A paw print to keep, in Beijing
Many vets and pet crematories will take a paw print before cremation, but often only if someone asks. This guide to Beijing 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 Beijing
Beijing, China
Paw print keepsakes in Beijing: where to start
Some Beijing owners like a memorial that travels with them: a pendant or bracelet holding a small amount of ash, or a stone carved with a name. Others prefer to plant something on a balcony, perhaps with a biodegradable urn in a large pot. If more than one family member wants to keep some ashes, ask whether the provider can divide them before they're returned.
Qingming, in early April, is when many Beijing families sweep graves and remember relatives, and some quietly remember their pets at the same time, with flowers, a photo or a candle at home. If you'd like a place outside, ask about pet memorial parks near the city rather than burying ashes in public parks, and check the rules for any location before you scatter or plant anything.
Apartment and condo living in Beijing adds a practical wrinkle. Collection teams may need a freight elevator, a loading bay or a parking permit, and building staff often ask for a set arrival time. That fixes the moment your pet leaves, so treat the print as something to finish before that slot. Book collection for an hour after the vet's visit rather than straight after, and you'll have room for a clay print and an ink copy without watching the clock.
With roughly 21,540,000 residents, Beijing is one of the China communities we cover.
50%[1]
China's cremation rate passed 50% for the first time in 2019.
~$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.
Ashes, graves and the print that comes first
On cremation, China sits in the middle, at about 50%[1] of human deaths, and for many families the choice is shaped by faith as much as by cost. If your beliefs lean toward burial, or you're simply unsure how you feel about cremating a pet, a paw print sits comfortably with either path. It involves nothing more than a gentle press into clay or onto card, and it leaves your pet exactly as they were.
Wikipedia: Cremation by country (2019) is where the China figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Beijing tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
Getting a clean print in Beijing in any season
Local weather in Beijing affects a paw print more than you might think. In hot, dry spells, air-dry clay can crack if it dries too fast, so dry it slowly indoors and turn it often. In humid months it stays soft for longer, so be patient. In cold weather, warm the clay in your hands and never let plaster freeze before it has set.
Paw print costs around Beijing, line by line
In some Asian cities, the public route leaves nothing behind. Hong Kong's government, for instance, advises owners that a bagged animal can go to a refuse collection point, from where it goes to landfill[4]. Any keepsake, including a print, then depends on you or a private provider. If cost is the worry in Beijing, a home print costs very little and can be taken before you decide anything else.
Prices for Beijing track the wider China market, so use the China 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.
Burial, scattering and prints in China
Nothing in China 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.
Getting a paw print in Beijing, step by step
- Mention the print when you book rather than waiting until the appointment itself, whether that's the euthanasia or the cremation. Ask the team to note it on the aftercare form.
- Ask what kind they take: a clay disc, an ink print or both. If you might want jewelry later, ask for an ink or inkless print as well.
- Ask for two copies if more than one person in the family would like one.
- Ask to see or photograph the print while your pet is still at the clinic; a smudged one can then be done again.
- Check how it comes back: with you that day, or with the ashes later, and how it's labeled.
- Keep the paperwork so that, once everything is returned, the invoice, ashes and print can be tied together.
Keeping the print and the memory close
In China about half of human deaths end in cremation, and in Beijing it's the normal choice, so keeping a pet's ashes feels natural to many families. What matters most is space: in a compound apartment, a small urn on a shelf with a photo, a keepsake with a little ash, or a paw print often fits better than something large. Pick a memorial you'll be happy to see every day.
The services page is the place to compare what is included, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, or compare your instinct with the poll results, run the numbers with the free planning tools. More local pages: the China overview and every city in China.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
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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
Why does the Beijing page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. Wikipedia: Cremation by country (2019) reports about 50%[1] of China residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
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.
Is a paw print included when a vet comes to our home in Beijing?
Often, but not always. Many home-visit vets bring a clay kit and include one print in their fee; others charge for it or leave it to the crematory. Ask when you book, and check whether a flat ink copy is possible as well. Home goodbyes are no longer unusual: in the Dog Aging Project, 22.8% of dogs who were euthanized died at home[6]. You can also take your own print before the vet arrives.
Will the crematory send the paw print back with the ashes?
It depends on the provider. Some take the print at intake and return it with the ashes; others hand it to your vet or post it separately. Ask how the print is labeled and when it will come back, and ask for a photo of it before cremation so you know it's clear. If you'd rather not wait, take your own before collection.
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.
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.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] China's cremation rate passed 50% for the first time in 2019. Wikipedia: Cremation by country, 2019.
- [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] Hong Kong's government advises owners may bag a dead animal marked 'dead animal' and take it to an FEHD refuse collection point, from where it goes to landfill. Hong Kong Government 1823 - How to handle the body of dead animal?, 2025.
- [5] 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.
- [6] Of euthanized dogs in the Dog Aging Project, 76.7% were euthanized at a veterinary clinic or hospital and 22.8% at the owner's home. Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2026), via PubMed Central, 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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