Getting your pet's paw print in Abu Dhabi
Clay, ink, inkless paper or a 3D cast: this page explains what each one gives you, how the weather in Abu Dhabi affects drying and setting, and what to ask your vet or crematory.
- Home kit or vet-taken: your choice
- Tips for heat, humidity and cold
- Ideas for jewelry, engraving and art
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Who takes paw prints in Abu Dhabi
Outdoor memorials in Abu Dhabi have to cope with intense sun and heat. Stone and metal hold up better than wood or resin. If you have a garden or balcony, a heat-tolerant plant in a pot, such as a bougainvillea, can be a living memorial. Before scattering ashes at sea or in the desert, check what rules apply in the emirate.
Many Abu Dhabi families ask for an ink or clay paw print and a clipping of fur or feathers before cremation, especially when the pet was flown in from another country years ago and has lived in several homes. With relatives spread across different countries, dividing ashes into small matching urns or cremation jewellery lets everyone keep a share. Tell your vet or provider which keepsakes you want first.
If your pet dies at an emergency or specialty hospital in Abu Dhabi, aftercare is usually arranged through that hospital's own crematory contract, which may not be the one your regular vet uses. Staff there can often take a quick clay or ink print, but at 3 am it may not happen unless you ask. Say clearly that you want one, and if the answer is uncertain, ask the crematory to take it at intake instead.
Abu Dhabi is home to about 1,483,000 people.
If you want to compare providers, look at Emirates Hills (65 miles), Dubai (76 miles, a larger centre) and Sharjah (89 miles). Distance matters because pickup fees and the time until the ashes come back both grow with the drive.
~$32[1]
Paw-print add-ons at US crematories have a median price of about $32, from $10 to $76.
3-5% of body weight[2]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
How United Arab Emirates thinks about cremation, and why prints matter
We don't have a reliable figure for how many people are cremated in United Arab Emirates, but pet cremation is available in most places and home burial is common in many. Either way, a paw print has to be taken before anything else happens. Ask your vet or crematory whether they offer one, or take it yourself at home.
Weather in Abu Dhabi and your pet's print
We don't have local weather data for Abu Dhabi, so here's the general rule: prints dislike extremes. Clay wants a room at ordinary indoor temperature, out of sun and drafts, for two or three days. Ink wants a dry paw and a dry card. Plaster and resin want warmth to set, but not heat. If a room is comfortable for you in a sweater or a T-shirt, it's fine for a print.
What owners in Abu Dhabi typically pay for a print
Where local providers are few, a paw print can cost almost nothing: some clay, a card and a phone to photograph the result. That photo is what most jewelers and engravers work from, so you're not tied to makers in Abu Dhabi. For comparison, engraving a paw print onto an urn typically adds $20–$35[3] in the US, according to one retailer. Budget for the finishing and the shipping, and ask any overseas maker for a proof before they cut metal.
Rather than repeat the price table on every city page, we keep one for United Arab Emirates: United Arab Emirates costs. What each service includes is on the services page.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
What United Arab Emirates allows after your pet dies
If you might move away from United Arab Emirates one day, it helps to know that a print, a cast or a photograph needs no paperwork at a border, while ashes sometimes do, and a grave can't come with you at all. None of that should decide your plans, but it's worth weighing alongside what United Arab Emirates allows, set out below.
In the UAE, burying pets isn't permitted, so families who want a keepsake usually arrange private cremation[5]. That makes the print especially important, because there's no grave to visit. Take it at home in an air-conditioned room before collection, or ask the provider to take one first. Summer heat means the first hours matter, so keep your pet cool.
What to do first, and what can wait
- 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 beside the paw if they want to.
- If the print is taken after death, let an adult or the vet do it, and show your child the finished keepsake.
- 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.
Turning a print into something lasting
Because many Abu Dhabi pet owners will eventually leave the UAE, a portable memorial makes sense: a sturdy container with a secure lid, a pendant holding a little ash, a framed paw print, or small keepsake urns for family abroad. If you plan to carry ashes on a flight, ask the provider for a cremation certificate and check your airline's rules and the destination country's requirements before you travel.
run the numbers with the free planning tools, The services page is the place to compare what is included, read our guides and latest articles, or look at how readers voted in our polls. More local pages: the United Arab Emirates overview and every city in the United Arab Emirates.
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 Abu Dhabi?
The closest communities we cover are Emirates Hills (about 65 miles), Dubai (about 76 miles) and Sharjah (about 89 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Abu Dhabi too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Will my vet or crematory take a paw print before cremation?
Most will if asked, and many include a clay or ink print in the package. But requests can be missed on a busy day, especially at emergency clinics. Mention it when you book, ask for it to be written on the aftercare form and ask whether it comes back to you that day or with the ashes. Once your pet has been cremated, the chance is gone.
My pet died at night in Abu Dhabi. Is it too late for a print?
No. If your pet is at home, keep them cool on a towel and take the print yourself when you feel ready, within the first few hours if you can. If your pet is at an emergency hospital, ask the staff to take one, or tell the crematory in the morning that you want a print before cremation. You don't have to decide anything else that night.
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%[6] of bereaved owners said they grieved before their pet died. Choose a calm, good day and keep the session short.
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.
Can my pet's paw print be turned into a tattoo?
Yes, and it's a popular choice. A tattoo artist will want a clear, high-contrast flat print, so an ink or inkless print works better than clay. Scan it at a high resolution and bring the file to your consultation. Many people have the print tattooed at actual size, sometimes with the pet's name or a nose print alongside.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 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.
- [2] 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.
- [3] Adding an engraved paw print or symbol to a pet urn typically costs $20–$35. Memorials.com – Pet Urn Cost Guide, 2025.
- [4] 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.
- [5] Dubai Municipality states it is not permissible to bury animals in the UAE; municipal disposal is mass cremation with no ashes returned. Khaleej Times - UAE: What to do if your pet dies; process, costs, law explained (Aug 2024, upd. Oct 2024), 2024.
- [6] 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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