Paw Print Keepsakes in Vermont
A paw print is the one keepsake you can't order later. Here's how owners in Vermont 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
Vermont, the United States
Paw Print Keepsakes in Vermont: what to know
Paw prints in Vermont aren't only for dogs and cats. Horse owners keep hoof prints pressed into clay slabs, bird owners capture tiny feet in soft clay, and rabbit owners find that clay shows the long, furry shape of the hind foot better than ink. Each needs a slightly different approach, and each city page covers the basics.
Many owners in Vermont take their pet's print long before the end, on a calm afternoon while their dog or cat is still a healthy senior. It's gentler, it gives a crisper result and it means the keepsake exists no matter how suddenly things change later. If your pet is still with you, that's the approach we'd suggest first.
We cover 12 communities in Vermont, from Burlington, South Burlington and Rutland to smaller towns. Conditions vary a lot across Vermont: summer highs reach about 82°F in Burlington, while winter lows average 3°F in Newport. In 100% of the Vermont communities we cover, average lows drop below freezing for three months or more, which matters for home burial.
Our estimate
50,000
Estimated pet-owning households across the communities we cover in Vermont
How we calculated this
The sum of our per-city estimates for the 12 communities in Vermont 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 Vermont community we cover
Choose your city or town for local prices, weather and timing, and rules. 12 communities in Vermont, largest first below.
What local funeral habits mean for a print
Because roughly 78.1%[1] of people in Vermont are cremated, ashes jewelry and keepsake urns are familiar here. A paw print pairs naturally with them: an urn engraved with your pet's actual paw, or a pendant with the print on the front and a pinch of ashes inside. If that appeals, ask for a clear flat print that a maker can work from.
We take the Vermont 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 costs around Vermont, line by line
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[2]. 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[3]. In Vermont, it's worth asking every provider what comes with the package before adding extras.
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[4], and entry-level solid gold pieces at the same retailer cost about 15 times the silver equivalent[5]. Ask any maker in Vermont 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.
| 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[2] | Northeast crematory network |
| Clay or silver-clay paw print | $76 ($111 framed)[2] | 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 |
The numbers above come from A Greener Place Pet Aquamation and Memorials.com, if you'd like to read the original sources.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
What Vermont allows after your pet dies
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 Vermont 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 Vermont local government directory.
Your paw print plan for Vermont
- 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 and send it to you, so you know it's clear.
- 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.
From paw print to pendant, frame or garden stone
A garden stone with your pet's paw pressed into it is a lovely outdoor memorial, especially where they used to lie in the sun. Make it from the clay print as a template, or ask a local stonemason to engrave the scanned image. Our guide to displaying prints and engraved tags has more ideas.
From here: services and prices, the free tools, what readers voted in the polls, or the map of every location.
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
Can I get more than one copy of my pet's print in Vermont?
Yes. Request two prints from your vet or crematory at the time of booking; it's a common request and usually costs little extra. Ink prints take seconds, so a home session can produce as many as you like. If you only have one original, scan it and have copies printed, engraved or cast, so every person in the family has their own without anyone giving up the original.
Where can I get a paw print keepsake in Vermont?
Across Vermont, 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.
What do other owners in Vermont 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.
How many communities do you cover in Vermont?
We have local paw print keepsake guides for 12 communities in Vermont, including Burlington, South Burlington and Rutland. Each page covers timing, weather, local prices and how to ask your vet or crematory for a print.
How much does a paw print cost in Vermont?
The print itself is usually a small add-on. Across US crematory price lists, paw-print add-ons range from about $10 to $76, with a median of about $32[10], and some providers include one in the cremation package. Turning it into jewelry or engraving costs more: paw and nose print pendants at one large retailer start from $99.95[8].
Are there rules about paw prints in Vermont?
No. You can take, keep, post and display a paw print, cast or ashes pendant freely. The rules in Vermont 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 Vermont's cremation rate at 78.1% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] 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.
- [3] 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.
- [4] 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.
- [5] 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.
- [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.
Get paw print options in Vermont
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.