Paw and nose prints in Covina: a calm guide
By our estimate, about 18,000 households in Covina share their home with a dog or cat. Every one of those paws can be pressed into clay or ink, ideally long before goodbye. Here's how.
- Home kit or vet-taken: your choice
- Tips for heat, humidity and cold
- Ideas for jewelry, engraving and art
Covina, California
Getting a paw print in Covina: the local picture
Covina's older neighborhoods north of downtown have deep lots, mature citrus and camellias, and many families have gardened in the same yard for decades. A memorial there can be modest: a flat engraved stone at the base of a lemon tree, a glazed tile set into a garden wall, or a bio urn planted with a new shrub. Pick materials that will not bleach in the valley's long summer sun.
Covina households come from many backgrounds, and plenty of families blend traditions: a candle and photograph for one generation, a simple engraved box for another. There is room for both. Some choose a pendant so a grown child can carry a share of the ashes; others prefer one urn kept at the family home on Citrus Avenue's older side streets. Think about who will want a piece of the memory before you order.
Supplies are easy to find even in a small town. Air-dry modeling clay, a washable non-toxic ink pad, card stock and baby wipes are enough for a first print. A purpose-made kit is kinder for fluffy paws and cats, but it may take days to arrive, so buy one while your pet is still well rather than waiting until you need it urgently.
Covina is home to about 49,404 people, the 164th-largest of the 307 California communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Anaheim, about 17 miles (28 km) away, which is where some providers serving Covina are based.
For a second opinion on price, West Covina (3 miles, a larger centre), Azusa (4 miles) and Walnut (4 miles) are close enough that their providers cover Covina routinely. Two written quotes tell you more than any price list.
Our estimate
18,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Covina
How we calculated this
49,404 ÷ 2.5 = 19,762 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 18,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
1,500
dog and cat deaths per year in Covina, our estimate
How we calculated this
18,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,500 a year. A floor, not a ceiling.
53%[1]
53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households.
12.69 years[2]
US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years.
39%[3]
39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households.
11.18 years[4]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
We built the this numbers from American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, and both are worth a look if you want the detail.
Burial, cremation and paw prints in California
When roughly 70.5%[5] of human funerals in California end in cremation, the whole system is built for speed, and pet aftercare often runs the same way. Collection can be booked for the same afternoon, and some crematories cremate within a day or two. That efficiency is a kindness, but it also shrinks the time in which a print can be taken. Ask how soon cremation will happen, and if it's quick, take the print yourself before collection.
Source for the California number: NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes a pet cremation rate for Covina, so the human figure is the best local signal available.
When the weather works against clay and ink
Around August, when highs in Covina run near 91°F, a senior pet may be flat and uncomfortable in the afternoons. That's often a good time for a print, oddly enough: a hot, sleepy dog or cat lies still. Choose a cool room, keep sessions short, offer water and stop if your pet gets restless. You can always try again the next evening.
Ink behaves differently in the Covina heat. Pet-safe ink pads dry out quickly in warm rooms, which gives a patchy print, and a warm, damp paw can slide and smudge. Take ink prints in the coolest room of the house, with the air conditioning on, and dry the paw with a towel first. Press straight down, lift straight up and take three or four prints so you can keep the clearest.
What owners in Covina typically pay for a print
The print itself is cheap; what you turn it into is where the budget goes. At one urn retailer, an engraved paw print added to an urn typically costs $20–$35[6] and paw and nose print pendants start from $99.95[7]; a custom sterling silver charm made from your pet's actual print costs about $143 before the chain[8]. Custom silver print charms from one crematory network run $290 to $420[9].
Rather than repeat the price table on every city page, we keep one for California: California 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 the law in California does and doesn't cover
Rules in California 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.
Not sure which office covers Covina? The California local government directory is the official list.
We keep California's burial and scattering rules in one place: the California rules summary. Before a home burial in Covina, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
A short checklist for a clean print
- If your pet dies while you're away from home, call the kennel, sitter or local vet and ask them to keep your pet cool and take a paw print before anything else happens.
- Ask them to photograph the print and send it to you, so you know it's clear.
- Decide whether to bring your pet home instead of arranging cremation locally; the print goes with you either way.
- Ask for ink rather than clay when the print has to be mailed. Card travels well in an envelope; wet clay often doesn't.
- If you're driving home with your pet, the car needs to stay cool; make your own print once you're back, ahead of any burial or pickup.
- Keep names, numbers and receipts for everyone involved, so everything can be matched up later.
Ways families in Covina keep a print close
Some Covina families like to commission something personal: a custom engraved stone with a name and dates, a framed collar and photo, or a paw print keepsake made before collection. If a paw or nose print matters to you, ask about it when you arrange aftercare, since it is easiest to take early. Many families also split ashes among relatives in matching mini urns.
run the numbers with the free planning tools, See what each option includes on our services page, or look at how readers voted in our polls, there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details. If you live between Covina and San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco and Fresno, either page applies. Every other community in California, and all of the United States, 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.
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
Which nearby towns can I compare with Covina?
The closest communities we cover are West Covina (about 3 miles), Azusa (about 4 miles) and Walnut (about 4 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Covina too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Where are the providers that serve Covina actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Anaheim, about 17 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Covina and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Is Covina big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 18,000 Covina households keep a dog or cat and around 1,500 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 49,404), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
Does the Covina climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In August, with highs near 91°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. Winters here are mild enough that burial or scattering is possible in any month.
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.
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.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [2] US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [3] 39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [4] US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [5] The NFDA projected California's cremation rate at 70.5% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [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] Final Gift's pet memorial jewelry runs from a $60 urn pendant to $290–$420 for custom sterling silver print charms, with glass ash beads at $245. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
- [10] The median price multiple of private (ashes returned) over communal cremation across 8 markets is about 2.0x, ranging from 1.25x (Tokyo) to 5.2x (Auckland). Our estimate: median(private_price / communal_price) same weight band: US CareCredit 51-70 lb midpoints (250/75) = 3.33x; Auckland 15-25 kg (445/85) = 5.24x; Norway 1-20 kg (3790/1190) = 3.18x; Singapore 10-20 kg (480/260) = 1.85x; Ontario 25-250 lb (549/279) = 1.97x; Tokyo 20-30 kg (38500/30800) = 1.25x; France 20 kg midpoints (200/95) = 2.11x; Germany range midpoints (270/145) = 1.86x. How we calculate.
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