A paw print to keep, in Vancouver
Many vets and pet crematories will take a paw print before cremation, but often only if someone asks. This guide to Vancouver covers timing, home kits, costs and turning a print into jewelry or art.
- Nose prints and fur clippings too
- Keep a scan so the original stays home
- Options that serve Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
How owners in Vancouver get a paw print
With the ocean, mountains and coastal rainforest all within reach, many Vancouver families divide ashes, keeping some at home and taking a little to a meaningful place, perhaps a beach at low tide or a viewpoint on the North Shore. If you plan to scatter, choose a quiet spot and check the rules for that park first. Small keepsake urns or jewelry make it easier to share ashes among family members.
Vancouver is one of Canada's most diverse cities, and memorial customs vary widely: some families set a photo and incense on a small household altar, others prefer a plain shelf with a candle, a planted pot on the balcony or a pendant worn daily. Handmade pottery, glass with ash fused in and carved cedar boxes all reflect the coast's craft traditions. If you want something made to order, ask early and let the ashes wait.
Long commutes and full diaries in Vancouver mean many pets spend the day with a dog walker, a sitter or a daycare. If your pet is elderly or unwell, have a short conversation with whoever cares for them while you're out: who to call first, which vet to use, and that you'd like a paw print taken before anyone arranges collection. Leave a small clay kit with your emergency notes, so the one request that can't wait isn't lost.
Vancouver is home to about 631,000 people, the largest of the 6 British Columbia communities we cover.
Nearby, we also have local pages for North Vancouver (3 miles), West Vancouver (6 miles) and Surrey (19 miles), which can help if your vet or the provider you prefer is based there.
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.
How British Columbia thinks about cremation, and why prints matter
Because British Columbia cremates about 87%[1] of the people who die there, many families have no grave to visit, for people or for pets. Something has to take the place of a headstone, and a print does that job surprisingly well. It's physical, it's unmistakably your animal, and it can hang by the front door or sit on a desk. If you plan to scatter the ashes, the print may be the only memorial you keep.
Source for the British Columbia number: DFS Memorials 'Cremation Nation' (estimate citing CANA) (2025). Nobody publishes a pet cremation rate for Vancouver, so the human figure is the best local signal available.
Clay, ink and the local climate
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 Vancouver, have a copy engraved in stone or metal and keep the original inside.
What paw print keepsakes cost in Vancouver
Canadian paw print prices are mostly published by small studios and crematories. One Canadian studio charges from CA$155 for a handmade ceramic paw-print keepsake and asks buyers to allow 3 to 4 weeks[4]. A clinic or crematory clay print taken before cremation is usually much cheaper, so ask what's included when you book in Vancouver.
Prices for Vancouver track the wider British Columbia market, so use the British Columbia price table as your baseline and the services page to see what is included.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Local rules worth knowing in British Columbia
Renters in British Columbia 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 British Columbia allows for burial and scattering; whatever they say, a print moves with you to the next address.
City of Vancouver publishes Vancouver's official guidance. Note that it deals with public collection, not with booking a private cremation.
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.
Start with the British Columbia rules, which cover burial, scattering and oversight for the whole state, and treat Vancouver's local ordinances as a possible extra layer.
How to make sure a print is taken in time
- 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 laid on a board, or paint the sole with non-toxic paint and press it onto heavy card. Have someone hold the foot steady.
- Keep the last shoe and a length of tail or mane hair, since plenty of owners later have the hair plaited or cast in 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, an inkless kit avoids ink on fur they'll groom later, and clay shows the long shape of a rabbit's foot.
- Dry and store every print indoors, and photograph it so a maker can work from the image.
Shelf, wall or garden: where the print ends up
Space is limited in many Vancouver condos, so memorials often stay small: a compact urn on a shelf, a framed paw print, a pendant with a little ash. Families with gardens sometimes add a memorial stone or a tree urn. Ask for size guides before choosing, since ash volume varies a lot between a small bird and a large dog.
run the numbers with the free planning tools, or see what other families chose in the poll results, read our guides and latest articles, Our services overview lays out every option side by side. You can also browse every city in Canada. Nearby, we also cover North Vancouver, Kelowna, Victoria and Surrey, and every city in British Columbia.
Reader polls
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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
Why does the Vancouver page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. DFS Memorials 'Cremation Nation' (estimate citing CANA) (2025) reports about 87%[1] of British Columbia residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Vancouver?
Usually yes. North Vancouver is about 3 miles away, West Vancouver is about 6 miles away and Surrey is about 19 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Can a paw print be taken after my pet has died?
Yes. A print can usually be taken in the first hours after death at home, and later by a vet or crematory before cremation. If the leg has stiffened, press the clay gently onto the paw rather than forcing the paw down. A print from a relaxed, living pet tends to be crisper, which is why many owners take one while their pet is still a healthy senior.
Should I use a local jeweler or an online maker for a paw print pendant?
Both work. A local jeweler or engraver in Vancouver 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[6].
Should I take a paw print while my senior pet is still alive?
If you can, yes. A relaxed living pet usually gives the clearest print, and you can take as many as you like without pressure. It can also give anticipatory grief something useful to do; in an RSPCA survey, 75.4%[7] of bereaved owners said they grieved before their pet died. Choose a calm, good day and keep the session short.
How do I get my pet's paw print in Vancouver?
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.
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] Spawts, a Canadian studio, charges from CA$155 for a handmade ceramic paw-print keepsake and asks buyers to allow 3–4 weeks. Spawts – Ceramic keepsakes, 2026.
- [5] The median price multiple of private (ashes returned) over communal cremation across 8 markets is about 2.0x, ranging from 1.25x (Tokyo) to 5.2x (Auckland). Our estimate: median(private_price / communal_price) same weight band: US CareCredit 51-70 lb midpoints (250/75) = 3.33x; Auckland 15-25 kg (445/85) = 5.24x; Norway 1-20 kg (3790/1190) = 3.18x; Singapore 10-20 kg (480/260) = 1.85x; Ontario 25-250 lb (549/279) = 1.97x; Tokyo 20-30 kg (38500/30800) = 1.25x; France 20 kg midpoints (200/95) = 2.11x; Germany range midpoints (270/145) = 1.86x. How we calculate.
- [6] 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.
- [7] 75.4% of RSPCA pet-loss survey respondents experienced anticipatory grief before their pet died. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
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