An outdoor memorial for your pet, made for Delaware
Around 1,450 dogs and cats die in Delaware each year, by our estimate. If yours was one of them, this guide covers which stones suit local weather, what they cost and where they can go.
- Wording that fits a small stone
- Flush, raised or with an ashes compartment
- No pressure: a stone can wait until you're ready
Delaware, Ohio
Pet memorials in Delaware: the local picture
Many newer Delaware County homes sit on lots where a memorial garden is easy to create. A flat granite marker or a native tree set in a bio urn fits well, but check homeowner association rules first, as some restrict front-yard structures or plantings. Planting in spring or early fall gives a tree a good start before a hot summer or a hard freeze.
Delaware's old downtown and the Ohio Wesleyan campus give the city a small-college feel, and plenty of families here prefer understated memorials: a wooden box with a brass nameplate, a plain garden stone, or an ink print hung near the door. If something handmade appeals to you, check how much ash the maker needs so the rest can stay together in an urn.
Human cemeteries in towns like Delaware generally don't accept pet burials, though a few have added pet sections or allow ashes in some circumstances. If you want your pet near a family plot, ask the cemetery office directly rather than assuming. Otherwise, a private stone on family land or at a regional pet cemetery is the usual route.
About 46,636 people live in Delaware, which makes it the 24th-largest of the 106 Ohio communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve Delaware are based about 23 miles away in Columbus, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
Families in Delaware often end up using a provider from Powell (8 miles), Dublin (13 miles) and Westerville (14 miles). That is normal: crematories serve a radius, not a single town, and the drive is priced into collection.
Our estimate
17,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Delaware
How we calculated this
46,636 ÷ 2.5 = 18,654 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 17,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
1,450
Estimated dog and cat losses in Delaware each year
How we calculated this
17,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,450 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.
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.
What local customs suggest for your pet's stone
Cremation covers roughly 59.1%[5] of human deaths in Ohio, and burial much of the rest, so it's common for two people in the same household to want different things. Cremation followed by burying the ashes under a stone often settles it: there's a grave to visit for one person and ashes that can travel for the other.
The Ohio percentage above is from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) and refers to human funerals. Treat it as context for Delaware, not as a count of pets.
How the climate in Delaware ages a memorial
Order in winter and set in spring is a good rhythm for Delaware. Mortar and construction adhesive don't cure properly in the cold, and January lows around 21°F are far below what they need. If your stone has a separate base or a glued plaque, ask the maker to assemble it in the workshop rather than on a cold day in your yard.
Frozen ground in Delaware during January, February, March and December can make digging hard or impossible. If your pet died in winter, a temporary marker and a spring installation are perfectly normal. Many families keep the engraved stone indoors until the ground thaws, which also gives you time to see the proof and check the wording properly.
What a pet memorial stone costs in Delaware
Pet cemeteries price very differently from garden stones. By our estimate, the median starting burial price across 15 US pet cemeteries is ~$600[6], and a small pet's whole-body burial across five posted price lists comes to ~$350[7], often before any marker. One natural burial ground charges $250 for a boulder headstone, with engraving from $670[8]. A stone for a Delaware garden avoids those extras.
We keep the detailed Ohio price table on one page so it stays current: see Ohio prices.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Home burial, rentals and pet cemeteries in Ohio
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 Ohio.
Ohio keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Delaware.
We keep Ohio's burial and scattering rules in one place: the Ohio rules summary. Before a home burial in Delaware, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
Ordering a pet memorial stone, step by step
- Mark the spot simply for now. A flat paver, a potted plant or a ring of pebbles holds the place while the ground settles and you think about wording.
- Decide where the stone will live long term: your garden, a pet cemetery, a planter or somewhere that can move with you.
- Choose the material for your climate. Granite for hard winters and strong sun; slate or river rock where it's mild and dry.
- Write the wording and count the letters. On most small stones there's room for a name, the years and a single brief line; the memorial stone planner will tell you whether yours fits.
- Ask two or three makers for written quotes and make sure each total covers the engraving, a photo if you want one, shipping and installation.
- Approve a proof before anything is cut. Have a second person at home read every letter of it.
- Set the stone on compacted gravel so it drains and stays level, and add a plant beside it if you like.
Around the stone: plants, benches and small rituals
Some families think of the Olentangy or one of the reservoir parks when they picture a scattering. Rules on public land vary, so check with the park, or scatter a small portion on your own property instead. A keepsake pendant or a small urn keeps part of the ashes close to hand while the remainder returns to the landscape your pet knew.
or see how other readers answered in our polls, For a plain comparison of the choices, open services, try the free planning tools, browse in-depth guides or recent articles. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Dayton, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, and every city in Ohio.
Reader polls
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Which stone would you choose for your pet's marker?
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If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
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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.
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
How do Ohio attitudes to cremation compare?
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) puts the Ohio human cremation rate at about 59.1%[5]. We show it on the Delaware 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.
How does Delaware's weather affect pet aftercare?
July is the hottest month in Delaware, with average highs around 85°F, so prompt collection matters most then. Average lows drop below freezing in January, February, March and December, which can make digging a grave hard until spring.
Roughly how many pets die in Delaware each year?
Our estimate is around 1,450. It comes from Delaware's population (about 46,636), 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 Delaware?
The closest communities we cover are Powell (about 8 miles), Dublin (about 13 miles) and Westerville (about 14 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Delaware too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
What does engraving cost on a pet headstone?
Small online pet stones usually include a few lines of text in the price. Monument engravers who cut full-size headstones often charge by the letter, typically $8–$35/char[10], or a flat $50–$150/line[11]. A laser-etched portrait costs about $500–$800[12] (per one large retailer). Short wording on a smaller stone is the easiest way to keep the cost down.
How many dogs and cats are there in Delaware?
By our estimate, about 17,000 households in Delaware have a dog or cat, and roughly 1,450 dogs and cats are lost there each year. We calculate this from the city's population, average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures. It's a rough guide to how many families face the same choice as you.
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 Ohio's cremation rate at 59.1% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] 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.
- [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] At Great River Natural Burial, a natural boulder headstone costs $250, engraving starts at $670, and pet caskets cost $170–$250. Great River Natural Burial – Pet Cemetery Pricing, 2026.
- [9] 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.
- [10] Headstone engravers charge $8–$35 per character; a standard 40–60 character inscription totals $500–$1,200. Memorials.com – Headstone Engraving Cost, 2026.
- [11] Some engravers charge a flat $50–$150 per line of text, depending on stone and provider. Memorials.com – Headstone Engraving Cost, 2026.
- [12] A laser-etched portrait on a headstone costs about $500–$800, and a porcelain photo $200–$600. Memorials.com – Headstone Engraving Cost, 2026.
Price a pet memorial stone in Delaware
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.