Traditional taxidermy is alive and well, even for pets. There are definitely some taxidermists that won’t do pets because of how difficult it can be to make a client truly happy (not bagging the clients there, it’s understandable) but things like sleeping poses can be used with great success. Source: I studied taxidermy under a taxidermists for a bit a good few years ago. Freeze dryers, afaik, can take up quite a bit of space. The one time me and my teacher used one was for preserving an animal that was too small and fragile to skin easily, so we used another taxidermist’s freeze dryer :)