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Internet disgusted with family that turned their golden retriever into a rug for 'posterity' after it died

'Pets are not meant to become carpets or rugs. I think it's not love but savage,' a person tweeted in response

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: From keeping their beloved pets’ photos in their purses to getting a tattoo with their companions’ ashes, many pet owners find different heart-warming ways to honor their pets’ memory after they die. However, an Australian family may have gone too far in their pursuit of keeping the memory of their pet alive, according to NY Post.

Making an unusual choice, an Australian family chose to transform their beloved golden retriever into a rug after it died. The family hired a Melbourne-based company named Chimera Taxidermy to create the memorial keepsake. Maddy, the 29-year-old owner of the company, said the method was “definitely not for everyone,” and she respected that. Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal, often by stuffing or mounting them.

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In an Instagram post on October 25, Maddy talked about how she transformed the skin and fur of the golden retriever into a rug. "Beautiful old golden retriever preserved as a pelt for his family," Maddy captioned the video. She explained in the video, "The pelt has been tanned and turned to leather so the fur won't fall out, meaning it'll remain in good condition for years to come.” The post has been going viral and has already garnered more than 6,000 views and has been shared 106 times as of Monday, November 6.

However, the post sparked a heated debate on social media. While many users slammed the company for the service, some users supported it and said it was helping people cope with the grief of losing their beloved pets. “For me, this is so inappropriate, selfish & sickening. Pets are not meant to become carpets or rugs. I think it's not love but savage. If only dogs can talk, once they see what they have done, no dogs would enter their house forever - 'we ain't Frankenstein dogs,'" a user said, slamming the company.

Another user said “This...is so not a show nor form of love for one's pets. Someone should have intervened and said how bad an idea (and how distasteful) it is... Yikes.”

“Nah! Just have some stuff toy customized in your pet's likeness. Or if pet cremation possible then turn the ashes into an art piece ie dog sculpture,” a third said while a fourth user added, “There is nothing wrong with this. I personally use every bit of my beloved pets. I grill the meat, I use the organs as fertilizer for my tomatoes, and I turn their rawhide into beautiful tanned leather for gloves, shoes or sometimes their furs into hats.”

Addressing the reactions, Maddy, who has been running the business since she was 18, shared a follow-up post on Friday, November 4, explaining that the pelts were stored away or were put on display but were definitely not used as rugs to walk on, as some people had assumed. She reportedly said, "I didn't make a living room rug out of this golden retriever. I create alternative pet memorials for those that want to keep a physical reminder of their pet. Some people choose only part of the pelt, some people choose the entire pelt. The pets I preserve are not floor rugs. They are stored alongside ashes, photos, artwork, collars and whatever other mementos the owner has kept. It's the same concept as storing an urn on the shelf."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.