Paw and nose prints in Sao Paulo: a calm guide
Whether your pet is a healthy senior or has just died, there's usually still time for a print. Here's the calm, practical version for Sao Paulo: what to do first and what can wait.
- Prints of senior pets while they're well
- Local finishing or mail-order makers
- Honest costs from real price lists
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Who takes paw prints in Sao Paulo
Brazilians remember the dead on Finados, November 2, and some São Paulo pet owners quietly include their animals: a candle, flowers, a photo by the window. A memorial can also be something you do rather than something you buy, such as a donation to an animal shelter in your pet's name. Whatever you choose, there's no deadline; the ashes can wait until you're ready.
Many São Paulo families have roots in the interior or in other states, and a weekend house or a parent's home may feel like the right place for a pet's ashes. If you might scatter or bury some there and keep some here, ask whether the ashes can be divided. A tree or a small stone in a family garden can be visited on holidays, while a keepsake at home stays close every day.
Air-dry clay is fragile, and few people realize a pottery studio in a large city like Sao Paulo may fire a print for them. If you use a proper stoneware or earthenware clay instead of air-dry, a studio with a kiln can fire and glaze it into something as durable as a dinner plate. Call ahead, ask what clay they accept and let the print dry right through before you drop it off, because trapped moisture can crack a piece in the kiln.
About 12,330,000 people live in Sao Paulo.
9%[1]
Only about 8-9% of people who die in Brazil are cremated, according to Brazil's private cemetery and crematoria union (Sincep).
~$32[2]
Paw-print add-ons at US crematories have a median price of about $32, from $10 to $76.
3-5% of body weight[3]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
How Brazil thinks about cremation, and why prints matter
In Brazil, only about 9%[1] of people are cremated, and many families still prefer a grave. A paw print can become part of that grave: pressed into a concrete stepping stone, cast in resin and set into a headstone, or kept at home while your pet rests in the garden. Take the print before burial, while the paw is still easy to position.
Source for the Brazil number: Exame, citing Sincep (2024). Nobody publishes a pet cremation rate for Sao Paulo, so the human figure is the best local signal available.
Getting a clean print in Sao Paulo in any season
Whatever the weather outside, think about where the finished print will live. A sunny windowsill fades ink, a bathroom's steam softens clay, and an attic or garage swings between heat and cold. A bookshelf in a living room, away from direct light, is the safest home. If you'd like something outdoors in Sao Paulo, have a copy engraved in stone or metal and keep the original inside.
Paw print prices: kits, add-ons and finishing
If no local provider in Sao Paulo offers prints, you can still take one yourself with a home kit and have it finished abroad. Many makers work from a photo or scan: a US studio makes a sterling silver charm from your pet's actual print for about $143 before the chain[4]. Check shipping times and customs before you order.
The full price table by product is on our Brazil page, and the services page explains what each option includes.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
What the law in Brazil does and doesn't cover
Renters in Brazil often can't bury a pet in the yard without the landlord's agreement, and even where they can, the grave stays behind when the lease ends. That's one reason portable memorials such as prints are so popular. The notes below set out what Brazil allows for burial and scattering; whatever they say, a print moves with you to the next address.
How to make sure a print is taken in time
- Tell your child what's happening in plain words, then offer them a part in making the print if they want one. Our guide to print-making with children has age-by-age ideas for what they can do.
- Give them a real job: they can roll the clay, pick the card, or write the name.
- Let them press a hand or fingerprint next to the paw, if they'd like to.
- If the print is taken after death, leave the pressing to an adult or the vet, then let your child see the result.
- Make a copy for your child's room, so the original can stay somewhere safe.
- Come back to it later. Some children want the print framed straight away; others return to it months on.
Ways families in Sao Paulo keep a print close
Cremation of people is still uncommon in Brazil, around 9% of deaths, but in São Paulo keeping a pet's ashes has become familiar. Options range from a simple container kept at home to jewelry holding a little ash, memorial stones, paw print keepsakes and biodegradable urns. In a city apartment, the practical question is where the memorial will live, so think about size before you choose anything.
or compare your instinct with the poll results, read our guides and latest articles, Compare every option on our services page, try the free planning tools. the full list for Brazil and for Brazil is a click away.
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.
Whose print are you thinking about?
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.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Paw print keepsake chooser
Match a print method to your pet's size, fur and the keepsake you want to keep.
Jewelry ash capacity guide
How much ash fits in pendants, rings and glass, and how many pieces one pet can fill.
Questions people ask
How do Brazil attitudes to cremation compare?
Exame, citing Sincep (2024) puts the Brazil human cremation rate at about 9%[1]. We show it on the Sao Paulo page because pet aftercare choices tend to track it: where cremation is normal for people, communal and private pet cremation are both easy to find.
Is it possible to print a guinea pig's or hamster's feet?
Yes, but it takes patience and a light touch. Tiny feet leave only faint marks in ink, so very soft modeling clay or an inkless kit usually works better. Warm the clay well, cradle your pet in a towel on your lap and press the clay gently up to the foot rather than lowering the foot. For a hamster, one clear hind foot is plenty. If your pet is frightened, stop; letting your vet take it after death is gentler.
How long before the print and ashes come back in Sao Paulo?
By our estimate, most pet crematories return ashes within about 3 to 14 days[6], and a print taken at intake usually travels with them. A print taken by your vet may come back sooner, handed to you on the day or posted separately. Ask providers in Sao Paulo which applies, and request a snapshot of the print if you'll be waiting a week or more; it's reassuring to know it came out clear.
Should I use a local jeweler or an online maker for a paw print pendant?
Both work. A local jeweler or engraver in Sao Paulo lets you see samples and hand over the print in person. Online makers usually work from a photo or scan, so the original never has to leave your home. Ask either one for a proof before they start, and check how long it will take: a custom silver print charm takes about two weeks at one US maker[4].
Can I take a paw print or an ashes pendant through customs?
Paw prints in clay or on card are simply craft items and need no paperwork. Ashes are different: some countries and airlines ask for the cremation certificate and prefer ashes in hand luggage, in a container that can be screened. Carry the certificate from the crematorium, keep any jewelry holding ashes in your carry-on and check the airline's and the destination's rules before you travel from Sao Paulo.
Can I get my dog's nose print?
Yes. Dab a small amount of pet-safe ink onto the nose with a soft sponge, or use an inkless wipe, then press a folded card gently against the nose from the front. It usually takes a few tries. The ridges on a dog's nose make a striking engraving on a pendant or an urn, and many providers take a nose print alongside the paw.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] Only about 8-9% of people who die in Brazil are cremated, according to Brazil's private cemetery and crematoria union (Sincep). Exame, citing Sincep, 2024.
- [2] 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.
- [3] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [4] A custom sterling silver actual-paw-print charm costs $143 before the chain (about $59–$79 for silver) and takes about 2 weeks to make. String of Jewels – Actual paw print necklace, 2026.
- [5] Around 765,000 U.S. families a year are likely open to a personalized pet keepsake. Our estimate: 1.5M pet cremations x 51% interest in personalized memorials. How we calculate.
- [6] Published ashes-return times across the network's markets range from same-day (paid express) to about 4 weeks; a conservative typical window is 3-14 days. Our estimate: min/max across sources: Lambeth 3 days; US 5-10 days; RSPCA QLD within 14 days; AniCura Sweden 2-4 weeks. How we calculate.
Ask who takes paw prints in Sao Paulo
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.