An outdoor memorial for your pet, made for Solon
By our estimate, about 8,700 households in Solon have a dog or cat, and roughly 730 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 Solon
Solon, Ohio
Where a stone can go in Solon
Heavy clay soil and a long, soggy thaw are normal around Solon, and both affect anything placed outdoors. A memorial tree planted with ashes does better going in during late spring, once the ground drains, and a shade-tolerant native such as serviceberry suits a wooded lot. Setting a heavy marker over a layer of crushed limestone stops it tilting after frost.
Solon properties tend to be large and shaded, so a memorial among the trunks often appeals more than one on a mantel. A flat granite stone tucked into a hosta bed suits these yards. If you are torn between keeping ashes indoors, wearing a small amount as jewelry or planting them, remember that a single cremation can be split several ways.
In a town the size of Solon, there may be no monument company at all, and that's fine. Online makers ship small stones anywhere, and a larger center such as Cleveland usually has a monument company that will engrave a pet marker. Rural makers are sometimes the most flexible: many will cut a small marker from leftover granite if you ask directly.
About 23,679 people live in Solon, which makes it the 71st-largest of the 106 Ohio communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Cleveland, about 16 miles (25 km) away, which is where some providers serving Solon are based.
Nearby, we also have local pages for Twinsburg (4 miles), Maple Heights (7 miles) and Aurora (8 miles), which can help if your vet or the provider you prefer is based there.
Our estimate
8,700
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Solon
How we calculated this
23,679 ÷ 2.5 = 9,472 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 8,700. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
730
Solon families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
8,700 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 730 a year. Treat it as a minimum.
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.
We built the this numbers from Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, and both are worth a look if you want the detail.
What local customs suggest for your pet's stone
About 59.1%[5] of people in Ohio are cremated, a share that has been rising for years. Many families here grew up visiting headstones in a churchyard or town cemetery, and a stone for a pet can feel like a natural extension of that habit. Others prefer something less formal, such as an engraved river rock in a flower bed.
We take the Ohio rate from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It is a human statistic; there is no equivalent pet figure for Solon, and we would rather show a real number than invent one.
Which stones survive the weather in Solon
Snow and salt are both hard on stone in Solon. A flush marker disappears under snow from January, February, March, November and December, so add a small stake or a tall plant nearby if you want to find it easily. Keep de-icing salt away from the memorial: salt draws water into stone and speeds up flaking, especially on limestone, marble and concrete.
With 5 months of freezing lows in Solon, frost heave is as big a risk as cracking. Wet soil expands as it freezes and can tilt a stone set directly on the ground. Set yours on 3 to 4 inches of compacted gravel so water drains away, and choose a flat, wide marker over a tall narrow one. Our cold-weather memorial notes go further.
Budgeting for the stone, lettering and delivery
In Solon, as anywhere in the US, the engraving can cost as much as the stone. Monument engravers who charge by the letter typically ask $8–$35/char[6], and a standard 40 to 60 character inscription can total $500 to $1,200 at those rates[6]. Small online pet stones usually include a few lines of text in the price, which is why they look so much cheaper.
For a line-by-line price table, see the Ohio 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 Ohio
Pet cemeteries in Ohio 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.
Ohio keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Solon.
We keep Ohio's burial and scattering rules in one place: the Ohio rules summary. Before a home burial in Solon, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
A simple plan for your pet's memorial 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. Outdoor paint pens on a smooth river rock give small hands something to do in the first raw days.
- 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 beside the engraved one, or bring it indoors to a shelf once the permanent marker is set.
- Give each child a job on the day: one carries the marker, one arranges pebbles around the edge, one waters whatever you plant beside it. Our guides have more ideas.
Remembering your pet beside the stone
Families in Solon often keep the returned ashes in their simple temporary box for weeks, even months, before choosing a permanent piece. That is entirely normal. The only keepsakes with a deadline are paw and nose imprints and snips of fur, all of which must be done before cremation begins. Raise them early, then leave everything else for later, when decisions come more easily.
The services page is the place to compare what is included, or compare your instinct with the poll results, run the numbers with the free planning tools, look through our guides and the blog. Close to Solon we also cover Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo and Akron; the full list for Ohio 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.
If you moved house, what would happen to the memorial?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What feels like the right amount to spend on a garden stone?
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
Will I have to travel to Cleveland to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Cleveland (roughly 16 miles from Solon) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Solon?
January, February, March, November and December: average lows are below freezing then, and frozen ground makes a home grave slow or impossible until it thaws. The other pressure point is July, when highs around 81°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Solon?
Usually yes. Twinsburg is about 4 miles away, Maple Heights is about 7 miles away and Aurora is about 8 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
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 Solon 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 much does a pet memorial stone cost in Solon?
Published US prices give a good guide. Engraved garden stones start at ~$39[7], natural engraved river stones run $38–$115[8], flat granite markers start from $157.95[9] and upright granite headstones cost $258–$628[10] (per one large retailer). Delivery, a photo and cemetery setting fees are extra, so ask Solon makers for a written total.
Is a memorial stone a good idea if my pet was cremated?
Yes, and cremation gives you more freedom. The stone can sit over a small portion of buried ashes, hold ashes in a sealed compartment or simply mark a favorite spot, and there's no grave to settle, so you can set it straight away. You can also keep most of the ashes indoors and bury just a spoonful.
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] Headstone engravers charge $8–$35 per character; a standard 40–60 character inscription totals $500–$1,200. Memorials.com – Headstone Engraving Cost, 2026.
- [7] 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.
- [8] 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.
- [9] Flat granite pet grave markers at Memorials.com start at $157.95. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
- [10] Upright granite pet headstones at Memorials.com run $257.95–$627.95. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
Price a pet memorial stone in Solon
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.