Paw Print Keepsakes in the United States
A paw print is the one keepsake you can't order later. Here's how owners in the United States capture one at home or at the clinic, keep it from cracking or smudging, and have it made into something lasting.
- Home kit or vet-taken: your choice
- Tips for heat, humidity and cold
- Ideas for jewelry, engraving and art
the United States
Paw Print Keepsakes in the United States: what to know
Across the United States, owners are increasingly taking prints while their pets are still well, often as a quiet project with children or on a senior pet's good day. That approach avoids the rush of the last hours and gives a clearer print. If your pet has already died, a print is usually still possible if you ask your vet or crematory promptly.
In the United States, 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.
We cover 2458 communities in the United States, from New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago to smaller towns. Conditions vary a lot across the United States: summer highs reach about 107°F in Phoenix, while winter lows average -11°F in Fairbanks. In 51% of the the United States communities we cover, average lows drop below freezing for three months or more, which matters for home burial.
Our estimate
63,790,000
Estimated pet-owning households across the communities we cover in the United States
How we calculated this
The sum of our per-city estimates for the 2458 communities in the United States 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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Pick your state or region to see every community we cover there, or jump straight to one of the largest cities.
- New York CityNew York
- Los AngelesCalifornia
- ChicagoIllinois
- HoustonTexas
- PhoenixArizona
- PhiladelphiaPennsylvania
- San AntonioTexas
- San DiegoCalifornia
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Burial, cremation and paw prints in the United States
Human funerals in the United States split between cremation, at about 55.7%[1], and burial for most of the rest, so pet cemeteries and pet crematories both have a local following. If you're leaning toward a cemetery plot, ask what kind of marker they allow. Some accept an etched granite plaque, some a bronze plate cast from a clay print, and some only flat stones. The answer tells you whether you need a clay impression, a flat ink print or both.
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) publishes the the United States rate we quote. Read it as the local custom around cremation rather than as pet data.
Budgeting for a print and what it becomes
If you'd like the print framed with a lock of fur, one Northeast crematory network charges $133 for that combination and $23 for a fur clipping on its own[2]. Some water cremation providers bundle a print in too: an Arizona aquamation service includes an ink paw print in individual packages from $75 to $349[3]. In the United States, it's worth asking every provider what comes with the package before adding extras.
Some providers include the print in the package. A Virginia crematory, for example, includes a paw print and a fur clipping with every private cremation package, which run $189–$300[4]. Others charge separately: a Northeast crematory network lists $49 for ink paw prints, $76 for a clay or silver-clay print and $111 framed[2]. When you compare quotes in the United States, check which approach each provider takes.
| Keepsake | Published price | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Clay paw impression (crematory add-on) | $10[5] | Arizona aquamation provider; nose print also $10 |
| Ink paw prints | $49[2] | Northeast crematory network |
| Clay or silver-clay paw print | $76 ($111 framed)[2] | Same network |
| Engraved paw print added to an urn | $20–$35[6] | Typical engraving add-on |
| Paw or nose print pendant | from $99.95[7] | Online memorial retailer |
| Sterling silver charm from your pet's print | $143 plus chain[8] | About two weeks to make |
| Median paw-print add-on | about $32[9] | Our estimate across US crematory price lists |
The numbers above come from String of Jewels and Final Gift Pet Memorial Center, if you'd like to read the original sources.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
What the law in the United States does and doesn't cover
Nothing in the United States 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.
In order: the print, the aftercare, the keepsake
- Choose one calm afternoon to print every pet in the house, starting with the most relaxed animal.
- Label everything before you start: write each name on the reverse of its card, or scratch an initial into the base of each clay disc.
- Use a separate ink pad or wipe for each animal and clean every paw straight away, so no one licks ink off anyone else.
- Keep each turn short, no more than a minute or two each, and reward every press with a treat.
- Make a combined piece if you like: all the paws on one big card or slab of clay becomes a whole-family portrait.
- Store the set together with the date written on the back, so no print goes missing over the years.
Shelf, wall or garden: where the print ends up
A scan of the print can become a small rubber stamp, the kind a stationery or print shop makes from any clean black-and-white image. Some families use it on birthday cards, the inside cover of a photo album or the corner of a letter to a friend who knew the pet. It's an everyday way to keep their paw in circulation, and it costs far less than jewelry.
Compare every option on our services page, try the free planning tools or see how other readers answered in our polls. You can also go back to all locations.
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.
What worries you most about taking a print yourself?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
When did (or will) you take your pet's print?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
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 children help make a paw print?
Often, yes, and many find it helps. Let them roll the clay, pick the frame or add their own handprint next to the paw. When the print is made after death, a vet or another adult can take it privately and show them the result. There are age-by-age ideas in our children's print-making guide.
Does the weather in the United States affect clay and ink prints?
Yes. Summer highs reach about 107°F in Phoenix, where air-dry clay can crack if it dries too fast and ink can smudge on a warm paw. Winter lows average -11°F in Fairbanks, cold enough to ruin plaster that freezes before it sets. Whatever the season, take and dry prints indoors at room temperature.
What if my pet is cremated far from home?
In rural parts of the United States, pets are often cremated in a larger town some distance away. Take the print locally before collection, yourself or through your vet, so you can check it. Many crematories also take one at intake as a backup and return it with the ashes.
How many dog and cat households are there in the United States?
By our estimate, there are about 63,790,000 dog- or cat-owning households across the United States communities we cover. Each of those pets has a paw that can be pressed into clay or ink, and far fewer owners take a print in time than would like one.
What do other owners in the United States choose for a paw print keepsake?
We don't publish made-up figures on that. We do run short, anonymous polls on what readers chose, from clay discs to engraved jewelry, and you can see the live results. They count one vote per person and aren't a scientific survey, but they give a feel for how other owners decided.
Can I get a hoof print from a horse in the United States?
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.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected New York's cremation rate at 55.7% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] Final Gift charges $49 for ink paw prints, $76 for a clay or silver-clay paw print, $111 framed, and $133 framed with a fur clipping; a fur clipping alone costs $23. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
- [3] A Greener Place in Mesa, Arizona, charges $75–$349 for individual pet aquamation by weight, including an urn, nameplate and ink paw print. A Greener Place Pet Aquamation – Pricing, 2026.
- [4] Heavenly Paws Cremations in Chantilly, Virginia, sells private cremation packages at $189 (temporary container), $225 (wooden urn) and $300 (wooden photo urn), each including a paw print and fur clipping. Heavenly Paws Cremations – Packages, 2026.
- [5] Memorial add-ons at A Greener Place: $15 laser-engraved paw print, $10 clay paw impression, $10 nose print, $5 fur clipping. A Greener Place Pet Aquamation – Pricing, 2026.
- [6] Adding an engraved paw print or symbol to a pet urn typically costs $20–$35. Memorials.com – Pet Urn Cost Guide, 2025.
- [7] Paw print and nose print pendants at Memorials.com start at $99.95. Memorials.com – Pet print jewelry, 2026.
- [8] 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.
- [9] 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.
- [10] 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.
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