Getting your pet's paw print in West New York
West New York has an estimated 19,500 dog- or cat-owning households. If yours is one of them, a print taken now, or before cremation, is the keepsake you can't go back for.
- Home kit or vet-taken: your choice
- Tips for heat, humidity and cold
- Ideas for jewelry, engraving and art
West New York, New Jersey
Home, clinic or crematory: paw prints in West New York
Plenty of West New York families have relatives in other countries, and dividing ashes between households is common enough that tiny keepsake urns and pendants are made for exactly that purpose. If a portion may travel abroad, ask the provider for a cremation certificate and check airline rules before flying. A photo taken on Boulevard East with the skyline behind makes a simple, personal centerpiece for whatever you choose.
The newer towers along the river below the cliffs and the older walk-ups on top share one trait: outdoor space is rare, so indoor keepsakes lead the way here. A balcony planter holding a small engraved marker is one option, provided the building allows it. If you'd like a paw print or a clipping of fur, ask before cremation, because neither can be made afterwards.
There may be no ceramic studio or engraver in West New York, but that matters less than it used to. Most jewelry, engraving and print-art makers work from a photo or scan of the print, sent by email, and post the finished piece back. Photograph your print flat in daylight, keep the original safe at home and shop around online without sending anything irreplaceable.
West New York is home to about 53,192 people, the 17th-largest of the 58 New Jersey communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve West New York are based about 5 miles away in New York City, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
Families in West New York often end up using a provider from Union City (2 miles), Cliffside Park (3 miles) and Secaucus (3 miles). That is normal: crematories serve a radius, not a single town, and the drive is priced into collection.
Our estimate
19,500
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in West New York
How we calculated this
53,192 ÷ 2.5 = 21,277 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 19,500. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
1,650
dog and cat deaths per year in West New York, our estimate
How we calculated this
19,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,650 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.
Sources for the statistics above: American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
How New Jersey thinks about cremation, and why prints matter
On cremation, New Jersey sits in the middle, at about 56.5%[5] of human deaths, and for many families the choice is shaped by faith as much as by cost. If your beliefs lean toward burial, or you're simply unsure how you feel about cremating a pet, a paw print sits comfortably with either path. It involves nothing more than a gentle press into clay or onto card, and it leaves your pet exactly as they were.
The New Jersey 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.
Clay, ink and the local climate
Because West New York rarely has extreme heat or hard frost, the timing of a print is really about your pet and your family, not the weather. A senior pet on a good day, a quiet weekend morning and an unhurried hour are worth more than any perfect season. Just avoid July for outdoor concrete work, when damp slows curing.
Mild days in West New York make an old-fashioned sand cast possible. Press your pet's paw into a tray of damp, fine sand, pour in a thin mix of plaster and lift it out once it has set: you get a rough, textured paw that looks like a fossil. It's messier than clay, so work outdoors, but many families love the result. Avoid July, when damp air slows the plaster.
Budgeting for a print and what it becomes
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 New York 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 full price table by product is on our New Jersey page, and the services page explains what each option includes.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
What the law in New Jersey does and doesn't cover
Burial rules in many places, including New Jersey, exist partly because the drugs used in euthanasia stay in the body and can harm wildlife or other pets that dig. A print carries none of those concerns, which is why no one regulates it. If you're choosing between a home burial and cremation, the notes below cover what's allowed here; take the print before either.
The official New Jersey local government directory lists every county and city office, which is the quickest way to find who to ask in West New York.
We keep New Jersey's burial and scattering rules in one place: the New Jersey rules summary. Before a home burial in West New York, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
How to make sure a print is taken in time
- For a horse, book the farrier to trim and clean the hoof first. Pick out the sole and dry it well.
- Press the hoof into a thick slab of clay resting on a board, or coat the sole in non-toxic paint and set it down on stiff card. Ask a helper to keep the leg still while you do it.
- Keep the last shoe and a length of tail or mane hair, which many horse owners have braided or set into resin.
- For a bird or a very small pet, choose the softest clay or an inkless sheet, and barely press at all. Clay picks up tiny toes best.
- For a fluffy cat or rabbit, an inkless kit avoids ink on fur they'll groom later, and clay shows the long shape of a rabbit's foot.
- Dry and store every print indoors, then take a photo so any maker can use the picture, not the original.
From paw print to pendant, frame or garden stone
Space is the main thing shaping memorial choices in West New York. With so many households in apartments and condos, a compact urn, a framed paw print or a small piece of jewelry fits more easily than a garden stone. You don't need to choose anything straight away; ashes come back in a sealed temporary container that can sit on a shelf until you're ready to pick something permanent.
there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details, or look at how readers voted in our polls, The services page is the place to compare what is included, use the free tools before you ring anyone. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Trenton, Paterson, Jersey City and Newark, and every city in New Jersey.
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?
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
Is West New York big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 19,500 West New York households keep a dog or cat and around 1,650 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 53,192), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
Where are the providers that serve West New York actually based?
Some are local, and some run from New York City, about 5 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for West New York and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from West New York?
Usually yes. Union City is about 2 miles away, Cliffside Park is about 3 miles away and Secaucus 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.
Does the West New York climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In July, with highs near 85°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. In January and February, when lows sit below freezing, a home burial may have to wait for a thaw, so cremation with ashes returned keeps your options open.
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[9], and Tufts runs a volunteer helpline on Monday to Thursday evenings, with 24-hour voicemail[10]. 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.
Should I take a paw print while my senior pet is still alive?
If you can, yes. A relaxed living pet usually gives the clearest print, and you can take as many as you like without pressure. It can also give anticipatory grief something useful to do; in an RSPCA survey, 75.4%[11] of bereaved owners said they grieved before their pet died. Choose a calm, good day and keep the session short.
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 New Jersey'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.
- [9] 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.
- [10] 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.
- [11] 75.4% of RSPCA pet-loss survey respondents experienced anticipatory grief before their pet died. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
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