An outdoor memorial for your pet, made for Fontana
By our estimate, about 81,500 households in Fontana have a dog or cat, and roughly 6,800 of those pets are lost each year. Many end up remembered with a stone in a garden bed; here's how to choose one that lasts.
- Engraving and proof steps explained
- Delivery weight and setting, planned ahead
- Quotes by email from makers who serve Fontana
Fontana, California
Choosing a pet memorial stone in Fontana
A memorial stone in a Fontana backyard has to handle strong sun, dry winds and occasional heavy rain. Granite and engraved stone last well; painted or resin pieces can fade quickly. Place it somewhere shaded if you can, perhaps under a tree where your pet liked to rest. An engraved urn indoors and a matching stone outside is a common way to keep both a private and a visible memorial.
The San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains fill the skyline in Fontana on clear days, and some families want a memorial connected to that view: ashes scattered along a trail, or a tree planted in the backyard. Scattering on public forest land has its own rules, so check first. In the Inland Empire heat, a drought-tolerant tree or shrub planted with a biodegradable urn is more likely to thrive.
Pet cemeteries serving mid-size cities are often a drive away, sometimes in the next county. If your pet is resting in one, the cemetery will usually tell you which marker sizes and materials it accepts and whether its own staff must set the stone. Get that in writing before you order, because a stone the cemetery rejects is hard to return.
With roughly 221,223 residents, Fontana is the 18th-largest of the 307 California communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve Fontana are based about 10 miles away in Riverside, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
Nearby, we also have local pages for Jurupa Valley (6 miles), Rancho Cucamonga (9 miles) and Riverside (10 miles), which can help if your vet or the provider you prefer is based there.
Our estimate
81,500
How many dog- or cat-owning households Fontana has (estimate)
How we calculated this
221,223 ÷ 2.5 = 88,489 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 81,500. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
6,800
Estimated dog and cat losses in Fontana each year
How we calculated this
81,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 6,800 a year. A floor, not a ceiling.
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.
If a number here surprises you, the primary material is American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science; we only apply it to this.
Local traditions and what they mean for a pet stone
About 70.5%[5] of people in California are cremated, and local pet crematories are well established. Many offer memorial stones alongside urns, so it's easy to order one when you collect your pet's ashes. It's worth pausing first: a stone chosen a few weeks later, when you know where it will go, usually suits the spot better.
For the California figure we rely on NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Read it as a picture of local custom around death and remembrance in Fontana rather than as pet data.
Fontana weather and your pet's stone
Think about the seasons you actually get around Fontana. Install when the ground is soft and the weather is comfortable, check any ashes compartment seal before the wettest or coldest part of the year, and give the stone a gentle clean with plain water once or twice a year.
Pet memorial stone prices for families in Fontana
Where the stone goes changes the total more than the stone itself. A stone in your own yard costs only what you pay the maker and the carrier. At a pet cemetery, you may also pay for the plot, a marker-setting fee (one Washington cemetery district charges $130[6]) and upkeep. The table below shows typical stone prices before any of those extras.
For a line-by-line price table, see the California overview; for what's included in each option, see our services.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Permissions worth checking in California
A pet grave and its stone stay with the house when you sell, so it's worth thinking ahead. Some owners mention a pet burial to buyers, and a stone set on gravel rather than concrete is easy to take with you. None of this needs a permit in most places; the notes below cover burial and scattering in California.
To find your county or city office in California, start with the official California local government directory.
The California page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. Fontana's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
A step-by-step plan for your situation
- Decide whether each pet gets its own stone or they share one. Several small stones in a matching set look right along a walkway, while a single bigger marker carrying all the names takes up less space.
- If you expect to add names later, leave space on purpose. Have the engraver set the first inscription high up and leave the rest of the face clear.
- Stay with one maker where you can, and keep a record of the stone type, typeface and letter height so a later inscription matches.
- Ask now what a second inscription will cost and find out if the engraver can work on the stone where it sits or needs it returned to the shop.
- Leave enough room between graves that stones don't crowd each other, and sketch a simple plan showing who rests where.
- Set every stone at the same height on the same gravel base, so the group settles evenly and the mower passes cleanly.
Around the stone: plants, benches and small rituals
Many Fontana families live in newer homes with small yards and busy households, so memorials that fit indoors are popular: a compact urn on a shelf, a framed paw print, or cremation jewelry that can be shared among grown children. If several family members want a keepsake, ask for small containers or pendants alongside the main urn so the ashes can be divided before they're returned.
go deeper with the guides or catch up on recent articles, or compare your instinct with the poll results, See what each option includes on our services page, use the free tools before you ring anyone. More local pages: San Jose, Fresno, San Diego and Los Angeles, the California overview and every city in the United States.
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.
If you moved house, what would happen to the memorial?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Which stone would you choose for your pet's marker?
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.
Memorial stone planner
Plan size, material and engraving length so your wording fits the stone.
Memorial tree finder
Pick a tree for a planting urn that suits your climate, space and pet.
Questions people ask
Where are the providers that serve Fontana actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Riverside, about 10 miles away. That is normal for a city this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Fontana and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Is cremation common in California?
For people, yes: about 70.5%[5] of California deaths end in cremation, according to NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Fontana follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Fontana?
Usually yes. Jurupa Valley is about 6 miles away, Rancho Cucamonga is about 9 miles away and Riverside is about 10 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Is Fontana big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 81,500 Fontana households keep a dog or cat and around 6,800 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 221,223), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
Where can I find free support after my pet dies in Fontana?
Several US veterinary schools run free phone lines. The Cornell Pet Loss Support Hotline is staffed by trained veterinary students, and the Tufts Pet Loss Support Helpline is free and volunteer-staffed on weekday evenings. Many local shelters and vet practices also know of support groups nearby.
How much does a pet memorial stone cost in Fontana?
Published US prices give a good guide. Engraved garden stones start at ~$39[8], natural engraved river stones run $38–$115[9], flat granite markers start from $157.95[10] and upright granite headstones cost $258–$628[11] (per one large retailer). Delivery, a photo and cemetery setting fees are extra, so ask Fontana makers for a written total.
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] The NFDA projected California's cremation rate at 70.5% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] Rainier Cemetery District's pet section sells plots for $150 (small) and $200 (large), including the first burial; a marker-setting fee is $130. Rainier Cemetery District – The Companion Corner, 2026.
- [7] Across five posted US pet-cemetery price lists, the median whole-body burial for a small pet, including plot and opening/closing, was about $350. Our estimate: median of [Rainier $150 plot incl. first burial, Cedar Bend $290, Forest $350, Great River $750, Precious Memories $1,500]. How we calculate.
- [8] Engraved pet garden stones start at about $39 at the median of three US sellers. Our estimate: median of starting prices [$38 Adirondack, $38.95 Memorials.com, $89.99 Comfort Co.]. How we calculate.
- [9] Adirondack Stone Works sells engraved natural-stone pet memorials from $38 (6–7 inch mini) to $115 (13–14 inch large), with 1–4 lines of text included. Adirondack Stone Works Pet Memorials, 2026.
- [10] Flat granite pet grave markers at Memorials.com start at $157.95. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
- [11] Upright granite pet headstones at Memorials.com run $257.95–$627.95. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
Get engraving quotes delivered to Fontana
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.