Pet Urns in Canada
Local crematory counter or online shop? Wood, ceramic, marble or brass? Here's how families in Canada choose an urn, with sourced prices and no pressure to decide today.
- Sized from your pet's weight
- Local crematory urns vs online makers
- No obligation, we reply by email
Canada
Pet Urns in Canada: what to know
In Canada, most families first see urns at the pet crematory, which usually offers a small range with its private cremation service. You're never obliged to buy one there. Many people take the ashes home in the temporary container and choose an urn later from an online seller or a local maker.
If you're in Canada and trying to work out what to spend, start with the prices a local crematory publishes and compare them with the delivered, engraved price of any urn you like online. Our city pages list sourced price ranges and the questions worth asking before you order.
We cover 30 communities in Canada, from Toronto, Montreal and Calgary to smaller towns.
Browse Canada by region
Pick your state or region to see every community we cover there, or jump straight to one of the largest cities.
Keeping ashes at home: the local attitude
In Canada, about 81.1%[1] of people are cremated, so most families already have a view on urns: whether they like them on display, prefer to scatter, or split the difference. Pet owners here often do the same thing they'd do for a person, keeping a main urn at home and a little in a keepsake or two. It's a practical, unfussy approach, and there's no wrong version of it.
Source for the Canada figure: CANA Industry Statistical Information (2030). It describes human funerals and is here as context, not as a count of pets.
What families in Canada typically pay for an urn
Canadian crematories often publish their urn prices. One in British Columbia lists ceramic ginger-jar urns at CA$43–$70[2], wooden photo urns at CA$68–$88[3] (a nameplate is CA$15 extra[3]) and brass urns at CA$99–$128[4], depending on size. Providers in Canada will usually be in a similar range. Ordering from a US seller can look cheaper, but duties, exchange rates and cross-border shipping often close the gap.
Not every memorial a Canada family buys is an urn. Canadian makers also sell pieces that hold no ashes at all but sit beside the urn: one studio charges from CA$155[5] for a handmade ceramic paw-print keepsake and asks buyers to allow three to four weeks[5]. A BC crematory's slate paw urns cost CA$99 to CA$140[4]. If you want both, order the keepsake first, since it takes longest.
| Urn | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic ginger-jar urn | CA$43–$70[2] | Petite (under 15 lb) to large (50 to 120 lb) |
| Wooden photo urn | CA$68–$88[3] | Nameplate extra |
| Brass urn | CA$99–$128[4] | Up to 50 lb or 50 to 100 lb |
| 1 oz heart keepsake | CA$106[6] | Costs more than a full-size wood urn |
| Source | Okanagan Pet Cremation urns | Prices in Canadian dollars |
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Rules worth knowing before you scatter or bury
Rules about pet ashes are about places, not containers. The urn you choose, whether it's engraved and how long you keep it are entirely your call. What follows for Canada covers where scattering and burial are generally accepted, so you can plan any outdoor part of the memorial without worrying.
In Canada, many pet crematories publish their urn prices in Canadian dollars, which makes comparison easier. Ordering from a US website can add duties, brokerage fees and delays, and a broken ceramic urn is hard to return across the border. Winter weather can also slow deliveries, so order engraved urns early if you're planning a spring burial or scattering.
Step by step in Canada
- Ask the crematory for its urn catalog before the appointment, rather than being handed it at reception when you're least able to think.
- Choose while your pet is still with you if that feels right; some families find it easier while there's time.
- Size the urn from their weight at their best, then add a small margin so the bag goes in without forcing.
- Tell the crematory which urn you've picked so the ashes can be transferred into it before you collect them.
- Leave the engraving until the dates are final. An engraved plate can always be attached a couple of weeks afterwards.
- Plan who will collect the urn; for a delivery, make sure someone is in to accept the parcel.
Sharing a pet's memory across the family
Some families tuck the collar tag, a whisker or a lock of fur inside the urn alongside the sealed bag of ashes. It keeps the whole story in one place. Check there's room first, especially for a big dog: by our estimate, a giant-breed dog of about 108 lb returns around 3.8 lb[8] of ashes, which fills a large urn quicker than people expect.
The services page compares what each option includes, the planning tools turn your animal's details into figures, and the poll results show what other families chose. All locations lists every region we cover.
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 does (or will) your pet's urn live?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Will your pet's ashes stay together or be shared?
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.
Urn size calculator
Find the urn volume you need from your pet's weight, plus keepsake and sharing options.
Ashes sharing planner
Split ashes fairly between family members, keepsake urns and jewelry.
Questions people ask
What should I ask a crematory in Canada about urns?
Ask what container the ashes come back in, whether an urn is included in the price, what an upgrade would cost and whether they'll place the ashes into an urn you bring. Ask too how long engraving takes if you order through them. Getting the answers in writing makes it easy to compare with any urn you find elsewhere.
Can I bury my pet's urn at home in Canada?
Burying ashes on land you own is generally allowed and much simpler than burying a body. Renters need the landlord's agreement, and homeowners' associations can be stricter. A biodegradable urn returns to the soil; a sealed wooden or metal urn lasts much longer. If you might move, keep a portion indoors.
Where can I scatter my pet's ashes in Canada?
Private land with the owner's permission is the simplest choice. Parks, beaches and waterways often have their own rules, and some ask you to request permission first. Pick a quiet spot away from paths and water intakes, scatter close to the ground and downwind, and consider keeping a little back in a keepsake.
How long does an engraved pet urn take to arrive in Canada?
It depends on the seller and the work. Simple laser engraving can be quick; photo engraving, figurines and custom ceramics can take several weeks, and deliveries to rural areas take longer. Ask for the making and shipping times separately and add a margin if a date matters.
Which urn materials cope best with the weather in Canada?
Indoors, almost any urn is fine away from direct sun and heaters. Outdoors, granite, sealed stone and outdoor-rated metal handle both heat and frost; wood and unglazed ceramic don't. With summer highs around °F in Canada and winter lows near °F in Canada, the right choice depends on where you are.
How can our family share a pet's ashes across Canada?
Set aside small shares before filling the main urn and give each person a matching keepsake. The ashes sharing planner shows how much each share can hold. Keepsake or mini urns typically cost $15–$60[9] in the US (per one large retailer), and sets are cheaper per piece.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] CANA projects the Canadian cremation rate will reach 81.1% by 2030. CANA Industry Statistical Information, 2030.
- [2] Okanagan Pet Cremation's ceramic ginger-jar pet urns cost CA$43–$70, from petite (under 15 lb) to large (50–120 lb). Okanagan Pet Cremation – Urns, 2026.
- [3] A Canadian pet crematory (Okanagan Pet Cremation) sells wooden photo urns for CA$68–$88 by pet size, plus CA$15 for a nameplate. Okanagan Pet Cremation – Urns, 2026.
- [4] Brass pet urns at Okanagan Pet Cremation cost CA$99 (up to 50 lb) or CA$128 (50–100 lb); slate paw urns cost CA$99–$140. Okanagan Pet Cremation – Urns, 2026.
- [5] Spawts, a Canadian studio, charges from CA$155 for a handmade ceramic paw-print keepsake and asks buyers to allow 3–4 weeks. Spawts – Ceramic keepsakes, 2026.
- [6] A 1 oz heart keepsake urn costs CA$106 at Okanagan Pet Cremation, more than its full-size solid wood urn at CA$79. Okanagan Pet Cremation – Urns, 2026.
- [7] A 1 oz keepsake urn can cost about a third more than a full-size wooden urn at the same crematory. Our estimate: CA$106 heart keepsake / CA$79 solid wood urn. How we calculate.
- [8] A median-weight giant-breed dog (48.8 kg / 108 lb) would be expected to return about 1.71 kg (3.8 lb) of cremated remains, needing an urn of about 108 cubic inches. Our estimate: 48.8 kg x 3.5% x 2.2046 lb/kg; urn = 108 lb x 1 cu in/lb. How we calculate.
- [9] Keepsake or mini pet urns cost about $15–$60, versus $25–$100 for small and $40–$200 for medium urns (Memorials.com). Memorials.com – Pet Urn Cost Guide, 2025.
Ask for urn and keepsake ideas by email
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.