Getting your pet's paw print in Evans
Roughly 690 dogs and cats die in Evans each year, by our estimate, and many owners only think of a paw print afterwards. Here's how to make sure yours is taken in time.
- Take the print before cremation
- Clay, ink or cast, explained simply
- Published prices, no guesswork
Evans, Colorado
Getting a paw print in Evans: the local picture
Colorado's human cremation rate is about 77 percent, among the highest in the country, so many Evans families have already chosen an urn or scattered ashes for a relative. That experience can make decisions about a pet feel more familiar. Some households divide the ashes so grown children each keep a share; others create one piece for the whole family. If you want the ashes divided, mention it before they are returned to you.
Anything set outdoors in Evans faces strong high-plains sun, hail in late spring and summer, and freeze-thaw cycles for half the year. Granite and cast bronze hold up well there; painted resin and thin wood tend to crack or fade within a few seasons. If a tree urn appeals to you, plant it once the frost risk has passed and pick a species that copes with dry, alkaline plains soil.
One advantage of a town like Evans is that people know each other. Your vet team has probably met your pet many times and will understand why a print matters. Small practices often keep a clay kit on the shelf for exactly this. If they don't, ask whether you can bring your own and take the print together in a quiet room.
About 22,500 people live in Evans, which makes it the 29th-largest of the 36 Colorado communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve Evans are based about 43 miles away in Aurora, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
For a second opinion on price, Greeley (5 miles, a larger centre), Johnstown (9 miles) and Windsor (12 miles) are close enough that their providers cover Evans routinely. Two written quotes tell you more than any price list.
Our estimate
8,300
How many dog- or cat-owning households Evans has (estimate)
How we calculated this
22,500 ÷ 2.5 = 9,000 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 8,300. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
690
Evans families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
8,300 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 690 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 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 percentage above is from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) and refers to human funerals. Treat it as context for Evans, not as a count of pets.
Getting a clean print in Evans in any season
Winter in Evans brings average lows at or below freezing in January, February, March, April, November and December. Cold makes modeling clay stiff, so warm it in your hands for a few minutes and roll it smooth before pressing. If your pet has been kept in a cold garage, a clinic cooler or a crematory's cold room, the paw pads will be firm, so press the clay onto the paw rather than the paw into the clay.
Winter in Evans offers a keepsake many owners overlook: your pet's tracks in fresh snow. On a still morning in January, a line of paw prints across the yard can be photographed from directly above and later engraved or printed, much like an ink print. It's no replacement for a proper impression, but for an older dog who loves the snow, it's a lovely record of an ordinary day.
Paw print costs around Evans, line by line
A paw print is one of the least expensive keepsakes there is. Many US crematories sell it as a small add-on: one Arizona provider lists a clay paw impression at $10, a nose print at $10 and a laser-engraved paw print at $15[6], and across the US price lists we've checked, paw-print add-ons have a median of about $32[7]. Prices in Evans vary by provider, so ask whether a print is already included before you pay extra.
We keep the detailed Colorado price table on one page so it stays current: see Colorado prices.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
What Colorado allows after your pet dies
You don't need anyone's permission to take your pet's paw print, and prints, casts and ashes jewelry can be kept, posted or carried anywhere. The rules that matter in Colorado are about burial and scattering. If you plan a home burial, take the print before you begin; if you plan to scatter, keep some ashes back for a print pendant first.
The official Colorado local government directory lists every county and city office, which is the quickest way to find who to ask in Evans.
The Colorado page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. Evans's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
A short checklist for a clean print
- If your pet is still with you, don't wait. Pick a quiet, settled moment, perhaps once they've eaten or come back from a walk, and make the print then. Prints taken while a pet is alive tend to come out sharpest.
- Choose your method. Clay if you want something to hold; ink or an inkless sheet if jewelry or engraving might come later. The kit chooser can settle it.
- Trim the tufts between the pads with blunt-tipped scissors so the pads, not the fur, make the shape.
- Hold the leg, not the paw, and press straight down with steady pressure, then lift straight up. Take several prints and keep the clearest.
- Dry clay slowly indoors for two or three days, turning it, then seal it with a matte acrylic sealer.
- Photograph or scan the print flat in daylight. Makers can work from that image, so the original stays at home.
From paw print to pendant, frame or garden stone
Evans homes range from modest older houses near the center of town to new builds with small fenced backyards, and the space you have shapes which memorial fits. A compact keepsake can sit on a bookshelf or ride along in a pocket, while an engraved stone needs a garden bed or a sheltered corner of the yard. Decide first where it will live, indoors or out, and let that spot guide the size and material.
or see what other families chose in the poll results, The services page is the place to compare what is included, run the numbers with the free planning tools, go deeper with the guides or catch up on recent articles. Close to Evans we also cover Colorado Springs, Thornton, Aurora and Fort Collins; 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.
Who would you rather take the print?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Whose print are you thinking about?
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 Evans?
The closest communities we cover are Greeley (about 5 miles), Johnstown (about 9 miles) and Windsor (about 12 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Evans too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
How many pet owners live in Evans?
By our estimate, about 8,300 households in Evans have at least one dog or cat, and around 690 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 22,500, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
Where are the providers that serve Evans actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Aurora, about 43 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Evans and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Evans?
January, February, March, April, November and December: average lows are below freezing then, and frozen ground makes a home grave slow or impossible until it thaws. The other pressure point is July, when highs around 89°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
Why take a paw print in Evans if I already have plenty of photos?
Photos show what your pet looked like; a print records something you touched every day, at actual size. We estimate Evans has around 8,300 dog- or cat-owning homes and loses about 690 of those pets a year. Most of those owners have hundreds of photos. The difference is that photos can be found later, while a print only exists if someone makes it before the body is cremated or buried, which is why it's worth doing first.
What if my family can't agree who keeps the print?
Take several. Clay can be re-rolled and ink prints are quick, so there's no reason to stop at one. If the original is already made, photograph or scan it and have copies made: framed ink prints, small engraved tags or matching pendants. Our ashes sharing planner can help if you're dividing ashes between keepsakes too.
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] 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.
- [7] 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.
Ask who takes paw prints in Evans
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.