Paw Print Keepsakes in New York
A paw print is the one keepsake you can't order later. Here's how owners in New York capture one at home or at the clinic, keep it from cracking or smudging, and have it made into something lasting.
- Prints of senior pets while they're well
- Local finishing or mail-order makers
- Honest costs from real price lists
New York, the United States
Paw Print Keepsakes in New York: what to know
Prices for paw prints in New York are modest compared with the rest of aftercare. The print is usually one of the cheapest items on the list; what you turn it into, such as a silver charm or an engraved urn, is where costs rise. Ask every provider whether a print is already included before you pay for it separately.
Home euthanasia has become far more common across New York, and it has made paw prints easier. When the vet comes to you, the goodbye happens on your pet's own bed, with no waiting room and no rush to leave. Many home-visit vets carry a clay kit. Even if they don't, you can take your own print before they arrive, in a room your pet knows.
We cover 49 communities in New York, from New York City, Buffalo and Yonkers to smaller towns. Conditions vary a lot across New York: summer highs reach about 86°F in Yonkers, while winter lows average 8°F in Utica. In 94% of the New York communities we cover, average lows drop below freezing for three months or more, which matters for home burial.
Our estimate
4,055,000
Estimated pet-owning households across the communities we cover in New York
How we calculated this
The sum of our per-city estimates for the 49 communities in New York on this site: each city's population ÷ national average household size × the national share of households with a pet. Households with several pets count once.
Every New York community we cover
Choose your city or town for local prices, weather and timing, and rules. 49 communities in New York, largest first below.
- New York City8,584,629 people
- Buffalo274,613 people
- Yonkers212,603 people
- Rochester206,108 people
- Syracuse144,896 people
- Albany101,698 people
- New Rochelle85,864 people
- Mount Vernon72,304 people
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How New York thinks about cremation, and why prints matter
Roughly 55.7%[1] of deaths in New York end in cremation, which often means one family holds both preferences. A grandparent may want the dog buried under the apple tree while a younger owner would rather have ashes on the mantel. If that debate is happening in your house, start with the print. Everyone agrees on it, it has to come first anyway, and it buys you a calmer hour to decide the rest.
Source for the New York figure: NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It describes human funerals and is here as context, not as a count of pets.
Budgeting for a print and what it becomes
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[2], and across the US price lists we've checked, paw-print add-ons have a median of about $32[3]. Prices in New York vary by provider, so ask whether a print is already included before you pay extra.
If you'd like the print framed with a lock of fur, one Northeast crematory network charges $133 for that combination and $23 for a fur clipping on its own[4]. Some water cremation providers bundle a print in too: an Arizona aquamation service includes an ink paw print in individual packages from $75 to $349[5]. In New York, it's worth asking every provider what comes with the package before adding extras.
| Keepsake | Published price | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Clay paw impression (crematory add-on) | $10[2] | Arizona aquamation provider; nose print also $10 |
| Ink paw prints | $49[4] | Northeast crematory network |
| Clay or silver-clay paw print | $76 ($111 framed)[4] | Same network |
| Engraved paw print added to an urn | $20–$35[6] | Typical engraving add-on |
| Paw or nose print pendant | from $99.95[7] | Online memorial retailer |
| Sterling silver charm from your pet's print | $143 plus chain[8] | About two weeks to make |
| Median paw-print add-on | about $32[3] | Our estimate across US crematory price lists |
None of the figures on this this page are ours alone: they rest on Memorials.com and Memorials.com.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Local rules worth knowing in New York
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 New York 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.
- Burial at home: Confirm the rule for the actual parcel and proposed burial with the local authority and property owner.
- Scattering ashes: Ask the exact land manager about scattering before making arrangements; a general gathering permission is a separate matter.
- Who oversees it: the authority responsible for the specific activity and location; this guide does not identify a universal permit or licensing rule
- Worth knowing: Record the service method, release authority, identification and return instructions in writing.
A city's population does not establish which aftercare activities are allowed at an address. Check the actual site and activity before proceeding.
County and city offices set many of the local rules. To find yours, start with the official New York local government directory.
Getting a paw print in New York, step by step
- Mention the print when you book the euthanasia appointment or cremation, not on the day. Ask for it to be written on the aftercare form.
- Ask what kind they take: a clay disc, an ink print or both. If you might want jewelry later, ask for an ink or inkless print as well.
- Ask for two copies when several people at home would each like their own.
- Ask to see or photograph the print while your pet is still at the clinic; a smudged one can then be done again.
- Check how it comes back: in your hands the same day, or alongside the ashes later, and what name goes on it.
- Keep the paperwork so that, once everything is returned, the invoice, ashes and print can be tied together.
Turning a print into something lasting
A scan of the print can become a small rubber stamp, the kind a stationery or print shop makes from any clean black-and-white image. Some families use it on birthday cards, the inside cover of a photo album or the corner of a letter to a friend who knew the pet. It's an everyday way to keep their paw in circulation, and it costs far less than jewelry.
The services page compares what each option includes, the planning tools turn your animal's details into figures, and the poll results show what other families chose. All locations lists every region we cover.
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.
What worries you most about taking a print yourself?
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 communities do you cover in New York?
We have local paw print keepsake guides for 49 communities in New York, including New York City, Buffalo and Yonkers. Each page covers timing, weather, local prices and how to ask your vet or crematory for a print.
Does the weather in New York affect clay and ink prints?
Yes. Summer highs reach about 86°F in Yonkers, where air-dry clay can crack if it dries too fast and ink can smudge on a warm paw. Winter lows average 8°F in Utica, cold enough to ruin plaster that freezes before it sets. Whatever the season, take and dry prints indoors at room temperature.
When is the best time of year in New York to make a garden stone from a paw print?
Spring or autumn suits most places. Concrete and mortar need moderate weather to cure, and New York has both extremes: Yonkers peaks near 86°F in summer, and Utica averages lows of 8°F in winter. Keep the clay or ink original indoors for now, and mix the stone on a dry, mild day once the soil can be dug.
Where can I get a paw print keepsake in New York?
Across New York, most vets, in-home euthanasia vets and pet crematories can take a clay or ink paw print, usually before cremation. You can also take one yourself at home with a kit. For jewelry, engraving or art, local makers and online studios both work from a clear print or a scan. Ask for the print when you book aftercare, not afterwards.
Can children help make a paw print?
Often, yes, and many find it helps. Let them roll the clay, pick the frame or add their own handprint next to the paw. When the print is made after death, a vet or another adult can take it privately and show them the result. There are age-by-age ideas in our children's print-making guide.
Are there rules about paw prints in New York?
No. You can take, keep, post and display a paw print, cast or ashes pendant freely. The rules in New York cover burial and scattering, which matter if you plan a garden stone set with the print or want to scatter ashes after keeping a pinch for jewelry.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected New York's cremation rate at 55.7% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] 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.
- [3] 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.
- [4] 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.
- [5] A Greener Place in Mesa, Arizona, charges $75–$349 for individual pet aquamation by weight, including an urn, nameplate and ink paw print. A Greener Place Pet Aquamation – Pricing, 2026.
- [6] Adding an engraved paw print or symbol to a pet urn typically costs $20–$35. Memorials.com – Pet Urn Cost Guide, 2025.
- [7] Paw print and nose print pendants at Memorials.com start at $99.95. Memorials.com – Pet print jewelry, 2026.
- [8] A custom sterling silver actual-paw-print charm costs $143 before the chain (about $59–$79 for silver) and takes about 2 weeks to make. String of Jewels – Actual paw print necklace, 2026.
- [9] Around 765,000 U.S. families a year are likely open to a personalized pet keepsake. Our estimate: 1.5M pet cremations x 51% interest in personalized memorials. How we calculate.
Find help with a paw print keepsake
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