Skinning for Living: Student Makes Money by Selling Dead Animals Turned Into Pencil Cases, Bookmarks

A bizarre business has caught the attention of not just customers, but critics as well. Jack Devaney, a 22-year-old student at a British University, wanted to make extra cash, so he decided to turn dead rats into pencil cases.

According to United Press International, Devaney is currently studying 3D design, but that does not seem to have something to do with his self-proclaimed business. So how did he come up with the cringing idea?

It all started when he saw "funny" photos of some bad taxidermy online, so he thought he could do better. Devaney worked part-time in a butcher shop for almost 10 years. He used his slicing and cutting skills to teach himself taxidermy.

He started experimenting with frozen rats sold at pet stores; then with squirrels and even rabbits that he gets from pest control and estate managers. His so-called business became well-known after he posted a sample on Imgur. His post was quickly shared and it had gone viral only after a couple of hours.

Rt reported that he started selling the pencil cases at around £35, and that he is also vending bookends made out of rats for £20, and bookmarks made from a rabbit for £35. The weird items are selling quickly and orders are coming from Norway and even the U.S.

Meanwhile, not everyone is throwing thumbs up on Devaney's peculiar venture.

"There's been a varied response. The average posts range from "This guy is a nut job" to "Where can I get one", but I'm always polite when I'm responding," he told Plymouth Herald. He added that he was even blocked by other sites.

"They were selling boring stuff like fridges and no one was talking to each other. All I wanted to do was put a smile on their faces. I think some people choose to be offended. They could just ignore it," he said.