Pets can be perfused with cryoprotectant immediately after euthanasia by a qualified veterinarian at the Alcor facility, which assists in rapidly cooling the brain and tissue essentially from the inside-out, as opposed to a straight freeze, which cools from the outside, inward without the anti-freeze properties of perfusate.

Animals have a variety of different biological structures that vary between species. Thus, while perfusion of cryoprotectant (essentially medical-grade anti-freeze to limit damage from freezing) may provide better preservation of tissue during cryopreservation than a straight freeze, there are no guarantees or representations that the science will be advanced enough to provide any form of revival of a pet during an owner’s lifetime.

The cost difference for perfusion versus a ‘straight freeze’ is a result of the substantial added expense of the perfusate solution and the veterinarian’s time to perfuse the pet. Alcor is a non-profit and as such, does not make more of a ‘profit’ by conducting one procedure over another.

Perfusion preservation can only be done at the Alcor facility and scheduled ahead of time. Perfusion and cryopreservation of a pet include the cost of euthanasia at the Alcor facility and the euthanasia procedure and perfusion are done by a qualified veterinarian. Field procedures done outside of our facility are not currently available.

Straight freeze is the most common option for pets and Alcor does have a variety of types of pets (not just cats and dogs!) in cryopreservation. For straight freezes, upon arrival of the pet at the Alcor facility, your pet will undergo controlled cooling to liquid nitrogen temperature before being placed in long-term storage.

The price does not include transport to Alcor. Please do not ship a pet to Alcor without first contacting us for instructions and following all packing requirements.

There are no guarantees or representations that the science will be advanced enough to provide any form of revival of a pet during an owner’s lifetime.