is a factor in determining price and the length of time it takes to complete the preservation. A “fluffy” pet is not as exacting to pose as an athletic American Pit Bull Terrier like Dana where every muscle is so obvious beneath a short, shiny coat. The staff at AEWS works from your photographs and personal input to make sure that the pet looks as authentic as possible. The website give testimony to the amazing results.
 

It’s hard to say how I’ll cope when confronted with the “finished product”. I plan to pick Dana up in person. There’s no answer yet for the other somewhat obvious question of what to do with her after that. I couldn’t just place her at the foot of my bed or in the passenger seat of my motor home as if it never happened (even though some people might find comfort in that). And how will her “children” react? This whole experience has really driven home the point that some things in life are just plain unimaginable until you get there.
 

One thing is for certain, the sculpture will be finished and I might even pose her for a painting. Somehow, the legacy of Dana will remain long after she and I are reunited. Who knows, maybe someday she will join Sgt. Stubby in the Smithsonian or have a place at the Museum of the dog in Chicago, IL. I hope that there would even be a museum dedicated to the history and legacy of the American Pit Bull Terrier where she might find her final resting place and preserve for generations the many positive qualities that these dogs exhibit today. I pray that her legacy will live on in her children and her children’s children so that in the future, people won’t have to go to a museum just to see what an American Pit Bull Terrier was all about.
 

Anthony Eddy’s Wildlife Studio is located at 315 North Main St., Slater, Missouri 65349

For more information, they can be reached at (660) 529-3470 or aewsfrzdry@yahoo.com  For their website, www.pet-animalpreservation.com

Ms. Jade

Handy links: __________________________________

Backyard Breeder 5/2006

I Vote on Behalf of My Dog 6/2006
Media Bias - Pit Bull Sensationalism 7/2006

"Chicken Soup" - Leaves a bad taste 8/2006

Best Friends History Exposed!- Part One 10/2006

Best Friends Part Two... 11/2006

T'was the Night Before X-mas 12/2006

Still Life Pets 5/2007

Pass The Ammunition 7/2007

Dog Bite Stats 9/2007