Paw and nose prints in Englewood: a calm guide
About 1,100 households in Englewood lose a dog or cat each year, by our estimate. A clear paw print, taken at home or by your vet, is often the keepsake people are most glad to have.
- Home kit or vet-taken: your choice
- Tips for heat, humidity and cold
- Ideas for jewelry, engraving and art
Englewood, Colorado
Arranging a paw print around Englewood
South Broadway in Englewood is known for antique and vintage shops, and some households here are drawn to memorials with a bit of history: a vintage box repurposed as an urn, an old frame for a favorite photo, a small brass dish for tags. Others prefer something modern and simple. Choose what feels like your pet, and remember you can change it later.
Englewood's small lots and apartments mean most memorials here are indoors: an urn on a windowsill, a framed paw print, a collar hung by the door. Some families with a patio choose a small stone planter or a potted tree. If you rent, which many Englewood residents do, a memorial that moves with you avoids any conversation with a landlord.
Dogs in and around a town like Englewood often work for a living: herding, hunting, guarding stock or riding in a truck all day. Their pads are thicker and more callused than a house dog's, with nicks and old scars that are part of their story. Those details show beautifully in clay. Use a firmer clay, roll it a little thicker and hold steady pressure for a few seconds so the ridges come through.
About 35,305 people live in Englewood, which makes it the 25th-largest of the 36 Colorado communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve Englewood are based about 6 miles away in Denver, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
Families in Englewood often end up using a provider from Littleton (4 miles), Lakewood (6 miles, a larger centre) and Denver (6 miles, a larger centre). That is normal: crematories serve a radius, not a single town, and the drive is priced into collection.
Our estimate
13,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Englewood
How we calculated this
35,305 ÷ 2.5 = 14,122 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 13,000. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
1,100
Englewood families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
13,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,100 a year. The real figure is unlikely to be lower.
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 Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, and both are worth a look if you want the detail.
Local customs and the keepsake you keep
Because roughly 77.4%[5] of people in Colorado 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.
The Colorado figure comes from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It describes people, not pets, so read it as a sign of local attitudes rather than a pet statistic.
When the weather works against clay and ink
Indoor heating in January, February, March, November and December makes the air in Englewood homes very dry, which is its own problem for clay. A print left near a radiator, wood stove or forced-air vent can shrink unevenly and split along the thin toe edges. Dry it in a cooler room, away from heat sources, and lay a slightly damp cloth loosely over it for the first day to slow things down.
Clinics and crematories in and around Englewood often keep pets in cold storage before cremation, especially in January, February, March, November and December when collection runs can be delayed by weather. That doesn't prevent a print, but it helps to ask before your pet goes into the cooler. A quick print while the paw is still soft is far easier than one taken later from a cold, stiff paw.
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 Englewood 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.
Prices for Englewood track the wider Colorado market, so use the Colorado price table as your baseline and the services page to see what is included.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Local rules worth knowing in Colorado
If you might move away from Colorado 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 Colorado allows, set out below.
To find your county or city office in Colorado, start with the official Colorado local government directory.
Start with the Colorado rules, which cover burial, scattering and oversight for the whole state, and treat Englewood's local ordinances as a possible extra layer.
Getting a paw print in Englewood, step by step
- Decide who will take the print: you at home, your vet, or the crematory at intake. The earlier in the process, the more control you have.
- Tell the crematory in writing that you want a print, and ask for a photo of it before cremation.
- Ask how your pet is identified from collection to return, so the print and the ashes definitely belong together.
- Ask about fur clippings too; many providers can add a lock of fur to the print.
- Plan the finishing later. There's no rush to turn a print into jewelry or art; do it when you're ready.
- If you'd like help, send us a few details; we'll write back by email laying out the options.
Keeping the print and the memory close
Freeze-thaw winters and strong summer sun make outdoor memorials in Englewood a careful choice. Granite and bronze hold up, while resin and painted wood can crack or fade. On a balcony or small patio, a heavy, low planter is less likely to blow over. If you bury ashes in a small yard, keep away from utility lines and fences you might replace.
go deeper with the guides or catch up on recent articles, Every option Englewood families choose between is on the services page, run the numbers with the free planning tools, or see how other readers answered in our polls. Close to Englewood we also cover Lakewood, Colorado Springs, Denver and Aurora; the full list for Colorado and for the United States is a click away.
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.
Whose print are you thinking about?
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What worries you most about taking a print yourself?
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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
Is cremation common in Colorado?
For people, yes: about 77.4%[5] of Colorado deaths end in cremation, according to NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Englewood follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
How does Englewood's weather affect pet aftercare?
July is the hottest month in Englewood, with average highs around 90°F, so prompt collection matters most then. Average lows drop below freezing in January, February, March, November and December, which can make digging a grave hard until spring.
Is Englewood big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 13,000 Englewood households keep a dog or cat and around 1,100 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 35,305), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
Will I have to travel to Denver to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Denver (roughly 6 miles from Englewood) 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.
Is there free support if making the print brings up a lot of grief?
Yes. Veterinary schools run free pet loss lines: Cornell's Pet Loss Support Hotline is staffed by veterinary students trained by grief counselors[8], and Tufts runs a volunteer helpline on Monday to Thursday evenings, with 24-hour voicemail[9]. Strong feelings while you hold your pet's paw are normal, and some people find the print is the moment it all becomes real. Our guides also cover early grief.
Can I get a print of my bird's feet?
Yes, with care. Birds are light and their toes are delicate, so use very soft clay and the gentlest pressure, or an inkless kit with treated paper. Ink is best avoided because birds preen and may swallow it. An avian vet can help if your bird is nervous. The result is a lovely, delicate impression of the toes and scales.
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 Colorado's cremation rate at 77.4% 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] Cornell's free Pet Loss Support Hotline (607-218-7457) is staffed by veterinary students trained by professional grief counselors. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, 2026.
- [9] Tufts University's Pet Loss Support Helpline (508-839-7966) is free and volunteer-staffed, 6–9 pm ET Monday to Thursday, with 24-hour voicemail. Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 2026.
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