Paw Print and Fur Keepsake Options: What Clinics Offer and How to Plan

Small Tangible Memories That Last Decades

Paw prints and fur clips are among the most accessible and most enduring keepsakes a family can have from a beloved pet. Most veterinary clinics and in-home euthanasia services offer these at no or modest cost, but families often do not know what is available, what to request, or when to take an impression or clip. This guide covers the standard options, the difference between advance and post-mortem keepsakes, and how to plan so that on the hardest day you do not have to make these choices under pressure.

One thing worth knowing up front: advance impressions and fur clips — taken while the pet is healthy or in hospice — are often more meaningful for many adopters than post-mortem versions. There is something different about a paw print taken from a wagging dog or a curious cat than one taken after they have gone. Both are valid. Both are precious. But if you have the option to clip and print in advance, many families wish they had done so.

If You Are Reading This in Crisis

If you or someone in your household is in mental-health crisis, call or text 988 (US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) — free, confidential, 24/7. International readers: contact your local crisis line. The ASPCA Pet Loss Hotline at 877-474-3310 is a free pet-bereavement phone line in evening hours. The APLB (Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement) directory at aplb.org lists Certified Pet Loss Professionals (CPLPs).

Paw Print Format One: Clay Impressions

Clay paw prints are the most common keepsake offered by veterinary clinics and in-home euthanasia services. A soft air-dry or kiln-fired clay disc is pressed gently against the pet’s paw pad to create a permanent impression. Most clinics use commercial kits with a flat clay disc, an instruction sheet, and a small bag for transport home. The disc is typically 3 to 4 inches in diameter and the impression captures the paw pad shape including individual toe pads and the central pad.

Clay impressions can be left blank or personalized with the pet’s name and dates either by the clinic or later by the family. Some families paint the impression after it dries; some preserve it as-is. Clay impressions are typically free or very low cost as part of the euthanasia visit. Some clinics offer them at routine vet visits for healthy pets as well — ask your vet if this is available.

Paw Print Format Two: Ink and Paper Prints

Ink prints use non-toxic pet-safe ink on a paper or canvas surface. The vet team gently presses the pet’s paw onto an ink pad, then onto the paper. Ink prints capture fine detail — the small ridges of the paw pad, the spacing of toes — that clay impressions sometimes miss. They are flat and easy to frame or include in scrapbooks.

Many in-home euthanasia services use ink prints as their default keepsake. Some families take ink prints in advance during a healthy vet visit, sometimes combined with the family’s own handprint or thumbprint on the same paper. Multi-pet families often collect prints over time as part of routine family memory-keeping. Ink prints can be framed alongside a photograph of the pet or kept in a memory book.

Paw Print Format Three: Plaster Casts

Plaster casts produce a deeper three-dimensional impression than clay. The pet’s paw is gently pressed into wet plaster (or, in some methods, the plaster is poured into a mold around the paw). The result is a more substantial keepsake piece, sometimes mounted on a wooden base or framed in a shadow box. Plaster casts may carry a small additional fee compared to clay or ink because of the materials and time involved.

Some families commission plaster casts only post-mortem because the process takes longer and many pets do not tolerate it well while alive. The euthanasia team can take the cast after pre-sedation or after the pet has passed. The result is a substantial display piece that some families place on a memorial table or shelf.

Paw Print Format Four: 3D Resin or Bronze Casts

Some specialty providers offer 3D resin or bronze casts from an original paw impression. The original clay or plaster impression is shipped to the provider, who creates a more durable display piece in resin, bronze, pewter, or another permanent material. These are typically post-process commissions (you receive the original keepsake first, then send it to the specialty provider for casting).

Pricing for resin and bronze cast services varies widely by provider and material; frame as ranges. Lead times can be weeks to months. Multi-pet families sometimes commission matching casts as a family-display set.

Fur-Clip Keepsakes: Advance vs Post-Mortem

Fur clipping is the gentlest keepsake to take and arguably the most enduring. A small clip — typically scissor-cut from a less-visible spot like behind the shoulder or below the collar line — preserves something irreducibly individual: the actual texture, color, and pattern of your pet’s fur. Many families say fur clips smell like the pet for years (especially for cats and double-coated dogs).

Advance fur-clip during the pet’s life is often described as more meaningful than post-mortem clipping. Healthy adult fur has a particular vitality that differs from end-of-life fur. Many adopters wish they had clipped in advance. Routine grooming visits are a natural opportunity — most groomers will set aside a small fur sample if asked. Some families clip annually as part of birthday or adoption-anniversary tradition.

Post-mortem fur clipping is universally available through the euthanasia team and is offered as part of standard in-home and many in-clinic services. Ask in advance so the team knows to set aside a clip during the visit.

Nose Prints and Other Less-Common Options

Some clinics and in-home euthanasia services offer nose prints — an ink or clay impression of the pet’s nose. Nose prints are particularly meaningful for some families because the nose pattern (the texture of leathery skin and the distinctive groove arrangement) is as individual as a human fingerprint. Nose prints are less universally offered than paw prints; ask the provider directly.

Other less-common options include whisker preservation (a few clipped whiskers in a small clear vial or capsule), full-tail or ear-fur clips (more substantial than a small clip), and casting of the pet’s collar tag impression. Some specialty crematories offer additional services as part of premium aftercare packages.

How to Ask in Advance

If your pet is in active hospice or end-of-life planning, the most practical step you can take is to call the euthanasia provider (clinic or in-home service) a few days in advance and ask about keepsakes. Standard questions:

• What paw-print options do you offer?
• What is included in the visit fee, and what is an add-on?
• Do you offer fur-clip as part of the visit?
• Can I bring a small container or envelope for the fur clip?
• Do you offer nose prints or other impressions?
• Can keepsakes be taken before or after the procedure, or both?

Most providers welcome these questions and have well-rehearsed processes. Some offer keepsake packages that include multiple format options. Asking in advance reduces decision burden on the day. Our walkthrough of day-of euthanasia: what to expect describes how keepsakes integrate into the visit timing.

Keepsakes for Pets Who Died Suddenly or At Home

If your pet died unexpectedly at home or at the emergency hospital, you may not have had the chance to plan keepsakes. Many cremation providers offer paw-print and fur-clip services at intake — even if the body has been at the clinic or in storage for a day or two. Ask your aftercare provider what is still possible.

For families dealing with sudden loss, see our resources on sudden death in cats and sudden vs anticipated pet loss grief. Sudden loss has a distinct grief profile, and the absence of planned keepsakes can be one of the painful gaps.

Integrating Keepsakes with Other Memorial Choices

Paw prints, fur clips, and other keepsakes integrate naturally with broader memorial practices. Many families later commission jewelry from advance fur clips or paw-print impressions — see pet memorial jewelry and keepsake options for ash, fur, and print-based jewelry categories. Some families incorporate paw prints into journaling and photography rituals — see pet loss journaling and photography rituals. Some include them in virtual memorial pages — see virtual pet memorial services.

Our broader overview of memorializing a pet covers how keepsakes fit into ritual and remembrance. For families in Singapore, see pet memorial services in Singapore for region-specific provider information.

Keepsakes for Children and Family Members

Children often find tangible keepsakes especially meaningful — something they can hold and touch helps concretize an abstract loss. A paw-print impression in a child’s bedroom, a small fur-clip envelope kept in a memory box, or a child-painted version of a clay impression can be powerful. Our resources on helping children grieve pet loss, rainbow bridge pet loss for kids, and the rainbow bridge poem describe age-appropriate ritual and language.

For families with multiple children, multiple paw-print impressions or shared multi-print pieces let each child have something to hold. Some families let each child paint or decorate their own copy of a clay impression. Others incorporate keepsakes into family memory boxes that grow over the years.

Practical Storage and Display

Once you have keepsakes, simple storage and display matter. Clay impressions and plaster casts are fragile — store flat, away from moisture and direct sun, ideally in a padded box or display case. Fur clips keep well in small zip-seal bags, glass vials, or paper envelopes; some families add a few silica gel packets to preserve dryness. Ink prints store well between acid-free paper or in archival sleeves.

For display, framing under glass protects paw prints and fur clips from dust and handling damage. Shadow boxes accommodate three-dimensional keepsakes. A dedicated memorial shelf or table allows the family to bring keepsakes together for anniversary rituals.

The Honest Note on Timing

Not every family takes keepsakes; not every family wants them. Some adopters find keepsakes essential; some find them too painful to keep visible. Both responses are valid. If keepsakes do not feel right for you, you do not need to take them. If they feel right later — months or years after the loss — many keepsake forms (especially advance fur clips and pre-existing photographs) can still be made into commissioned memorial pieces. Our guide to coping with pet loss covers grief practice broadly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are paw prints and fur clips usually free?

Most clinics and in-home euthanasia services include basic paw prints (clay or ink) and fur clips at no or modest additional cost. Premium options (plaster casts, bronze casts, nose prints) may carry add-on fees. Always ask in advance.

Should I clip fur during my pet’s healthy life or wait until end of life?

Many adopters wish they had clipped during healthy life because the texture and resonance are different. Routine grooming visits or annual birthday rituals are natural times. Post-mortem clipping is also meaningful and universally available. Both are valid; advance clipping just gives you more options.

What if my pet died suddenly and I did not plan keepsakes?

Most cremation and aftercare providers offer paw-print and fur-clip services at intake even after the body has been in storage briefly. Ask the provider. Sudden loss often leaves keepsake gaps; this is one of the grief realities and not a failure of planning.

Can I take paw prints from a healthy pet right now?

Yes. Many vets and groomers will help, and DIY kits are available. Taking paw prints during health, at adoption anniversaries, or during birthday rituals builds a memory archive that becomes deeply meaningful later.

I am struggling with grief — where can I get support?

If you or someone in your household is in mental-health crisis, call or text 988 (US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) — free, confidential, 24/7. International readers: contact your local crisis line. The ASPCA Pet Loss Hotline (877-474-3310) offers free pet-loss phone support in evening hours. The APLB CPLP directory at aplb.org lists licensed therapists trained in pet bereavement.