An unusual request

[blaspheme8.livejournal.com]

Hi ladies (and gents),
I stumbled across a perfectly intact dog skeleton this morning and thought the ribs would look wicked in a necklace.

One side is completely bleached white from the sun, but the other, I'm sorry to say, is still stained and encrusted in dirt. Also, the tips of some of the bones have been charred (my guess is that the animal died in a controlled burning of the nearby forests).

I was hoping someone might have experience with bone preservation/cleaning/etc. I'd hate to have this go to waste and be brittle in a matter of days. Thanks in advance!