Pet owners who cannot bear to let go of their furry companions when they die are being offered an alternative: have them stuffed.
A growing number of bereaved owners are opting to pay up to HK$20,000 to have their animals preserved rather than cremated or buried, a pet funeral service says.
But microbiologists warn that people who take this path should make sure the pets are healthy and not infected with diseases they could pass on even when dead.
Lawmakers are also calling on the government to regulate the taxidermy service before it becomes too popular and health hazards emerge.
Pet funeral parlour Goodbye Dear, which says it is the first and so far only company offering such a service in Hong Kong, has preserved four dogs and about 10 tortoises since it began in 2008.
'We just want to give customers another option besides cremating their pets,' staff member Daisy Ng said. 'When we return them the specimen, they are very pleased to see their pet again.'