A paw print to keep, in Portland
Roughly 2,150 dogs and cats die in Portland 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.
- Ask for a print when you book
- Help for paws, noses and hooves
- We reply by email, no obligation
Portland, Maine
Who takes paw prints in Portland
Portland's salt air, snow and constant freeze-thaw swings are hard on outdoor keepsakes. Granite, a natural fit in a state with a long quarrying history, and cast bronze endure; painted wood and thin resin crack within a few winters. Hoping to plant a tree urn? Wait until May, when the ground has thawed and the soil has warmed enough for roots.
Plenty of Portland families release some of the ashes somewhere tied to the coast, such as a favorite stretch of Eastern Promenade shoreline or a quiet spot on one of the Casco Bay islands reached by ferry. Check the rules for public land first. Holding the remainder in an urn at home, or dividing it among relatives, is common too.
One advantage of a town like Portland 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.
Portland is home to about 69,911 people, the largest of the 13 Maine communities we cover.
Families in Portland often end up using a provider from South Portland (2 miles), Westbrook (6 miles) and Saco (12 miles). That is normal: crematories serve a radius, not a single town, and the drive is priced into collection.
Our estimate
25,500
Portland: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
69,911 ÷ 2.5 = 27,964 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 25,500. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
2,150
dog and cat deaths per year in Portland, our estimate
How we calculated this
25,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 2,150 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.
If a number here surprises you, the primary material is American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science; we only apply it to this.
How Maine thinks about cremation, and why prints matter
Because Maine cremates about 74.7%[5] of the people who die there, many families have no grave to visit, for people or for pets. Something has to take the place of a headstone, and a print does that job surprisingly well. It's physical, it's unmistakably your animal, and it can hang by the front door or sit on a desk. If you plan to scatter the ashes, the print may be the only memorial you keep.
The Maine figure comes from Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024). It describes people, not pets, so read it as a sign of local attitudes rather than a pet statistic.
Getting a clean print in Portland in any season
If you're planning a garden stone with your pet's print pressed into it, the Portland winter will decide your timing. Concrete and mortar need temperatures above freezing to cure properly, so take the print now in clay or ink and keep it indoors. In spring, once the ground has thawed, you or a local stonemason can use it to make the outdoor memorial.
Snow and ice in January, February, March, November and December can hold up home-visit vets and collection vans around Portland, sometimes by a day. If your pet dies during a storm or a cold snap, you may be caring for them longer than you expected. Keep them in the chilliest room of the house, away from heating, on a towel or blanket. Take the print early in that time, while the paws are still soft enough to press cleanly.
Budgeting for a print and what it becomes
Some providers include the print in the package. A Virginia crematory, for example, includes a paw print and a fur clipping with every private cremation package, which run $189–$300[6]. Others charge separately: a Northeast crematory network lists $49 for ink paw prints, $76 for a clay or silver-clay print and $111 framed[7]. When you compare quotes in Portland, check which approach each provider takes.
We keep the detailed Maine price table on one page so it stays current: see Maine prices.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Burial, scattering and prints in Maine
Some towns and councils in Maine 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.
The official Maine local government directory lists every county and city office, which is the quickest way to find who to ask in Portland.
The rules that apply across Maine (home burial, scattering and who oversees pet cremation) are summarized on our Maine page. Portland may add its own conditions, so check with the city or county before digging.
What to do first, and what can wait
- If your pet dies while you're away from home, phone whoever has them, the kennel, the sitter or a nearby vet, and ask for two things first: that your pet is kept cool, and that a paw print is taken.
- 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 if the print will be posted to you. A flat card survives the mail far better than damp clay.
- If you're driving home with your pet, keep them cool and take your own print when you arrive, before burial or collection.
- Keep names, numbers and receipts from everyone you deal with, so the pieces fit together afterwards.
Keeping the print and the memory close
In Portland's apartments and older houses, space is often tight, so many families pick a compact urn, a tin of keepsakes or an ash-filled charm rather than a large memorial. A window ledge overlooking the bay or a bookcase in the front room can make a meaningful spot. If you rent, anything portable beats a garden stone you would have to leave behind.
Compare every option on our services page, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, or look at how readers voted in our polls. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Sanford, Biddeford, South Portland and Auburn, and every city in Maine.
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.
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
How many pet owners live in Portland?
By our estimate, about 25,500 households in Portland have at least one dog or cat, and around 2,150 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 69,911, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Portland?
January, February, March, 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 80°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Portland?
The closest communities we cover are South Portland (about 2 miles), Westbrook (about 6 miles) and Saco (about 12 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Portland too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Is cremation common in Maine?
For people, yes: about 74.7%[5] of Maine deaths end in cremation, according to Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Portland follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Can I get my dog's nose print?
Yes. Dab a small amount of pet-safe ink onto the nose with a soft sponge, or use an inkless wipe, then press a folded card gently against the nose from the front. It usually takes a few tries. The ridges on a dog's nose make a striking engraving on a pendant or an urn, and many providers take a nose print alongside the paw.
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] Maine had a 74.7% cremation rate in 2024, among the highest in the US. Direct Cremate (citing CANA), 2024.
- [6] Heavenly Paws Cremations in Chantilly, Virginia, sells private cremation packages at $189 (temporary container), $225 (wooden urn) and $300 (wooden photo urn), each including a paw print and fur clipping. Heavenly Paws Cremations – Packages, 2026.
- [7] Final Gift charges $49 for ink paw prints, $76 for a clay or silver-clay paw print, $111 framed, and $133 framed with a fur clipping; a fur clipping alone costs $23. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
- [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.
Ask who takes paw prints in Portland
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