A paw print to keep, in West Covina
By our estimate, about 39,000 households in West 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.
- Take the print before cremation
- Clay, ink or cast, explained simply
- Published prices, no guesswork
West Covina, California
Who takes paw prints in West Covina
West Covina is home to families with roots in Mexico, China, the Philippines, Vietnam and many other places, and memorial customs vary widely. Some keep ashes on a home altar with incense or candles, some mark the pet on Día de los Muertos, and others prefer a simple engraved stone. There is no wrong choice; pick something that fits your family's way of remembering.
Winter is the kindest season for a memorial planting in West Covina, when rain and cooler days let a young tree settle before summer heat returns. A biodegradable urn planted with a sapling needs regular deep watering in its first year. If your home is on the hillside, choose a spot sheltered from the afternoon sun and away from slopes that might wash out in a storm.
Before anything else happens to the original, get a good digital copy. A phone photo will do in a pinch, but a flatbed scanner at 600 dpi or more picks up the fine creases that engravers love. Many public libraries and print shops in and around West Covina have one you can use for a small fee. Save the file in two places, and you can order copies, stamps or engravings for years without touching the original again.
West Covina's population is around 105,301, the 62nd-largest of the 307 California communities we cover. Anaheim, roughly 15 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover West Covina run from there.
The closest communities we cover are Covina (3 miles), La Puente (3 miles) and Walnut (3 miles). Providers serving those towns often travel to West Covina too, so it can be worth asking them for a quote.
Our estimate
39,000
How many dog- or cat-owning households West Covina has (estimate)
How we calculated this
105,301 ÷ 2.5 = 42,120 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 39,000. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
3,250
Estimated dog and cat losses in West Covina each year
How we calculated this
39,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 3,250 a year. Treat it as a minimum.
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.
The numbers above come from American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, if you'd like to read the original sources.
Local customs and the keepsake you keep
Because roughly 70.5%[5] of people in California are cremated, ashes jewelry and keepsake urns are familiar here. A paw print pairs naturally with them: an urn engraved with your pet's actual paw, or a pendant with the print on the front and a pinch of ashes inside. If that appeals, ask for a clear flat print that a maker can work from.
That California rate is a human one, published by NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). We quote it for West Covina only as a pointer to how families here already think about cremation.
Seasons in West Covina and a print that lasts
Strong sun in West Covina, especially around August, fades ink faster than most people expect. A framed paw print in a bright hallway can lose its crispness within a few summers. Hang it on a wall that doesn't catch direct light, choose UV-filtering glass and keep a scan of the original. And never leave a clay print or a resin cast inside a parked car, a garage or an attic in summer, where temperatures climb far above 91°F.
If you plan a 3D cast rather than a flat print, the West Covina heat changes the chemistry. Two-part silicone molding putty and casting resin both set faster when it's warm, so in July, August and September you may have only a minute or two to press the paw before the putty firms up. Work in an air-conditioned room, keep the kit in a cool cupboard beforehand and mix only once your pet is settled and in position.
Where the money goes: the print, then the finishing
If the print is heading for jewelry, budget for the metal rather than the print. By our estimate, a typical sterling silver pet pendant costs about $190[6], and entry-level solid gold pieces at the same retailer cost about 15 times the silver equivalent[7]. Ask any maker in West Covina whether the quote includes the chain, a proof image before production and engraving on the back, because those three extras are where quotes differ most.
The California price table breaks costs down by product; our services page explains what sits behind each line.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Local rules worth knowing in California
Some towns and councils in California run a collection service for pets who die at home, usually without returning any ashes. If that's the route you take, a print will be the only keepsake you have, so take it before you call. The notes below cover the other options: home burial, pet cemeteries and scattering ashes.
California keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers West Covina.
Home burial and scattering are governed at the California level first; our California rules summary has the detail. Then check whether West Covina or your HOA adds anything.
In order: the print, the aftercare, the keepsake
- Mention the print when you book the euthanasia appointment or cremation, not on the day. Ask for it to be written on the aftercare form.
- Ask what kind they take: some clinics do clay only, some ink, some both. If there's any chance you'll want jewelry made, request an ink or inkless version too.
- 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.
Remembering your pet through their print
West Covina homes usually have a garden, and many families place a memorial within sight of the windows: an engraved stone under a citrus tree, a small statue among the roses, or a tree urn in a corner of the yard. Inside, a wooden box urn on a bookshelf or a photo frame with space for a few ashes works well. Ask for written prices, including engraving, before choosing.
there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details, The services page is the place to compare what is included, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, or see what other families chose in the poll results. More local pages: San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno and Los Angeles, the California overview and every city in the United States.
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?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
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
How do California attitudes to cremation compare?
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) puts the California human cremation rate at about 70.5%[5]. We show it on the West Covina page because pet aftercare choices tend to track it: where cremation is normal for people, communal and private pet cremation are both easy to find.
Will I have to travel to Anaheim to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Anaheim (roughly 15 miles from West Covina) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from West Covina?
Usually yes. Covina is about 3 miles away, La Puente is about 3 miles away and Walnut is about 3 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
How many pet owners live in West Covina?
By our estimate, about 39,000 households in West Covina have at least one dog or cat, and around 3,250 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 105,301, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
How much does a paw print keepsake cost in West Covina?
The print itself is usually inexpensive. US crematories list paw-print add-ons from about $10 to $76, with a median of about $32[9], and some include one in the cremation package. Finishing costs more: engraved paw prints on urns typically add $20 to $35, and paw or nose print pendants start at about $100. Ask providers in West Covina what's already included.
How many households in West Covina have a dog or cat?
By our estimate, about 39,000 households in West Covina have a dog or a cat, and around 3,250 dogs and cats are lost there each year. We calculate this from the city's population, average household size and national pet ownership and lifespan figures. The method is shown on this page.
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] 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] Entry-level solid 14k gold pet-ash pendants cost about 15 times entry-level sterling silver ones at the same retailer. Our estimate: $1,297.95 / $87.95 (Memorials.com starting prices). How we calculate.
- [8] 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.
- [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.
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