Paw Print Keepsakes in Tennessee
Many vets and pet crematories will take a paw print before cremation, but often only if someone asks. This guide to Tennessee covers timing, home kits, costs and turning a print into jewelry or art.
- Home kit or vet-taken: your choice
- Tips for heat, humidity and cold
- Ideas for jewelry, engraving and art
Tennessee, the United States
Paw Print Keepsakes in Tennessee: what to know
Prices for paw prints in Tennessee 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.
Two free tools help owners across Tennessee plan a print. The paw print kit chooser matches clay, ink, inkless and casting kits to your pet's size, coat and temperament, and the memorial budget planner shows what a print costs next to framing, engraving or jewelry. Use them before you call a provider, so you know what to ask for.
We cover 35 communities in Tennessee, from Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville to smaller towns. Conditions vary a lot across Tennessee: summer highs reach about 92°F in Memphis, while winter lows average 26°F in Knoxville. In 58% of the Tennessee communities we cover, average lows drop below freezing for three months or more, which matters for home burial.
Our estimate
1,220,000
Estimated pet-owning households across the communities we cover in Tennessee
How we calculated this
The sum of our per-city estimates for the 35 communities in Tennessee 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 Tennessee community we cover
Choose your city or town for local prices, weather and timing, and rules. 35 communities in Tennessee, largest first below.
- Nashville689,000 people
- Memphis609,647 people
- Knoxville202,021 people
- Chattanooga194,144 people
- Clarksville188,829 people
- Murfreesboro171,178 people
- Franklin90,226 people
- Johnson City74,943 people
What local funeral habits mean for a print
With cremation at only about 48.9%[1] for people in Tennessee, many pets here are laid to rest in a yard or a field. If you'd like the print to mark the spot, keep the original indoors and put a copy outside. Rain, frost and sun wear away clay and ink within a season, while an engraved stone, a metal plate or a resin cast made from a scan will stand up to years of weather.
We take the Tennessee percentage from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It refers to people; attitudes to cremating a pet tend to follow it.
Paw print prices: kits, add-ons and finishing
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[2], and entry-level solid gold pieces at the same retailer cost about 15 times the silver equivalent[3]. Ask any maker in Tennessee 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.
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 Tennessee, 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[6] | 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[7] | Typical engraving add-on |
| Paw or nose print pendant | from $99.95[8] | Online memorial retailer |
| Sterling silver charm from your pet's print | $143 plus chain[9] | About two weeks to make |
| Median paw-print add-on | about $32[10] | Our estimate across US crematory price lists |
None of the figures on this this page are ours alone: they rest on Memorials.com and Final Gift Pet Memorial Center.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
What the law in Tennessee does and doesn't cover
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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee local government directory.
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. Ease it onto the pads with light pressure; don't try to push the foot down.
- Take a nose print too should you want one; barely touch the nose with the ink pad 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.
Keeping the print and the memory close
Frames are the simplest option and often the most loved. An ink print on acid-free card, behind UV-filtering glass and out of direct sun, will stay crisp for decades. Add a photo and an engraved tag with your pet's name, and you have a small memorial that fits on any wall.
Compare every option on our services page, try the free planning tools or see how other readers answered in our polls. You can also go back to all locations.
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.
Where would your pet's print live?
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
What if my pet is cremated far from home?
In rural parts of Tennessee, pets are often cremated in a larger town some distance away. Take the print locally before collection, yourself or through your vet, so you can check it. Many crematories also take one at intake as a backup and return it with the ashes.
What do other owners in Tennessee choose for a paw print keepsake?
We don't publish made-up figures on that. We do run short, anonymous polls on what readers chose, from clay discs to engraved jewelry, and you can see the live results. They count one vote per person and aren't a scientific survey, but they give a feel for how other owners decided.
Does the weather in Tennessee affect clay and ink prints?
Yes. Summer highs reach about 92°F in Memphis, where air-dry clay can crack if it dries too fast and ink can smudge on a warm paw. Winter lows average 26°F in Knoxville, cold enough to ruin plaster that freezes before it sets. Whatever the season, take and dry prints indoors at room temperature.
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.
How many dog and cat households are there in Tennessee?
By our estimate, there are about 1,220,000 dog- or cat-owning households across the Tennessee communities we cover. Each of those pets has a paw that can be pressed into clay or ink, and far fewer owners take a print in time than would like one.
Where can I get a paw print keepsake in Tennessee?
Across Tennessee, 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.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Tennessee's cremation rate at 48.9% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] 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.
- [3] 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.
- [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] 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.
- [7] Adding an engraved paw print or symbol to a pet urn typically costs $20–$35. Memorials.com – Pet Urn Cost Guide, 2025.
- [8] Paw print and nose print pendants at Memorials.com start at $99.95. Memorials.com – Pet print jewelry, 2026.
- [9] 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.
- [10] 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.
Ask who takes paw prints in Tennessee
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.