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Our story

Precious Creature is one woman, three pets, a lot of help, and all love.

Lauren in her workshop next to a skull and a taxidermied dog

Precious Creature is a full-time alternative pet aftercare business/passion located in two towns in Southern California: the sleepy city of Redlands and the sparse outpost of Twentynine Palms in the magical Mojave desert, just outside of Joshua Tree National Park. With a lifelong love of animals, art, and death care, owner and trained taxidermist Lauren Kane marries all three together to bring a renewed vision to pet aftercare.

We are mostly a one-woman operation, but we also receive assistance from our lovely apprentice Magnolia Mills, our webmaster Austin, and our partnered colleagues at Paws and Claws Aquamation and Memorials, Gateway Pet Cemetery, and Valley Fur Shed Tannery. Our work has been featured in media including the New York Times and books on death and taxidermy.

Lauren lives in a cozy neighborhood with her familiar Laika. She is inspired by Victorian and world mourning practices, natural history, pets here and here no longer, and star-crossed souls.