Toymaker makes stuffed replicas of dead pets for grieving owners in the Philippines
Anyone who has seen one of their beloved pets pass away knows the empty space that it leaves behind and the feeling of wanting them once more by your side.
A toymaker in the Philippines has come up with the perfect solution that sees pet owners reunited with life-like replicas of their treasured animals.
David Tan and his team of 20 employees create ‘stuffed animal clones’ using wire, stuffing and artificial fur at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory in Angeles City, 85km from the capital, Manila.
The fur is airbrushed to recreate the colours and markings of the animals.
Tan is inundated with orders from grieving pet owners who want to memorialise their dogs, cats, hamsters and rabbits with stuffed toys or ‘plushies’.
A realistic pet plushie of departed dog Kenken is displayed beside its photo and a box containing its ashes, at the home of pet owner Jaja Lazarte, in Caloocan City, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 23, 2023
Realistic pet plushies are displayed at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
The founder and factory owner says the process is different from taxidermy, which preserves the body of the animal.
‘It removes that “ick” factor. This is actually one hundred percent, genuinely a stuffed toy,’ he said.
Each plushie costs about 3,500 pesos (£155).
Dog lover Jaja Lazarte, 38, it is a price worth paying for the memory of her Shih Tzu.
‘Although his ashes are here, and his memories are here, it’s so much better to see something that really resembles him,’ Lazarte said.
The company’s website says that they will ‘try making the stuffed animal resemble your pet as closely as possible, though the actual output is based on many factors’.
It notes that these include ‘the type of pet and artistic interpretation’.
A worker paints the fur of a realistic pet plushie, at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
Herminhilda del Rosario poses for a picture with a realistic pet plushie of her departed dog Luna, at her home in Hagonoy town, Bulacan province, Philippines, March 16, 2023.
A worker paints the mouth of a realistic pet plushie, at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
A worker paints the face of a realistic pet plushie, at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
Realistic pet plushies are displayed at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
Realistic pet plushies are displayed at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
A realistic pet plushie of departed dog Luna is displayed beside its portrait, at the home of pet owner Herminhilda del Rosario, in Hagonoy town, Bulacan province, Philippines, March 16, 2023
A worker fills a customized pet plushie, at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
Initially, the factory only produced garments and apparel.
However, six months into the business, Tan discovered one of their pattern makers had some knowledge about making stuffed toys.
Tan started to give his employee projects, which eventually pushed the brand to make the plush animal clones.
Tan told ANCX, a publication based in the Philippines, that their products did not look as realistic at the start, but perseverance led to the quality improving over the years.
Now Tan is confident the factory has perfected its technique for making the pet clones.
‘We’re lucky to have assembled the correct team with the correct skills,’ he told ANCX in July.
Producing one customised plush animal clone starts once a client sends the design information and requirements through the company’s website or Facebook page.
These include animal breed, photos, drawings, and measurements.
From there, Tan’s team create a sample item and quotation before the actual making of the customised stuffed toy.
The employees start making the pattern by hand, based on the photos provided by the customer. The pattern is used as guide for cutting the fabric.
Jaja Lazarte holds the realistic pet plushie of her departed dog Kenken as she poses for a photo, at her home in Caloocan City, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 23, 2023
Jaja Lazarte poses for a picture with the realistic pet plushie of her departed dog Kenken, at her home in Caloocan City, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 23, 2023
Jaja Lazarte poses for a picture with the realistic pet plushie of her departed dog Kenken and her two other dogs, at her home in Caloocan City, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 23, 2023
Jaja Lazarte looks at the realistic pet plushie of her departed dog Kenken during an interview with Reuters, at her home in Caloocan City, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 23, 202
Jaja Lazarte holds the realistic pet plushie of her departed dog Kenken as she poses for a photo with her two other dogs, at her home in Caloocan City, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 23, 2023
Workers make customized pet plushies and clothing, at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
A worker paints the fur of a realistic pet plushie, at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
Herminhilda del Rosario shows a picture of her and her departed dog Luna, at her home in Hagonoy town, Bulacan province, Philippines, March 16, 2023
A worker trims the fur of a realistic pet plushie, at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
A worker sews the eye of a customized pet plushie, at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
Workers paint the fur of realistic pet plushies, at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines, March 10, 2023
Herminhilda del Rosario poses for a picture with a realistic pet plushie of her departed dog Luna, at her home in Hagonoy town, Bulacan province, Philippines, March 16, 2023
The fabric pieces are sewn together before the framing and stuffing takes place.
Some airbrushing is then done to make the clone more realistic.
Final touches include making folds on the skin of the animal clone.
One clone takes one to two days to complete.
Tan said in July that the factory produces more than 100 clones a month, so it takes around three to four weeks after placing an order before a customer receives the finished item.
The company also ships internationally.
The average length of a clone is 24 inches.
There is an additional charge if a customer requests something larger.
The company is willing to lend its services to almost any kind of animal, depending on the customer’s request.
Tan said it gives him a good feeling when he spots a new TikTok video or post on the company’s Facebook page from a satisfied client.
He said: ‘We get reminded about how special our services are, so that’s a really good motivating factor.’