A lasting stone for your pet in Schertz
Schertz has an estimated 17,000 dog- or cat-owning households. When a stone is the memorial you want, the local climate, your yard and any HOA or lease rules all shape the right choice.
- Which materials crack, fade or grow moss
- What HOAs, landlords and cemeteries allow
- Free help comparing local and online makers
Schertz, Texas
What getting a pet stone made in Schertz is like
Military families in Schertz often prefer memorials that pack well: a compact urn, a keepsake box or a pendant holding a small amount of ash. These travel easily across the country or overseas. If you plan to fly with ashes, ask your provider for a container that can pass through airport screening and for a copy of the cremation certificate to carry with it.
Paw prints, nose prints and framed photos with a name plate are simple keepsakes that need very little space and survive a moving truck. Some families also commission a small painting or a custom engraved box. Prints and fur clippings must be taken before cremation, so mention them when you first speak with a provider, even if you are not sure you want them yet.
Space is rarely the problem around Schertz. Larger lots mean more families bury their pets at home, often under a favorite tree or at the edge of a field. On open land, choose a flush granite marker or a heavy natural stone that a mower, tractor or curious livestock won't move, and note the spot on a sketch in case the ground changes.
Schertz is home to about 45,978 people, the 82nd-largest of the 325 Texas communities we cover. San Antonio, roughly 16 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Schertz run from there.
The closest communities we cover are Universal City (1 miles), Cibolo (2 miles) and Converse (3 miles). Providers serving those towns often travel to Schertz too, so it can be worth asking them for a quote.
Our estimate
17,000
Schertz: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
45,978 ÷ 2.5 = 18,391 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 17,000. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
1,400
Estimated dog and cat losses in Schertz each year
How we calculated this
17,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,400 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.
To check the figures yourself, see Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry.
Burial, cremation and headstones in Texas
About 55.7%[5] of people in Texas 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 Texas 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 Schertz, and we would rather show a real number than invent one.
Choosing a stone that suits Schertz's seasons
Before you set a stone, watch the spot for a week at different times of day. A place in deep shade stays damp and grows moss; one in full afternoon sun makes a photo etching hard to read and heats dark granite. A spot with morning sun and afternoon shade suits most stones and most visits.
Budgeting for the stone, lettering and delivery
Pet memorial stones cover a wide price range in the US, and the material matters more than the size. Engraved garden stones start at ~$39[6] across three US sellers, while flat granite markers start from $157.95[7] and upright granite headstones run $258–$628[8]. The table shows published prices you can use to judge any quote from a maker serving Schertz.
For a line-by-line price table, see the Texas 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 Texas
Before you dig anywhere in Texas, find out where underground cables and pipes run; in the US, calling 811 gets them marked for free. Then check any homeowners' association covenants, since some limit permanent features or anything visible from the street. A small flush stone in a backyard bed rarely breaks any rule.
To find your county or city office in Texas, start with the official Texas local government directory.
We keep Texas's burial and scattering rules in one place: the Texas rules summary. Before a home burial in Schertz, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
A step-by-step plan for your situation
- Decide whether the stone should travel with you. Renters and anyone likely to move soon should choose something they can lift.
- Pick a spot you'll see every day, from a window or the back door, rather than a far corner you rarely visit.
- Keep it clear of pipes and roots. Check for underground lines before digging and leave space from any tree trunk.
- Order a stone rated for outdoor use in your climate, and ask for the letters to be sandblasted no shallower than an eighth of an inch.
- Check the proof carefully. Names, dates and punctuation can't be changed once the stone is cut.
- Install it, then look after it lightly: a gentle brushing with clean water a couple of times a year is all it needs.
Keeping the memory close
For households planning to stay put, a garden stone or a newly planted tree makes a lasting outdoor memorial. Pick materials that handle South Texas sun and sudden downpours, such as granite, sealed concrete or cast bronze. A biodegradable urn placed under a native shrub or a small flowering tree lets part of the ashes return to your own yard.
or compare your instinct with the poll results, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, Our services overview lays out every option side by side, run the numbers with the free planning tools. Close to Schertz we also cover San Antonio, Fort Worth, El Paso and Houston; the full list for Texas and for the United States is a click away.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
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If you moved house, what would happen to the memorial?
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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
Will I have to travel to San Antonio to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in San Antonio (roughly 16 miles from Schertz) 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.
How do Texas attitudes to cremation compare?
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) puts the Texas human cremation rate at about 55.7%[5]. We show it on the Schertz 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.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Schertz?
Usually yes. Universal City is about 1 miles away, Cibolo is about 2 miles away and Converse is about 3 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Is Schertz big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 17,000 Schertz households keep a dog or cat and around 1,400 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 45,978), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
Can I bury my pet in my backyard in Schertz and put a stone on it?
In many places you can bury a pet on land you own, with rules about depth and distance from water, but cities and homeowners' associations can be stricter. Check the local notes on this page and your HOA rules. A stone marking the grave rarely needs any permission of its own once the burial itself is allowed.
Will animals disturb a pet grave in the countryside near Schertz?
They can. Foxes, coyotes and raccoons sometimes dig at fresh graves, especially shallow ones. Bury at the depth your local rules require, then lay a heavy flat stone or paving slab over the site. Once the soil settles, you can set the engraved marker on top or beside it.
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 Texas's cremation rate at 55.7% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] 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.
- [7] Flat granite pet grave markers at Memorials.com start at $157.95. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
- [8] Upright granite pet headstones at Memorials.com run $257.95–$627.95. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
- [9] 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.
Price a pet memorial stone in Schertz
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.