A lasting stone for your pet in Hackensack
By our count, roughly 1,400 Hackensack families lose a dog or cat every year. A memorial stone is one of the few decisions with no deadline, so here's what to know before you order.
- Which materials crack, fade or grow moss
- What HOAs, landlords and cemeteries allow
- Free help comparing local and online makers
Hackensack, New Jersey
Choosing a pet memorial stone in Hackensack
Bergen County winters are fairly short, with freezing months mainly January and February, but snow, road salt and summer heat still wear down outdoor memorials. Granite, slate and bronze last longer than resin through that cycle. If you rent, a planter with a small engraved stone lets you take the memorial with you when your lease ends, and it can come indoors during the worst of winter.
Some Hackensack families divide ashes so that relatives in other towns or states can keep a share, using small keepsake urns or jewelry designed to hold a pinch. Others prefer a single piece that stays with the person who cared for the animal day to day. Either choice is reasonable; just tell the provider in advance if you want the ashes divided into several containers.
Proofs matter even more when the maker is far away. If you order online or through a monument shop in a larger center such as Yonkers, ask for a digital proof showing the exact letters, spacing and any picture, and check it on your phone at arm's length. Spelling mistakes can't be sanded out of granite, and a return trip is a long drive.
Hackensack's population is around 46,380, the 19th-largest of the 58 New Jersey communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Yonkers, about 10 miles (16 km) away, which is where some providers serving Hackensack are based.
If you want to compare providers, look at Lodi (2 miles), Garfield (3 miles) and Bergenfield (3 miles). Distance matters because pickup fees and the time until the ashes come back both grow with the drive.
Our estimate
17,000
Hackensack: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
46,380 ÷ 2.5 = 18,552 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 17,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
1,400
Hackensack families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
17,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,400 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.
Sources for the statistics above: Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry.
How local customs shape pet memorials
As cremation has grown to about 56.5%[5] of deaths in New Jersey, many pet cemeteries have added small plots just for ashes. These usually take a smaller flat marker than a full grave and cost less to open. If a cemetery appeals but a whole plot feels like too much, ask whether it has an ashes section and what size stone it allows there.
For the New Jersey 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 Hackensack rather than as pet data.
Frost, sun and damp: matching stone to Hackensack
Because frost is rare in Hackensack, you can install a stone almost any time of year. The best days are dry ones after rain, when the soil is soft enough to dig but not muddy. Avoid setting a stone just before July, the wettest month, if you're on heavy clay; wet ground settles unevenly and the stone may tilt.
Mild, damp weather in Hackensack means moss and lichen grow fast on stone, especially in shade. They look lovely on a natural rock but can fill in shallow lettering within a few years. Choose deep carved letters, put the stone where it gets some sun, and scrub it gently with water and a soft brush once or twice a year.
What drives the price of a pet memorial stone
Lead times vary more than prices. Natural engraved stones from one US maker arrive in ~1 week[6], made-to-order granite and bronze markers take 2–4 weeks[7], and a new full-size headstone from a monument company can take 6–12 weeks[8]. If you want the stone in place for an anniversary in Hackensack, order well ahead.
Prices for Hackensack track the wider New Jersey market, so use the New Jersey price table as your baseline and the services page to see what is included.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Rules to check before placing a stone in New Jersey
Pet cemeteries in New Jersey each set their own marker rules: size, material, whether upright stones are allowed and who installs them. Human cemeteries generally don't accept pets. If you plan a cemetery stone, get the rules sheet first. For a home memorial, here's what we know about burial and scattering locally.
New Jersey keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Hackensack.
For New Jersey's rules on burying a pet at home or scattering ashes, see the New Jersey guide. Local rules in Hackensack can be stricter than the state's, especially in homeowners' associations and rentals.
How to choose, order and set a pet stone
- Let your child help choose the spot. A place they can get to by themselves, or look at from their bedroom, tends to mean more to a child than any adult would guess.
- Start with a stone they decorate themselves. A smooth river rock and some weatherproof paint pens keep a child busy and included when the loss is freshest.
- Ask them for one word or line to include. Years on, it's usually the child's own phrase that the whole family holds dearest.
- Show them the proof before you approve it, and give them the job of reading the pet's name aloud one letter at a time.
- Keep the homemade stone next to the carved marker, or move it inside onto a shelf after the permanent one goes in.
- Give each child a job on the day: carrying the stone, placing pebbles around it or watering a new plant. More ideas are in our guides.
Small rituals that keep the stone meaningful
Hackensack's mix of high-rise apartments and older houses with small yards gives families two broad paths: an indoor memorial that fits a bookshelf, or a garden marker by the back steps. Urns are made in sizes small enough for a studio, and a frame with a photo and a paw print takes almost no space. Take your time; ashes are returned in a container that keeps them safe meanwhile.
The services page is the place to compare what is included, try the free planning tools, there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details, or look at how readers voted in our polls. Close to Hackensack we also cover Newark, Paterson, Clifton and Jersey City; the full list for New Jersey and for the United States is a click away.
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.
What feels like the right amount to spend on a garden stone?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Where would your pet's stone go?
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 Hackensack actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Yonkers, about 10 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Hackensack and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Roughly how many pets die in Hackensack each year?
Our estimate is around 1,400. It comes from Hackensack's population (about 46,380), the average household size, the share of homes with a dog or cat (about 17,000 households here) and the average lifespan. It is arithmetic, not a count, so read it as a rough floor.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Hackensack?
The closest communities we cover are Lodi (about 2 miles), Garfield (about 3 miles) and Bergenfield (about 3 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Hackensack too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Why does the Hackensack page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 56.5%[5] of New Jersey residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Can a memorial stone hold my pet's ashes?
Yes. Some stones have a hollow underside sealed with a plug, or a cavity behind a screwed plate. Check the stated capacity: ashes typically weigh about 3-5% of body weight[10], so a large dog may need more space than most garden stones offer. A waterproof inner bag protects the ashes from damp.
How much does a pet memorial stone cost in Hackensack?
Published US prices give a good guide. Engraved garden stones start at ~$39[11], natural engraved river stones run $38–$115[12], flat granite markers start from $157.95[13] and upright granite headstones cost $258–$628[14] (per one large retailer). Delivery, a photo and cemetery setting fees are extra, so ask Hackensack 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 New Jersey's cremation rate at 56.5% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] Adirondack Stone Works says engraved pet stones arrive in about a week from ordering. Adirondack Stone Works Pet Memorials, 2026.
- [7] Made-to-order granite and bronze pet markers take 2–4 weeks to produce; garden and cultured stones ship in 3–5 business days. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
- [8] New headstones take 6–12 weeks to make; adding dates to an existing stone takes 1–4 weeks once scheduled. Memorials.com – Headstone Engraving Cost, 2026.
- [9] Across 15 US pet cemeteries' posted starting burial prices, the median entry price was about $600. Our estimate: median of starting prices [400,185,300,550,575,99,660.44,730,740,850,850,800,850,600,600]. How we calculate.
- [10] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [11] 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.
- [12] 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.
- [13] Flat granite pet grave markers at Memorials.com start at $157.95. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
- [14] Upright granite pet headstones at Memorials.com run $257.95–$627.95. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
Get engraving quotes delivered to Hackensack
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.