A vegetarian taxidermist branded a 'disgusting murderer' claims she's bringing new meaning to 'lifeless, forgotten' an...
A vegetarian taxidermist branded a 'disgusting murderer' claims she's bringing new meaning to 'lifeless, forgotten' animals by transforming their corpses into art.
Biology student Kady Rose, 25, from Southern California, has been slammed on social media for her hobby, which sees her stuff dead animals and turn them into pop culture characters.
She said: 'All of my animals are naturally sourced, and are not killed for my art. I don't support taking lives, and actually greatly oppose it. Unfortunately, animals die every day from causes beyond our control, and that is where I come in.
'Being able to see them go from a lifeless forgotten corpse, to a beautiful piece of art, each with their own personality. I can't help but look at them when I'm done and think they are happier.'
Vegetarian taxidermist Kady Rose, 25, from Southern California, has been branded a 'disgusting murderer' for her hobby
One of the biology student's finest pieces of work is this crystal fox, styled on Vulptex from Star Wars The Last Jedi, which took her a fortnight to complete
Every dog has his day: The animal rights activist styled this coyote on Anubis, the Egyptian god of embalming and the dead
Ms Rose gave this rabbit a mythical makeover (left) while the alligator is one of the more exotic animals she has stuffed
The animal lover first got into taxidermy when she started her degree at university and has given new life to around 100 animals including dogs, cats, coyotes, goats, llamas, raccoons - and even an alligator.
Ms Rose says she only works on animals that have died from old age or as roadkill, with an average piece taking up to two weeks to complete. Farms, petting zoos and vets have started donating animals for the student to work on.
The animal rights activist said: 'I have always loved animals, but it wasn't until pursuing my degree that I started seeing them in a new light. I found myself wanting to take care of these creatures even though they were no longer with us.'
'One day when getting one of my artistic itches, it hit me. I immediately set out doing research and gathering supplies. I was going to give these animals a new life.
Some of her finest work includes a coyote transformed into the Egyptian god of embalming and the dead, Anubis, and her crystal fox, styled on Vulptex from Star Wars the Last Jedi.
She said: 'Each animal is handled with the utmost care and respect from beginning to end. Since most of my animals are sent to me, they are first frozen for preservation. They are then skinned and the pelt is tanned (often by a close friend since I currently don't have the space to do it in-house).
Candid: This albino wallaby looks as if it's sitting upright while resting its arm on Ms Rose's computer chair
The controversial taxidermist gave this pine marten mechanical limbs and made it look as though it was scaling a wall
A pet cat was given an Egyptian-themed transformation (left), while Ms Rose poses with her finest creation, the crystal fox
'The bones are all donated to a fellow artist who does articulations. Once I receive the pelt, the mounting process begins. I work on the faces first, which requires carving a foam head form to mimic the skull and musculature, which I build upon with clay.
'I then make wire armatures for the legs, stuff the body with polyfil, and sew it all up. Once everything is fully dried, a little paint is added, and violà .
'My animals come from all over the US and cause of death ranges from old age to roadkill. I get pet donations from families, petting zoos, farms, and veterinarians as well.'
For Ms Rose, being a vegetarian doesn't conflict with her taxidermy work as this is her way of demonstrating respect for the animal after it has passed away.
However, she does admit that she sometimes finds it difficult to work on animals that resonate with her personal life.
Social media users called this photo of a stuffed opossum 'adorable' and 'cute' when Ms Rose posted it to her 2,000 followers
The heavily-tattooed Californian biology student poses with what appears to be a fox in one of her latest Instagram uploads
'I love all animals, whether they are dead or alive. Just because they are no longer breathing, doesn't mean they deserve any less love or respect,' she said.
'I have been a vegetarian for over a decade now, and even as a child rarely ate meat, it caused a lot of problems with my grandma. As far as animal issues go, I would say number one would just be spaying and neutering your pets.
'Millions of dogs and cats are killed each year, and those numbers could be drastically reduced if people just stopped adding fuel to the fire. Fix your animals and consider adopting from a local rescue or shelter instead of purchasing from a breeder.
This puppy was created especially for Halloween. In her post, Ms Rose said: 'Halloween is by far my favorite holiday of the year. I had fun getting creative and festive with this little pup'
The self-confessed animal lover holds up the puppy - which had died from natural causes and was donated to her by a vet
This stuffed fox looks as though it's staring right into the camera lens. Ms Rose said she's fine tuned her skill after working on around 100 animals
'There are tons of organisations that will fix your animal for free if money is the issue. There are too many fur babies that need homes already.
'By far the most difficult part for me is getting animals that hit really close to home. I recently received a Pitbull puppy, and as a mother of a Pitbull myself, it was really emotional. That being said, cases like that make me want to strive even harder to do them justice.'
The biology student receives tons of comments regarding her work every day and as well as praise, she has been called a 'disgusting murderer,' comments she brushes off.
The 25-year-old strokes the chin of a fox. Ms Rose said she blocks out negative comments on her social media page
'As one would expect I receive a ton of mixed responses, and I am so thankful that most are kind. I get a lot of people who are interested in pursuing taxidermy asking for advice on where to begin, people saying that I changed their mind on how they perceived taxidermy, and even saying that I am an inspiration, which brings tears to my eyes every time,' she said.
'Negative comments used to really get to me, but they don't anymore.. Anyone calling me a "disgusting murderer" for example, clearly hasn't taken the time to know anything about me or my practices.
'If they aren't willing to do any research before making accusations, they aren't worth my emotions.
'All life is sacred and beautiful, and that death doesn't have to be sad or mark the end, but instead is a new beginning.'
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