A paw print to keep, in Sioux Falls
Roughly 6,550 dogs and cats die in Sioux Falls 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.
- Nose prints and fur clippings too
- Keep a scan so the original stays home
- Options that serve Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Paw print keepsakes in Sioux Falls: where to start
A memorial stone in a Sioux Falls yard has to survive deep frost, snow, hail and summer sun, so choose granite or quartzite with deep engraving over painted or resin pieces. Many families wait until spring to place a stone or plant something, since the ground is frozen for months. An indoor urn holds the ashes safely through the winter until you're ready.
Families on the Northern Plains are often spread across long distances, with grown children in Minneapolis, Omaha, Denver or farther away, and a family pet may have been part of all their childhoods. Cremation jewelry, mini urns and clay paw print casts let everyone keep a piece of that shared history. If you'd like the ashes divided, ask when you order so they come back in several containers, and ask for the paw print before cremation.
Home goodbyes are increasingly common in Sioux Falls. If you're booking an in-home vet, ask whether they bring a clay kit and whether they'll take two prints, one for each person in the family. Taking your own print the day before, when your pet is calm and comfortable on their own bed, is another option and often gives a cleaner result.
Sioux Falls's population is around 213,748, the largest of the 10 South Dakota communities we cover.
Families in Sioux Falls often end up using a provider from Brookings (53 miles), Yankton (56 miles) and Mitchell (67 miles). That is normal: crematories serve a radius, not a single town, and the drive is priced into collection.
Our estimate
78,500
Sioux Falls: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
213,748 ÷ 2.5 = 85,499 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 78,500. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
6,550
Sioux Falls families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
78,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 6,550 a year. Treat it as a minimum.
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.
We built the this numbers from Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, and both are worth a look if you want the detail.
What local funeral habits mean for a print
Human funerals in South Dakota split between cremation, at about 53.2%[5], and burial for most of the rest, so pet cemeteries and pet crematories both have a local following. If you're leaning toward a cemetery plot, ask what kind of marker they allow. Some accept an etched granite plaque, some a bronze plate cast from a clay print, and some only flat stones. The answer tells you whether you need a clay impression, a flat ink print or both.
That South Dakota rate is a human one, published by NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). We quote it for Sioux Falls only as a pointer to how families here already think about cremation.
Weather in Sioux Falls and your pet's print
With 5 months of freezing average lows, Sioux Falls winters are hard on posted parcels too. If you're sending a clay print away to be cast in metal or scanned for jewelry, wrap it well, avoid shipping over a weekend and send a photo or scan first where the maker accepts one. Then the original never has to leave your warm house at all.
Winter in Sioux Falls offers a keepsake many owners overlook: your pet's tracks in fresh snow. On a still morning in January, a line of paw prints across the yard can be photographed from directly above and later engraved or printed, much like an ink print. It's no replacement for a proper impression, but for an older dog who loves the snow, it's a lovely record of an ordinary day.
What owners in Sioux Falls typically pay for a print
The print itself is cheap; what you turn it into is where the budget goes. At one urn retailer, an engraved paw print added to an urn typically costs $20–$35[6] and paw and nose print pendants start from $99.95[7]; a custom sterling silver charm made from your pet's actual print costs about $143 before the chain[8]. Custom silver print charms from one crematory network run $290 to $420[9].
The South Dakota price table breaks costs down by product; our services page explains what sits behind each line.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Rules in South Dakota that touch on keepsakes
Rules in South 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 Sioux Falls? The South Dakota local government directory is the official list.
The rules that apply across South Dakota (home burial, scattering and who oversees pet cremation) are summarized on our South Dakota page. Sioux Falls may add its own conditions, so check with the city or county before digging.
In order: the print, the aftercare, the keepsake
- Take a breath. When a pet dies at home, the first few hours usually leave enough time to make a print. Settle them on a towel somewhere cool.
- Gather what you need: a damp cloth, and either clay you've softened between your palms or a sheet of card fixed to a board alongside a pet-safe ink pad.
- If the leg has stiffened, bring the clay to the paw. Press it gently onto the pads rather than forcing the paw down.
- Take a nose print too if you'd like one, with a light touch of ink or an inkless wipe.
- Call your vet or crematory afterwards, and let them know a print has already been made so they can skip that step.
- Let the print dry indoors, away from heaters and sunny windows, before you frame or post it anywhere.
Remembering your pet through their print
Falls Park, with its pink quartzite ledges and the Big Sioux River pouring over them, is the heart of Sioux Falls for many families, and the bike trail that loops the city along the river is where many people spent time with their pets. Scattering in city parks and the river has rules, so check before you go. Keeping ashes at home, or planting a tree with a biodegradable urn in spring, is simpler.
Every option Sioux Falls families choose between is on the services page, the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones, try the free planning tools, or look at how readers voted in our polls. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Aberdeen, Yankton, Brookings and Rapid City, and every city in South Dakota.
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.
What worries you most about taking a print yourself?
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 do South Dakota attitudes to cremation compare?
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) puts the South Dakota human cremation rate at about 53.2%[5]. We show it on the Sioux Falls page because pet aftercare choices tend to track it: where cremation is normal for people, communal and private pet cremation are both easy to find.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Sioux Falls?
Usually yes. Brookings is about 53 miles away, Yankton is about 56 miles away and Mitchell is about 67 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
How does Sioux Falls's weather affect pet aftercare?
July is the hottest month in Sioux Falls, with average highs around 85°F, so prompt collection matters most then. Average lows drop below freezing in January, February, March, November and December, which can make digging a grave hard until spring.
How many pet owners live in Sioux Falls?
By our estimate, about 78,500 households in Sioux Falls have at least one dog or cat, and around 6,550 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 213,748, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
My pet has been in cold storage. Can I still get a print?
Usually, yes. A pet kept in a clinic cooler or a cold room will have firm pads and stiff legs, so the trick is to warm the clay well and press it gently onto the paw instead of pressing the paw into the clay. Ink works too, with a light touch. If you can, ask for the print before your pet goes into cold storage.
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] The NFDA projected South Dakota's cremation rate at 53.2% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [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] Final Gift's pet memorial jewelry runs from a $60 urn pendant to $290–$420 for custom sterling silver print charms, with glass ash beads at $245. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
- [10] Published ashes-return times across the network's markets range from same-day (paid express) to about 4 weeks; a conservative typical window is 3-14 days. Our estimate: min/max across sources: Lambeth 3 days; US 5-10 days; RSPCA QLD within 14 days; AniCura Sweden 2-4 weeks. How we calculate.
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