INSIDE EDITION talks to some pet owners who are freeze-drying their departed pets for eternity.
Steve Frick was devastated when his best friend Maggie passed away, saying, "For the last ten years or more she's been my constant companion."
He ordered a headstone, chiseled with her full name, Margaret Ann Frick, and organized a funeral, complete with bagpipes.
"It is always hard to say goodbye to a friend who gave us so much," said the pastor at the funeral.
But the amazing thing is, Maggie was not Steve's wife, she was a 10-year-old border collie.
Steve is one of a growing number of pet owners who are going to extravagant lengths to honor their dearly departed pets.
'You were there for me Maggie and I'll miss you until we meet again," said Frick at the funeral.
Maggie's funeral took place at the Oak Rest pet cemetery in Bethlehem, Georgia, where hundreds of dogs and cats, even horses are buried.
But if you think pet funerals are extreme, get a load of this. Some animals are literally being frozen in time. They're being freeze-dried.
Anthony Eddy says freeze drying essentially extracts all the moisture from the animal's skin and any animal can be freeze dried. The owners decide the position their pet is frozen in. One cat was curled up snoozing and a terrier looked like he was ready to play fetch.
Anthony Eddy said, "The process takes from 3 to 9 months depending on the size of the animal."
A dalmation named Princess Lashay had just gone through the freeze drying process and was being carefully packed up to be shipped back to her owners.
INSIDE EDITION was there as, when, after months of anxious anticipation, Princess Lashay's owners, Michael and Angelikka Raymond of San Jose, California, welcome home their beloved dog.
As the opened the packaging, Angelikka said, "Ohhhhh....Princess Lashay!"
Michael Raymond said, "It was never really a question. We just knew we wanted to keep her around."
The Raymonds say having Princess Lashay around eases the pain of thier loss. Meanwhile, back at the freeze drying plant, other animals await their return home. Frozen in time, forever.
