Keeping your pet's paw print in Toronto, Ontario
A print has to be taken while your pet is still with you, or before cremation, so a little planning helps. Here's how to get a clear paw print in Toronto, who can take it for you and what finishing it costs.
- Prints of senior pets while they're well
- Local finishing or mail-order makers
- Honest costs from real price lists
Toronto, Ontario
Who takes paw prints in Toronto
Toronto condos and semis often have limited space, so compact memorials are popular: a small urn on a shelf, a photo urn, or a necklace with a tiny ash chamber. Families with a backyard might add a memorial stone or garden plaque once the ground thaws. Choose frost-resistant stone for outdoor memorials, since freeze and thaw cycles crack softer materials.
Many Toronto families have a cottage or family property up north, and a tree or bio urn planted there can become a living memorial the family returns to every summer. Check with the landowner if it isn't your own property. Keep a small portion of ashes aside before planting for a keepsake urn or piece of jewelry, especially if relatives want to share.
Because Toronto has several pet crematories within reach, you can actually compare what their prints look like. Some press a thick clay disc and stamp the name; others take a flat ink print on card, or a silver-clay impression that is fired into metal. Ask each one to email a photo of a recent example. A crisp outline with visible pad shapes is what you want. A blurry round blob suggests the print is done in a hurry.
Toronto's population is around 2,731,000, the largest of the 15 Ontario communities we cover.
The closest communities we cover are Mississauga (14 miles), Vaughan (14 miles) and Markham (14 miles). Providers serving those towns often travel to Toronto too, so it can be worth asking them for a quote.
81.1%[1]
CANA projects the Canadian cremation rate will reach 81.1% by 2030.
~$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 Canada thinks about cremation, and why prints matter
Cremation is the everyday choice in Canada: about 81.1%[1] of people who die there are cremated. Pet aftercare tends to follow the same habits, which means most pets here end up as a small box of ashes. Ashes don't show a paw, a nose or the shape of a toe. That's a big part of why prints matter so much in high-cremation places, and why local crematories are so used to being asked for one.
We take the Canada rate from CANA Industry Statistical Information (2030). It is a human statistic; there is no equivalent pet figure for Toronto, and we would rather show a real number than invent one.
Seasons in Toronto and a print that lasts
In warm weather, the first hours after a pet dies at home matter for comfort and for the print. Keep your pet in the coolest room, on a towel, and take the print early, before the body stiffens. In cold weather, a pet kept in a chilled room will have firm pads, so press the clay gently onto the paw instead.
Where the money goes: the print, then the finishing
In Toronto, as across Canada, a paw print is usually arranged through your vet or the pet crematory at the same time as cremation. For comparison, one BC crematory lists slate paw urns at CA$99 to CA$140[4], and a nameplate on a photo urn costs CA$15[5]. Ask for a written quote in CAD that lists the print, the urn and any engraving separately.
For a line-by-line price table, see the Ontario overview; for what's included in each option, see our services.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
What Ontario allows after your pet dies
Nothing in Ontario restricts a paw print, a nose print or a lock of fur. What local rules do shape is where ashes may go, and some favorite places, such as parks, beaches and trails, need the landowner's permission. If that permission is hard to get, a print can carry the memory of the place instead: frame it beside a photo taken there, or have the trail's name engraved under the paw.
City of Toronto Animal Services publishes Toronto'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.
We keep Ontario's burial and scattering rules in one place: the Ontario rules summary. Before a home burial in Toronto, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
A short checklist for a clean print
- Skip the table. Take the clay or card to your pet instead, wherever they're comfortable, whether that's their bed or a patch of floor.
- Recruit a second person whose only job is calming your pet, stroking and talking, while you handle the paw.
- Use a lick mat or a few treats to keep your pet's attention forward and their head still.
- Don't straighten a stiff leg. Work with the position it's in: slip a board beneath the paw and raise the clay to it.
- Stop after a few tries if your pet gets stressed. Try again tomorrow, or ask your vet to help at the next visit.
- Try an inkless kit if your pet hates damp paws; there's nothing to wash off afterwards.
Turning a print into something lasting
Toronto's long winters give families time to plan a memorial before spring. Paw prints in clay, a lock of fur in a frame and an engraved stone ready for the garden are small, lasting keepsakes. Paw prints need to be requested before the cremation takes place. Some families mark the first spring with a planting, often something that blooms in May.
See what each option includes on our services page, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, or compare your instinct with the poll results, there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details. If you live between Toronto and Ottawa, London, Hamilton and Mississauga, either page applies. Every other community in Ontario, 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.
When did (or will) you take your pet's print?
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Whose print are you thinking about?
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If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
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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
Which nearby towns can I compare with Toronto?
The closest communities we cover are Mississauga (about 14 miles), Vaughan (about 14 miles) and Markham (about 14 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Toronto too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
How do Canada attitudes to cremation compare?
CANA Industry Statistical Information (2030) puts the Canada human cremation rate at about 81.1%[1]. We show it on the Toronto 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.
How do I stop an ink paw print from smudging?
Dry the paw with a towel first, tape the card to a hard surface and press straight down with steady pressure, then lift straight up without sliding. Too much ink blurs the pads, so dab lightly. Take three or four prints and keep the clearest. Let the ink dry fully before touching it, especially in humid weather.
Can I get a print of my bird's feet?
Yes, with care. Birds are light and their toes are delicate, so use very soft clay and the gentlest pressure, or an inkless kit with treated paper. Ink is best avoided because birds preen and may swallow it. An avian vet can help if your bird is nervous. The result is a lovely, delicate impression of the toes and scales.
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.
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.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] CANA projects the Canadian cremation rate will reach 81.1% by 2030. CANA Industry Statistical Information, 2030.
- [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] Brass pet urns at Okanagan Pet Cremation cost CA$99 (up to 50 lb) or CA$128 (50–100 lb); slate paw urns cost CA$99–$140. Okanagan Pet Cremation – Urns, 2026.
- [5] A Canadian pet crematory (Okanagan Pet Cremation) sells wooden photo urns for CA$68–$88 by pet size, plus CA$15 for a nameplate. Okanagan Pet Cremation – Urns, 2026.
- [6] 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.
Ask who takes paw prints in Toronto
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.