Toy maker creates pet plushies for grieving owners

Gone but not forgotten: A worker trimming the fur of a realistic pet plushie at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory in Angeles City, Pampanga province. — Reuters

Toy maker David Tan is flooded with orders from grieving pet owners who want to memorialise their dogs, cats, hamsters and rabbits with stuffed toys or “plushies”.

Tan and a team of 20 employees use photos sent by customers to create life-like replicas of their deceased pets using synthetic fur that is airbrushed to recreate colours and markings of the animals.