Jill Medinger[portfolio_slideshow id=7300]
Lifelike replicas of beloved pets help support animal-related causes
One day, when Jennifer Williams was cuddling her beloved great Dane, Rufus, she thought to herself, “It would be great to have a stuffed animal of him. Not just a generic stuffed animal, but a real replica, custom-made to look just like him.” When Rufus passed away a few years later, the idea returned, and she decided she would pursue the idea in his memory.
Since that day in 2009, Jennifer has worked hard to build a company called Cuddle Clones that creates super realistic stuffed versions of her customers’ beloved pets. Not only did she want to have Cuddle Clones become a business to capture the emotional connection between animals and people, but she wanted to give back to the pet community through charities and animal-related causes.
To get a stuffed clone of your pet, all you need to do is submit at least one photo and choose some customized options, such as eye color and ear position. While many customers buy the stuffed version of their animal to memorialize a pet after it’s gone, others buy a Cuddle Clone for their kids to snuggle to sleep or even take to college.
In addition to traditional stuffed animals, the company also offers a fun range of products that feature an ultra-realistic replica of your pet, such as slippers and golf-club head covers. Non-stuffed replicas are also available in the form of figurines, ornaments, charms, and earrings. Cuddle Clones can even take a drawing straight from you or your child’s imagination and turn it into a stuffed animal.
While most of the company’s stuffed animals are based on dogs, there are plenty of other species they have helped to commemorate, including cats, horses, ferrets, and cows. A portion of every purchase goes to support a charity, from local shelters and specific-dog rescues to wolf sanctuaries and other animal-related causes.