Where to Put Your Pet Urn: 5 Ideas
By Angelina Simmons, February 2, 2025
Losing a pet is a deeply emotional experience, and deciding how to honor your dog, cat or other animal after they cross the Rainbow Bridge can be challenging. If you choose aquamation or pet cremation, you’ll receive your pet’s ashes afterward.
Many pet owners choose to keep the ashes in a pet urn. However, deciding where to place it can be a challenging decision. You want a location that not only honors your pet’s memory but also brings comfort and peace to you and your family.
Check out five potential options to consider when thinking about where you might want your pet urn to sit.
1. A Special Spot in Your Home
For many pet owners, keeping the urn inside the home provides a sense of closeness. You might choose to place it in an area where your pet loved to spend time, such as a favorite windowsill, near their bed or by the fireplace.
Mantelpiece or Bookshelf
A mantelpiece or bookshelf is a popular choice because it allows the urn to be displayed safely while remaining a central part of your home. You can accompany the urn with a framed photo, a paw print mold or a small candle to create a memorial space.
Bedroom or Nightstand
If you find comfort in having your pet’s presence near you, placing the urn in your bedroom may be ideal. A nightstand or dresser can serve as a quiet and intimate spot to keep their memory close.
“I keep Rava’s ashes on my nightstand,” said Lisa Clayton, who lost her cat Rava in January 2025. “I may move them eventually, but right now I have to have them nearby when I’m sleeping, since she always slept by my side.”
A Dedicated Memorial Nook
Some pet owners designate a specific area in their home for memorial purposes. You can create a small pet memorial shrine with memorabilia, such as a collar, toys or a favorite blanket, alongside the urn. This allows you to have a designated place to reflect and remember your pet.
A Closet or Other Private Spot
You may want to keep your pet’s ashes close by, but not on display. It’s OK to keep the pet urn somewhere private, like a closet or a storage area.
2. A Pet Memorial Garden or Outdoor Tribute
If your pet loved the outdoors, a memorial garden or backyard tribute can be a beautiful way to honor them.
Garden Memorial
Placing the urn in a garden, either in a sealed container or inside a decorative stone, can create a peaceful space to remember your pet. You can plant flowers or a tree, or install a garden bench to make the area even more special.
Burying the Urn in a Favorite Outdoor Spot
Some pet owners choose to bury their pet’s urn in a meaningful outdoor location. If you own your property, burying the urn under a tree, near a favorite play spot, or beside a garden path ensures their spirit remains part of a place they loved.
Outdoor Urn Display
For those who prefer not to bury the urn, placing it in a waterproof, decorative container and displaying it on a patio, porch, or outdoor memorial shelf can be a good option. Stone urns or engraved memorial markers work well for this purpose.
3. A Memorial Pet Keepsake
If you prefer not to keep a full-sized urn in one place, there are many creative ways to memorialize your pet with keepsakes that hold a small portion of their ashes. Following are a few creative options for pet ashes.
Cremation Jewelry
Some companies create necklaces, bracelets or rings with small compartments to hold a bit of your pet’s ashes. This allows you to carry their memory with you wherever you go.
Glass or Crystal Art
Infusing your pet’s ashes into glass art, such as a paperweight or a decorative sculpture, can be a beautiful way to keep them close in a discreet yet meaningful form.
Stuffed Memorial Toys
For those who find comfort in something tangible, companies offer plush memorial toys that can hold a small urn or a pouch of ashes inside.
4. A Columbarium or Pet Cemetery
If you’d like a more traditional memorial, you might consider a pet columbarium or cemetery.
Pet Columbarium
Many pet crematoriums and memorial centers offer columbarium services, where you can store your pet’s urn in a dedicated niche with an engraved plaque.
Pet Cemetery Burial
If your pet was cremated but you prefer a burial setting, you can opt for a pet cemetery. Some cemeteries allow for urn burials, often with the option of a headstone or marker.
5. At a Religious or Spiritual Site
Some people choose to keep a pet urn at a church, temple or a spiritual sanctuary where they find comfort and peace, allowing for quiet moments of remembrance. Check with your church to ask whether they are open to keeping your pet urn on site, and if so, what the cost would be.
“We decided to place Spock’s ashes at our church, along with my father’s ashes,” said Kendra Harris, who lost her dog Spock in January 2025.