Paw print keepsakes in Surrey
Many vets and pet crematories will take a paw print before cremation, but often only if someone asks. This guide to Surrey covers timing, home kits, costs and turning a print into jewelry or art.
- Take the print before cremation
- Clay, ink or cast, explained simply
- Published prices, no guesswork
Surrey, British Columbia
Getting a paw print in Surrey: the local picture
Surrey is home to one of the largest Punjabi Sikh communities outside India, as well as many Hindu, Christian, Muslim and Chinese families, and memorial customs vary widely. Some families scatter ashes in flowing water, a tradition in Sikh and Hindu culture; others keep an urn at home or wear a pendant with a little ash. Choose what fits your family's beliefs.
Gardens are more common in Surrey than in central Vancouver, so a memorial often moves outdoors: a tree urn under a Japanese maple, a planted rhododendron, a small engraved stone by the back fence. Choose materials that can take long, wet winters and moss. Inside, a compact urn on a mantel, a framed paw print or a pendant holding a trace of ash suits a townhouse or basement suite.
Large crematories serving Surrey may handle many animals in a day, so ask how they keep your pet's print matched to your pet. A good answer involves a name label or ID tag that stays with your pet from collection through to the return of the ashes, and the print packed with the urn. It's also fair to ask for a quick photo of the print before cremation, so you can check it's clear while there's still time to redo it.
Surrey's population is around 568,000, the 2nd-largest of the 6 British Columbia communities we cover.
Our pages for Vancouver (19 miles), North Vancouver (19 miles) and West Vancouver (24 miles) describe the same choices from those towns' point of view, and the providers overlap, so a quote from one often covers Surrey as well.
87%[1]
British Columbia's cremation rate is estimated at about 87%, the highest in Canada.
~$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.
Burial, cremation and paw prints in British Columbia
In British Columbia, about 87%[1] of people are cremated, one of the higher rates around. Where cremation is this familiar, pet crematories are well established and a paw print is often a standard line on the price list. The catch is that standard can mean automatic. Ask what kind of print they take, whether you can see it before cremation and whether you can have a second copy.
Source for the British Columbia number: DFS Memorials 'Cremation Nation' (estimate citing CANA) (2025). Nobody publishes a pet cremation rate for Surrey, so the human figure is the best local signal available.
Clay, ink and the local climate
Whatever the season in Surrey, take prints indoors in a comfortable room, not in direct sun or a cold garage. Dry the paw with a towel before using ink so it doesn't smudge, and tape the card down. Let clay dry on a rack at room temperature for two or three days, then seal it before framing or posting it anywhere.
What paw print keepsakes cost in Surrey
Small keepsakes cost more than their size suggests. One BC crematory lists a 1 oz heart keepsake urn at CA$106[4], and by our estimate a keepsake urn can cost about a third more than a full-size wooden urn from the same provider[5]. If you want something for each family member in Surrey, copies of a paw print on card or in clay are a far cheaper way to share, and a clinic or crematory print is usually a modest add-on.
The full price table by product is on our British Columbia 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.
Burial, scattering and prints in British Columbia
Paw prints sit outside most regulation, but the aftercare around them doesn't. Your local council or city, and the wider rules for British Columbia, may limit burying a pet at home and scattering ashes in public places. Check the notes below before you plan a garden memorial with your pet's print pressed into it.
In Canada, paw prints are usually arranged through your vet or the pet crematory at the same time as cremation, and some small studios make ceramic keepsakes from them. Cold winters are the main practical hurdle: warm clay in your hands, keep plaster work indoors and don't post a print that isn't fully dry. In Quebec, ask for an empreinte de patte.
Home burial and scattering are governed at the British Columbia level first; our British Columbia rules summary has the detail. Then check whether Surrey or your HOA adds anything.
In order: the print, the aftercare, the keepsake
- For a horse, have the farrier out beforehand to trim the hoof and tidy it up. Clean the sole thoroughly and let it dry.
- Press the hoof into a thick slab of clay resting on a board, or coat the sole in non-toxic paint and set it down on stiff card. Ask a helper to keep the leg still while you do it.
- Keep the last shoe and a length of tail or mane hair, which many horse owners have braided or set into resin.
- For a bird or a very small pet, use very soft clay or inkless paper and the lightest pressure. Tiny toes show best in clay.
- For a fluffy cat or rabbit, go inkless so nothing ends up on fur they'll wash later; for rabbits especially, clay captures the long, narrow foot well.
- Dry and store every print indoors, then take a photo so any maker can use the picture, not the original.
Shelf, wall or garden: where the print ends up
Crescent Beach, the dikes along Boundary Bay and the quieter stretches of the Serpentine are places many Surrey families love, and some feel a pet's memory belongs near that water. If you are thinking of scattering a little ash, check the rules for that area and choose a calm, low-traffic time. What stays at home can go in an urn, a keepsake box or small pieces shared among relatives.
or see what other families chose in the poll results, The services page is the place to compare what is included, run the numbers with the free planning tools, there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details. If you live between Surrey and Victoria, North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Kelowna, either page applies. Every other community in British Columbia, and all of Canada, is listed too.
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.
Whose print are you thinking about?
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
Which nearby towns can I compare with Surrey?
The closest communities we cover are Vancouver (about 19 miles), North Vancouver (about 19 miles) and West Vancouver (about 24 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Surrey too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Is cremation common in British Columbia?
For people, yes: about 87%[1] of British Columbia deaths end in cremation, according to DFS Memorials 'Cremation Nation' (estimate citing CANA) (2025). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Surrey follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
My pet was cremated without a paw print. Is there anything I can do?
You can't take a new impression after cremation, but there are good alternatives. Look through your photos for a clear shot of a paw, or of paw prints in snow, sand or mud; engravers and artists can trace one. Check old vet records, the puppy or kitten pack from a breeder, and grooming photos. Some artists can also draw a lifelike paw from pictures of your pet's feet. It won't be the exact pad pattern, but many owners find it just as meaningful.
How do I get my pet's paw print in Surrey?
You have three options. Take it yourself at home with clay or an ink kit, ideally while your pet is still well. Ask your vet or in-home euthanasia vet to take one at the appointment. Or ask the pet crematory to take one at intake, before cremation. Whichever you choose, ask for it in advance and check the print is clear before your pet leaves.
What if my family can't agree who keeps the print?
Take several. Clay can be re-rolled and ink prints are quick, so there's no reason to stop at one. If the original is already made, photograph or scan it and have copies made: framed ink prints, small engraved tags or matching pendants. Our ashes sharing planner can help if you're dividing ashes between keepsakes too.
How much does a paw print keepsake cost in Surrey?
Local published prices for prints are scarce outside the US; most vets and crematories include them in a package or quote on request. As a benchmark, a US crematory network lists a clay paw print at $76[7] and a UK studio casts a small dog's paw in resin from about £120[8]. Ask for a written local price.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] British Columbia's cremation rate is estimated at about 87%, the highest in Canada. DFS Memorials 'Cremation Nation' (estimate citing CANA), 2025.
- [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 1 oz heart keepsake urn costs CA$106 at Okanagan Pet Cremation, more than its full-size solid wood urn at CA$79. Okanagan Pet Cremation – Urns, 2026.
- [5] A 1 oz keepsake urn can cost about a third more than a full-size wooden urn at the same crematory. Our estimate: CA$106 heart keepsake / CA$79 solid wood urn. How we calculate.
- [6] The typical sterling silver pet cremation pendant costs about $190, based on the middle of three sellers' price points. Our estimate: median of [Urns.com median $129, Memorials.com midpoint of $87.95–$297.95 = $193, Final Gift sterling paw pendant $240]. How we calculate.
- [7] Final Gift charges $49 for ink paw prints, $76 for a clay or silver-clay paw print, $111 framed, and $133 framed with a fur clipping; a fur clipping alone costs $23. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
- [8] Brighton Body Casting in the UK charges from about £120 to cast a small dog's paw pads in resin; medium and large breeds cost about 1/5 and 1/3 more. Brighton Body Casting – Pets, 2026.
Tell us about your pet's print
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.