Paw Print Keepsakes in the United Kingdom
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 the United Kingdom, 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
the United Kingdom
Paw Print Keepsakes in the United Kingdom: what to know
In the United Kingdom, most families arrange aftercare through their vet, who works with one or more pet crematoria. Prints are commonly offered but not always mentioned, so it's worth asking by name. You can also take a print yourself at home, which gives you full control over timing and the number of copies.
Because a paw print must be taken before cremation or burial, it's the one keepsake in the United Kingdom that depends on planning rather than shopping. Jewelry, engraving and art can all be ordered later from a scan. The print itself can't be remade, so it's the first thing to arrange.
We cover 40 communities in the United Kingdom, from London, Birmingham and Leeds to smaller towns.
Our estimate
6,015,000
Estimated pet-owning households across the communities we cover in the United Kingdom
How we calculated this
The sum of our per-city estimates for the 40 communities in the United Kingdom on this site: each city's population ÷ national average household size × the national share of households with a pet. Households with several pets count once.
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Cremation habits in the United Kingdom and the print window
With about 83.0%[1] of people in the United Kingdom cremated, most local families already know the rhythm of a cremation: collection, a few days' wait, then the ashes come home. A print fits neatly into the start of that process, before collection. Once your pet is cremated, the chance is gone, so the first phone call is the right moment to mention it.
We take the the United Kingdom percentage from Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA) death & cremation statistics (2024). It refers to people; attitudes to cremating a pet tend to follow it.
Paw print prices: kits, add-ons and finishing
UK paw print prices are rarely published, because most are sold as add-ons through vets and crematoria. That's changing: under the CMA's remedies, vet practices must set out prices for communal, individual and add-on cremation options[2], so it's reasonable to ask for a written list in the United Kingdom. For a 3D keepsake, one UK body-casting studio charges from about £120 to cast a small dog's paw pads in resin, with medium and large breeds about a fifth and a third more[3].
If you're thinking beyond a clay print, UK makers publish prices for ash jewellery that you can pair with an engraved print. Handmade pet-ash pendants from one maker start at £180 to £299[4], and a glass pet-ashes pendant from a Bath studio costs £170[5]. The print itself is usually the cheapest part; the finishing is what to budget for in the United Kingdom.
| Keepsake | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resin cast of a small dog's paw pads | from £120[3] | Medium breeds about a fifth more, large about a third more |
| Glass pet-ashes pendant | £170[5] | Holds ashes; pair with an engraved print |
| Handmade pet-ash pendant | £180 to £299[4] | Price depends on design |
| Vet clay or ink print | Ask for the price list | Vets must set out add-on prices[2] |
Where these figures come from: UK Competition and Markets Authority and Bath Aqua Glass.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Burial, scattering and prints in the United Kingdom
Rules in the United Kingdom say a good deal about where a pet can be buried and very little about how a crematory keeps track of each animal. That's one more reason to take your own print: made before collection, it's a record you created yourself. Ask your provider how pets are tagged, and read the burial and scattering notes below for the rest.
In the UK, most families arrange cremation through their vet, and the CMA's 2026 remedies require practices to set out prices for add-on options as well as communal and individual cremation. Ask for a paw print by name and get the price in writing. Independent pet crematoria often take clay or ink prints too, and UK winters are damp, so give air-dry clay extra time to dry indoors before you frame or post it.
Your paw print plan for the United Kingdom
- If your pet dies unexpectedly at the clinic, ask for a few minutes before you leave the room. Most teams will give you time and can bring a print kit to you.
- Say exactly what you want: ink, clay, a nose print, or every one of them, plus the number of copies.
- If you can't face doing it yourself, a nurse or technician can make the print while you step out of the room; ask them to show you the result before you head home.
- Get the crematory's name and your pet's reference number on paper from reception before you leave.
- If no print was taken, call the crematory first thing the next morning and ask for one at intake.
- Leave the urn and the other extras for later. The print is the only decision that can't wait.
Keeping the print and the memory close
Some families bring the print out once a year, on the anniversary or on the day their pet came home, and add something new: a photo, a pressed flower, a note from each person. Over time the box or frame becomes a record of how the family carried the memory. If an anniversary hits harder than expected, you're not alone; in RSPCA research on pet loss, 66.9%[7] of owners were surprised by how intense their grief was.
If the United Kingdom is not quite where you are, all locations has the rest. Otherwise the services page, the tools and the poll results are the useful next stops.
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
Can I get a hoof print from a horse in the United Kingdom?
Yes. Ask your farrier to trim and clean the hoof, then press it into a thick clay slab or paint the sole with non-toxic paint and press it onto heavy card. Many horse owners also keep the last shoe and a braid of tail hair. Do it while your horse is still well if you can.
Are there rules about paw prints in the United Kingdom?
No. You can take, keep, post and display a paw print, cast or ashes pendant freely. The rules in the United Kingdom cover burial and scattering, which matter if you plan a garden stone set with the print or want to scatter ashes after keeping a pinch for jewelry.
Do UK vets have to list the price of a paw print?
Under the CMA's remedies, UK vet practices must set out the prices of communal, individual and add-on cremation options[2], so you can ask for a written price for a print. You can also go directly to an independent pet crematorium.
Can I get more than one copy of my pet's print in the United Kingdom?
Yes. Request two prints from your vet or crematory at the time of booking; it's a common request and usually costs little extra. Ink prints take seconds, so a home session can produce as many as you like. If you only have one original, scan it and have copies printed, engraved or cast, so every person in the family has their own without anyone giving up the original.
Should I take a print of my senior pet now?
If you can, yes. A relaxed, living pet usually gives the crispest print, and there's no time pressure. Choose a calm, good day, after a meal or a walk, and take several so you can keep the clearest. Many owners in the United Kingdom say the afternoon itself becomes a memory.
Can my vet in the United Kingdom take a paw print before cremation?
Almost always, if you ask in time. Mention it when you book the appointment or the cremation, ask for it on the aftercare form and ask to see it before your pet leaves. If the vet can't, the crematory can usually take one at intake. After cremation, it's too late.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] In 2024, 83.0% of deaths in England & Wales ended in cremation. Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA) death & cremation statistics, 2024.
- [2] CMA remedy: all UK first-opinion vet practices must offer a communal cremation option and set out prices of communal, individual and add-on options. UK Competition and Markets Authority - Summary of final report, veterinary services market investigation (24 Mar 2026), 2026.
- [3] 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.
- [4] Chris Parry's pet-ash pendants start at £180–£299 depending on design. Chris Parry Handmade – Pet ash jewellery, 2026.
- [5] Bath Aqua Glass in England charges £170 for a pet-ashes glass pendant and £195–£240 for a pet-ashes paperweight. Bath Aqua Glass – Pets ashes into glass, 2026.
- [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] 66.9% of respondents were surprised by how intense their grief was after losing a pet. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
Ask who takes paw prints in the United Kingdom
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