Keeping your pet's paw print in Crown Point, Indiana
By our estimate, about 13,000 households in Crown Point 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
Crown Point, Indiana
Getting a paw print in Crown Point: the local picture
The deep cold and snow of a Lake County winter, followed by wet springs, are tough on outdoor memorials. Pick heavy materials such as granite or bronze, and bed them on sand or gravel so frost heave doesn't tilt them. A spot away from downspouts and the driveway avoids ice buildup and road salt, and the engraving stays readable longer.
Crown Point's older neighborhoods near the square have established gardens, and families there sometimes choose a stone marker under a mature tree. Newer subdivisions may have rules about yard features, making an indoor memorial simpler. Either way, the ashes will be returned in a simple temporary container, and you have time to choose something that feels right rather than rushing into a purchase in the first week.
Dogs in and around a town like Crown Point 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 35,616 people live in Crown Point, which makes it the 28th-largest of the 50 Indiana communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve Crown Point are based about 35 miles away in Chicago, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
The closest communities we cover are Merrillville (5 miles), St. John (7 miles) and Schererville (7 miles). Providers serving those towns often travel to Crown Point too, so it can be worth asking them for a quote.
Our estimate
13,000
How many dog- or cat-owning households Crown Point has (estimate)
How we calculated this
35,616 ÷ 2.5 = 14,246 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 13,000. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
1,100
dog and cat deaths per year in Crown Point, our 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. 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.
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
About 56.5%[5] of people in Indiana are cremated, so cremation and burial are both common. Pet owners are split the same way: some bury at home or in a pet cemetery, others choose cremation. Either way, a print should be taken first. With a burial you usually have more time and can do it yourself; with cremation, ask the vet or crematory when you book.
Source for the Indiana number: NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes a pet cremation rate for Crown Point, so the human figure is the best local signal available.
When the weather works against clay and ink
Clinics and crematories in and around Crown Point 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.
Indoor heating in January, February, March, November and December makes the air in Crown Point 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.
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 Crown Point 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 Crown Point track the wider Indiana market, so use the Indiana 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.
What Indiana allows after your pet dies
There are no rules about taking a paw print; it's yours to do at home, at the clinic or at the crematory. Where Indiana does have rules is what happens next: whether your pet can be buried at home and where ashes can be scattered. Those choices can affect your print too, for example if you want it set into a garden stone or a grave marker.
To find your county or city office in Indiana, start with the official Indiana local government directory.
For Indiana's rules on burying a pet at home or scattering ashes, see the Indiana guide. Local rules in Crown Point can be stricter than the state's, especially in homeowners' associations and rentals.
What to do first, and what can wait
- Tell your child what's happening in plain words, then offer them a part in making the print if they want one. Our guide to print-making with children has age-by-age ideas for what they can do.
- Give them a real job: they can roll the clay, pick the card, or write the name.
- Let them press a hand or fingerprint next to the paw, if they'd like to.
- If the print is taken after death, leave the pressing to an adult or the vet, then let your child see the result.
- Make a copy for your child's room, so the original can stay somewhere safe.
- Come back to it later. One child wants it framed the same week; another won't look at it for months.
Shelf, wall or garden: where the print ends up
Keepsakes that suit Crown Point's family-centered, small-town feel include a paw print cast in plaster, a fur clipping saved in a small frame, or a necklace holding a bit of ash. When several generations were attached to the same pet, small shared vessels can go to each household. Mention prints and fur early, since they need to be collected before cremation.
or see how other readers answered in our polls, look through our guides and the blog, Compare every option on our services page, run the numbers with the free planning tools. More local pages: Evansville, South Bend, Indianapolis and Carmel, the Indiana 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.
Whose print are you thinking about?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Where would your pet's print live?
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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
Will I have to travel to Chicago to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Chicago (roughly 35 miles from Crown Point) 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.
Does the Crown Point climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In July, with highs near 84°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. In January, February, March, November and December, when lows sit below freezing, a home burial may have to wait for a thaw, so cremation with ashes returned keeps your options open.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Crown Point?
Usually yes. Merrillville is about 5 miles away, St. John is about 7 miles away and Schererville is about 7 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 Crown Point?
By our estimate, about 13,000 households in Crown Point have at least one dog or cat, and around 1,100 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 35,616, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
How do I get a nose print from my cat?
Cats have small noses and dislike being fussed, so pick a sleepy moment. Use an inkless wipe or the lightest dab of pet-safe ink on a soft sponge, then touch a small folded card to the nose from the front and lift away. Expect a faint, partial print; that's normal. Take several attempts over a few days rather than persisting in one session, and wipe the nose clean afterwards so your cat doesn't lick the residue.
Why do so many owners miss the chance to take a print?
Because a print has a window. By our estimate, around 1,100 dogs and cats die in Crown Point each year, many of them suddenly or at an emergency clinic, when a clay kit is the last thing on anyone's mind. Taking a print while your pet is well, or asking for one when you book aftercare, is the simplest way not to miss it.
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 Indiana's cremation rate at 56.5% 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] 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 Crown Point
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.