Keeping your pet's paw print in Burien, Washington
By our estimate, about 19,000 households in Burien share their home with a dog or cat. Every one of those paws can be pressed into clay or ink, ideally long before goodbye. Here's how.
- Take the print before cremation
- Clay, ink or cast, explained simply
- Published prices, no guesswork
Burien, Washington
How owners in Burien get a paw print
Burien is one of the more diverse cities in King County, and families bring their own customs to remembering an animal. Some keep ashes near a home altar or family photos; others prefer a keepsake that can be worn every day. There's no single right choice, and one cremation can supply both an urn and small keepsakes if you ask beforehand.
If you want an outdoor marker, remember that sea spray and damp winters wear down soft materials. Granite, basalt and bronze last well near the Sound, while painted concrete and cheap resin fade or crack. A planter with a memorial plaque works nicely for smaller yards or condos with a balcony. Inside, almost any sealed container will protect ashes, so choose the look and size you'll enjoy seeing every day.
In a smaller place like Burien, the local vet usually arranges aftercare and sends pets to a crematory in a larger centre such as Seattle. That makes the vet the natural moment for a print, because once your pet leaves town it's much harder to ask. Tell the clinic you'd like a clay or ink print before collection, and check it's clear before you leave.
Burien's population is around 51,859, the 26th-largest of the 67 Washington communities we cover. Seattle, roughly 9 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Burien run from there.
Nearby, we also have local pages for SeaTac (3 miles), Tukwila (3 miles) and Renton (6 miles, a larger centre), which can help if your vet or the provider you prefer is based there.
Our estimate
19,000
How many dog- or cat-owning households Burien has (estimate)
How we calculated this
51,859 ÷ 2.5 = 20,744 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 19,000. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
1,600
dog and cat deaths per year in Burien, our estimate
How we calculated this
19,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,600 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.
None of the figures on this this page are ours alone: they rest on Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry.
Burial, cremation and paw prints in Washington
Cremation accounts for about 79.1%[5] of human deaths in Washington, so many households already have a shelf or cabinet where family ashes and photos sit. A pet's print tends to join that shelf. That's worth knowing before you choose a format: a clay disc needs a small stand, an ink print suits a frame the same size as your photos, and a print engraved straight onto the urn saves space altogether.
The Washington percentage above is from Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024) and refers to human funerals. Treat it as context for Burien, not as a count of pets.
Getting a clean print in Burien in any season
Damp winters in Burien are easy on people but can be hard on stored keepsakes. Clay prints kept in a garage or a cardboard box can pick up mildew, and ink on paper can develop brown foxing spots. Keep prints in a living space, not a basement or shed, and store any you're not displaying in an acid-free box with a sachet of silica gel, especially through November.
Mild days in Burien make an old-fashioned sand cast possible. Press your pet's paw into a tray of damp, fine sand, pour in a thin mix of plaster and lift it out once it has set: you get a rough, textured paw that looks like a fossil. It's messier than clay, so work outdoors, but many families love the result. Avoid November, when damp air slows the plaster.
Where the money goes: the print, then the finishing
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 full price table by product is on our Washington 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.
Rules in Washington that touch on keepsakes
Rules in Washington mostly cover the practical side of a pet's death: where a body can be buried, how deep, and where ashes may be scattered. None of it stops you taking a print. It's worth knowing, though, because a print set into a stone often goes where the burial or ashes go, and a landlord or homeowners' association can have its own say.
Washington keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Burien.
Home burial and scattering are governed at the Washington level first; our Washington rules summary has the detail. Then check whether Burien or your HOA adds anything.
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 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
Burien has a growing arts scene in its walkable old town, and some local families lean toward remembrance pieces with a maker's touch: a hand-thrown ceramic urn, a painted portrait, or glass with ashes fused inside. Check that an artist is willing to handle cremated remains before commissioning, since some aren't. Handmade work can take several weeks, so a simple temporary box is fine in the meantime.
or see how other readers answered in our polls, go deeper with the guides or catch up on recent articles, Our services overview lays out every option side by side, use the free tools before you ring anyone. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Seattle, Bellevue, Vancouver and Spokane, and every city in Washington.
Reader polls
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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
Will I have to travel to Seattle to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Seattle (roughly 9 miles from Burien) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
How do Washington attitudes to cremation compare?
Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024) puts the Washington human cremation rate at about 79.1%[5]. We show it on the Burien 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.
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Burien?
There is no frozen-ground season here; average lows stay above freezing all year. The other pressure point is August, when highs around 78°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
Is Burien big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 19,000 Burien households keep a dog or cat and around 1,600 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 51,859), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
How do I get a nose print from my cat?
Cats have small noses and dislike being fussed, so pick a sleepy moment. Use an inkless wipe or the lightest dab of pet-safe ink on a soft sponge, then touch a small folded card to the nose from the front and lift away. Expect a faint, partial print; that's normal. Take several attempts over a few days rather than persisting in one session, and wipe the nose clean afterwards so your cat doesn't lick the residue.
Can I take the print myself before the vet or crematory arrives?
Absolutely, and many people prefer to. Have the clay warmed or the card taped down before the appointment, choose a quiet room and take a few prints while your pet is calm. If collection is happening after a home euthanasia, the team will usually wait a few minutes while you take one afterwards too. Just let them know.
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] Washington had a 79.1% cremation rate in 2024, among the highest in the US. Direct Cremate (citing CANA), 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] 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.
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