A paw print to keep, in Dickinson
Roughly 790 dogs and cats die in Dickinson 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.
- Home kit or vet-taken: your choice
- Tips for heat, humidity and cold
- Ideas for jewelry, engraving and art
Dickinson, North Dakota
Arranging a paw print around Dickinson
Western North Dakota's wind, hail and deep freezes are hard on garden memorials. A flat granite stone or a piece of native rock set level with the ground lasts well in a Dickinson yard. Some families place an urn indoors right away and add an outdoor marker the following spring, once the family has agreed on a spot and the soil has thawed enough to set it properly.
Pairing a bio urn with a sapling takes planning on the semi-arid plains west of the Missouri. Choose a drought-hardy native, set it out after the last hard frost and give it regular deep watering through its first two summers. A spot on the lee side of a house or shelterbelt gives it the best chance against the steady wind, and a mulch ring keeps grass from competing.
Supplies are easy to find even in a small town. Air-dry modeling clay, a washable non-toxic ink pad, card stock and baby wipes are enough for a first print. A purpose-made kit is kinder for fluffy paws and cats, but it may take days to arrive, so buy one while your pet is still well rather than waiting until you need it urgently.
Dickinson's population is around 25,870, the 7th-largest of the 10 North Dakota communities we cover.
Nearby, we also have local pages for Mandan (90 miles), Bismarck (95 miles, a larger centre) and Williston (98 miles), which can help if your vet or the provider you prefer is based there.
Our estimate
9,500
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Dickinson
How we calculated this
25,870 ÷ 2.5 = 10,348 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 9,500. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
790
dog and cat deaths per year in Dickinson, our estimate
How we calculated this
9,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 790 a year. The real figure is unlikely to be lower.
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 Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry; we only apply it to this.
How North Dakota thinks about cremation, and why prints matter
Cremation has become steadily more common in North Dakota, now chosen for about 60.0%[5] of those who die there, and newer pet aftercare providers have arrived with it. Some offer a 3D scan of the paw or a digital print file alongside the clay. If a provider mentions this, ask whether you'll receive the file itself, in a standard format, so you can take it to any maker later rather than only through them.
The North Dakota 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 Dickinson, not as a count of pets.
Getting a clean print in Dickinson in any season
Indoor heating in January, February, March, April, October, November and December makes the air in Dickinson 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.
Clinics and crematories in and around Dickinson often keep pets in cold storage before cremation, especially in January, February, March, April, October, 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.
Where the money goes: the print, then the finishing
Engraving is the add-on that surprises people. By our estimate, name-and-dates engraving adds about 36%[6] to the price of a mid-priced wooden urn, and a paw print costs extra again. Before you pay for either in Dickinson, check your pet insurance: some wellness add-ons reimburse end-of-life costs, and one plan's add-on could pay up to $650 toward cremation, burial and keepsakes[7]. Read the policy wording, then ask for an itemized quote.
The full price table by product is on our North Dakota 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.
Landlords, parks and permits in North Dakota
Rules in North Dakota say a good deal about where a pet can be buried and very little about how a crematory keeps track of each animal. That's one more reason to take your own print: made before collection, it's a record you created yourself. Ask your provider how pets are tagged, and read the burial and scattering notes below for the rest.
Not sure which office covers Dickinson? The North Dakota local government directory is the official list.
For North Dakota's rules on burying a pet at home or scattering ashes, see the North Dakota guide. Local rules in Dickinson can be stricter than the state's, especially in homeowners' associations and rentals.
Your paw print plan for Dickinson
- 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 so you can check it's come out clearly; a text is fine.
- 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, the car needs to stay cool; make your own print once you're back, ahead of any burial or pickup.
- Keep names, numbers and receipts from everyone you deal with, so the pieces fit together afterwards.
Turning a print into something lasting
Keepsakes like a clay paw print or a lock of fur can only be taken before cremation, so bring them up the first time you talk with a provider. Some Dickinson families pair these with a small urn or a pendant for each person who was close to the animal. For smaller pets especially, confirm the likely amount of ash before you buy containers or jewelry.
the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, For a plain comparison of the choices, open services, or look at how readers voted in our polls. If you live between Dickinson and Grand Forks, Minot, Williston and Bismarck, either page applies. Every other community in North Dakota, and all of the United States, is listed too.
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.
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
Roughly how many pets die in Dickinson each year?
Our estimate is around 790. It comes from Dickinson's population (about 25,870), the average household size, the share of homes with a dog or cat (about 9,500 households here) and the average lifespan. It is arithmetic, not a count, so read it as a rough floor.
How does Dickinson's weather affect pet aftercare?
July is the hottest month in Dickinson, with average highs around 84°F, so prompt collection matters most then. Average lows drop below freezing in January, February, March, April, October, November and December, which can make digging a grave hard until spring.
Is cremation common in North Dakota?
For people, yes: about 60.0%[5] of North Dakota deaths end in cremation, according to NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Dickinson follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Dickinson?
Usually yes. Mandan is about 90 miles away, Bismarck is about 95 miles away and Williston is about 98 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Who else can take a paw print if my vet in Dickinson doesn't?
Several people can. The crematory that serves Dickinson normally makes one when your pet arrives. A mobile or home-visit vet may carry a kit. A groomer who knows your pet can tidy the paw fur and help you take one on a good day. And you can do it yourself with air-dry clay and a pet-safe ink pad from a craft store. What matters is that it happens before cremation or burial.
Can I get a print if my pet is being cremated near Dickinson?
Yes. Many crematories take a print at intake and return it with the ashes. But if the crematory is some distance from Dickinson, it's easier to take the print locally, either yourself at home or through your vet before collection. That way you can check it's clear and redo it if needed.
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 North Dakota's cremation rate at 60.0% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] Name-and-dates engraving adds about 36% to the price of a mid-priced wooden pet urn. Our estimate: midpoint engraving $32.50 ($25–$40) / midpoint wood urn $90 ($30–$150). How we calculate.
- [7] Embrace's Wellness Rewards add-on could reimburse up to $650 toward cremation, burial and keepsakes. Pet Insurance Review - Does Pet Insurance Cover Euthanasia? (Dec 2023), 2023.
- [8] 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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