Influencer Chloe Chung is speaking out after she received criticism for deciding to freeze-dry her late dog.
“I really struggled with the thought that I would never see her beautiful face again after she passed,” Chung told People in an interview published on Tuesday, February 3, adding that it was a “stressful decision” to freeze-dry her black supermutt MisTricks in 2024 when she died after her lymphoma diagnosis.
Chung, who had typically cremated her pets, was waiting at a crematorium when she changed her mind and met with a pet preservationist. She noted that her decision to preserve MisTricks has been a comfort as she navigates her grief.
“Grief and sadness are always present since MisTricks passed away and especially when I think about how short my journey with MisTricks was cut,” she said. “But in the moment of being reunited with her physical body, I primarily felt comfort that she will be safe at home with me from now on.”
While Chung received backlash from fans over her decision, she noted that she’s “never been impressed by any troll in any comment section,” so she’s not choosing to “live [her] life based on what they may or may not say.”
“Ultimately, the comments are not saying anything truthful, so they do not bother me,” she said. “The hate is only causing the video to reach further audiences, and the more people that see the video, the more messages and comments I receive thanking me for sharing this option.”
Chung shared that she has received messages from other pet owners who weren’t aware of the freeze-drying process or “were afraid to look into” the option for their own animals.
“The information about the end-of-life choices for pets is not always accessible. It’s not spoken about and it can be difficult to research,” she said. “I’m thankful MisTricks can continue to inspire and help others.”
Chung, who has more than 140,000 followers on Instagram at the time of publication, shared in January that she decided to freeze-dry her pup. At the time, Chung posted an Instagram video of her reaching to grab the dog, who was placed inside a glass box in her home.
“The long awaited answer to the question that’s always in my DMs ✨🙃,” she captioned the post, with text over the video reading, “‘What did you do with your dog after she passed away?’ Brought her home … duh.”
Days later, Chung acknowledged that she “had a feeling MisTricks’ reveal might ruffle some feathers.”
“But haters gonna hate, potatoes gonna potato ✌️🤷🏻♀️,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “Life is too short to live for the approval of sheep 💃🏻 I’ve felt so much comfort having my girl home with me and think she looks amazing, and really that’s all that matters 🤍 I’ve received thousands of messages from people who feel the same way about pet preservation but have been scared of being shamed by the internet trolls 😒 I’ll always be here to normalize the pet grief process in all of its stages and forms 🖤 Cause remember — normal is boring ✨.”
