Tell us about your pet, and we'll find who can take their print
A few details are enough. We'll reply by email with local options for a paw, nose or hoof print, and the questions worth asking before you book.
- Free, with no obligation
- Replies by email, never a sales call
- Your details used only to answer you
Before you send
What to include so we can help quickly
You don't need to know which method you want. Tell us what you do know, and a line or two about your pet, and we'll work from there. The details that help most are:
- Species and rough size. A Chihuahua, a Great Dane, a lop rabbit and a Welsh pony need very different approaches.
- Fur on the feet. Long, fluffy toes change which kits work.
- Where you are. A town, city or ZIP or postcode is plenty.
- Timing. Is your pet well, a senior, facing an appointment soon, or have they already died?
- What you'd like to keep. Clay, a flat print to frame, a nose print, a cast, jewelry or art, or "not sure yet".
If you'd like a head start on the method, the paw print kit chooser gives a suggestion in three clicks, and you can mention its answer in your message. If you'd like to see how things work where you live first, our local pages are organised by country, state and city.
If the goodbye is close
If the appointment is in the next day or two
Send your request, but don't wait for our reply to make the most important call. Phone your clinic or home-visit vet now and ask whether they can take a clay or ink print, and whether you can bring your own kit. Written information is scarce: one US review found only 20.6%[1] of vet practice websites mentioned after-death care at all.
If your pet has already died, tell the vet or crematory you want a print before anything else happens, and ask them to note it on the paperwork. Most owners want things to move quickly, too:
26.1% want <24h[2]
What happens next
What happens after you press send
We read every request ourselves. We look for vets, crematories and keepsake makers that serve your area and offer the kind of print you want, then reply by email with what we found and what to ask each one: how the print is labelled, when it's taken, whether it comes back with the ashes and what the written total will be.
Prices are rarely published. The UK competition regulator found only 2%[3] of vet practice websites that showed prices listed cremation prices, and print add-ons are listed even less often. That's why we suggest asking each provider for a written quote rather than quoting figures ourselves. The few posted prices we've seen give a rough sense of scale: by our estimate, the median paw-print add-on at US crematories is ~$32[4], though your local quote is the only figure to rely on.
Useful in the meantime
Three small things you can do while you wait
- Practise on paper, not clay. A sheet of printer paper and a damp paw on a dark floor tile shows you how your pet stands and which toes land first, without wasting a kit.
- Tidy the fur between the pads a day or two ahead with blunt-tipped scissors, so trimming isn't one more job on a hard day.
- Photograph the paws and nose now in soft daylight. Even if a print smudges, a clear photo gives an artist something to work from later.
Most worries about doing it yourself are practical ones, like a wriggly pet or a smudged print, and they're very fixable. Add yours below and see what's on other owners' minds. The poll results page shows every answer so far.
What worries you most about taking a print yourself?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Scope
What we can and can't help with
We can help you find someone to take a print, a nose print or a hoof print; someone to make a cast; or a maker who can turn an existing print into engraving, jewelry, glass or framed art. We can also point you to our paw print checklist so nothing is missed on the day.
We can't take prints ourselves, collect your pet, give veterinary or medical advice, or promise that a particular clinic will say yes. If you're struggling, you're not alone: 56.7%[5] of bereaved owners in the RSPCA's pet-loss survey couldn't find the support they needed. Free lines such as Tufts University's Pet Loss Support Helpline are there if you need someone to talk to. Please reach out to people around you, too.
Your details
How we look after what you tell us
We use your details only to answer your request. We don't sell them, we don't add you to a marketing list you didn't ask for, and we don't pass them to a provider unless you ask us to introduce you. You can ask us to delete your message at any time.
If you'd like to know more about who we are before writing, our about page explains how the service works and our research page lists every source we use. The services overview is a good read while you wait for our reply.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
What worries you most about taking a print yourself?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Who would you rather take the print?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Did you (or would you) compare more than one provider?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
How long will it take you to reply?
We reply by email as soon as we've looked into your area. If your pet's appointment is very soon, don't wait for us: call your clinic or crematory directly and ask them to take a print, then use our reply for anything that comes afterwards, like engraving or framing.
Do I have to book anything you suggest?
No. Our reply is information, not a booking. You can contact any provider we mention, someone else entirely, or nobody at all. There's nothing to cancel.
Can you help if my pet has already been cremated?
A new print isn't possible after cremation, but you may still have options. Check whether the vet or crematory took one without mentioning it, look through photos for a clear paw or nose shot an artist could work from, and ask about ash-fill jewelry. We can help you find makers for any of these.
Do you help with horses and other large animals?
Yes. Tell us it's a horse or pony and where you're based, and we'll look for equine vets, crematories and makers who can help with hoof prints, clay tray impressions or keepsakes like a braided lock of mane.
Will you share my email with providers?
Only if you ask us to introduce you. Otherwise we simply send you the options and you contact providers yourself. We don't sell or rent your details.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] Only 20.6% of reviewed US veterinary practice websites mentioned after-death body care (32% referenced euthanasia at all). Cooney, Kogan, Brooks, Ellis - Pet Owners' Expectations for Pet End-of-Life Support and After-Death Body Care, Topics in Companion Animal Medicine (2020), 2020.
- [2] The most common owner preference (26.1%) was for a deceased pet to stay at the vet hospital less than 24 hours before transport to the crematory or cemetery; a further 18.1% said no more than 1-2 days. Cooney, Kogan, Brooks, Ellis - Pet Owners' Expectations for Pet End-of-Life Support and After-Death Body Care, Topics in Companion Animal Medicine (2020), 2020.
- [3] In a CMA targeted review of UK vet practice websites showing prices, only 2% listed cremation prices. UK Competition and Markets Authority - Veterinary services for household pets, Provisional decision report Part A (Oct 2025), 2025.
- [4] Paw-print add-ons at US crematories have a median price of about $32, from $10 to $76. Our estimate: median of [$10 clay (AGP), $15 laser engraving (AGP), $49 ink (Final Gift), $76 clay (Final Gift)]. How we calculate.
- [5] 56.7% of bereaved pet owners in the RSPCA survey could not find the support they needed. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
Request paw print options near you
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.