Growing something from the goodbye in Newark
By our estimate, around 19,000 households in Newark share their home with a dog or cat, and roughly 1,600 of those pets die each year. More of those families now ask about planting or water memorials. Here's how to do it well.
- Trees matched to Newark's climate
- Soil-safe planting method for ashes
- Real prices for bio urns and aquamation
Newark, Ohio
Bio urns, trees and water in Newark
A bio urn with a native tree fits central Ohio well. A sugar maple, a redbud or an Ohio buckeye all grow in Licking County soils; plant in spring or autumn and give it a deep drink whenever summer turns dry. Protect the bark from deer if your yard backs onto woods or fields, which is common on Newark's outskirts. A simple wire cage around the trunk for the first few winters is usually enough.
Families in Licking County often have relatives spread from Granville to Columbus and beyond, and dividing ashes lets several people keep a share. Small keepsake urns, a pendant or an inked paw on card each hold a different kind of memory. Paw impressions and fur samples are only possible before cremation, so say so early, and confirm the amount of ash before ordering pieces.
In a smaller place like Newark, a living memorial often starts with more space than city families have: a larger yard, family land or a farm. That makes a memorial tree in the ground realistic. The services, though, may be further away. Pet water cremation is rarely based in small towns, so if it matters to you, ask your vet whether they work with a provider in a larger centre such as Columbus, and how the ashes come back.
Newark's population is around 51,473, the 16th-largest of the 106 Ohio communities we cover. Columbus, roughly 32 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Newark run from there.
If you want to compare providers, look at Pataskala (17 miles), Reynoldsburg (22 miles) and Zanesville (22 miles). Distance matters because pickup fees and the time until the ashes come back both grow with the drive.
Our estimate
19,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Newark
How we calculated this
51,473 ÷ 2.5 = 20,589 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 19,000. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
1,600
Estimated dog and cat losses in Newark each year
How we calculated this
19,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,600 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.
How Ohio feels about cremation
About 59.1%[5] of people in Ohio are cremated, which puts it in the middle: cremation is common, but so is burial. For pets, that often means families weigh a planting urn against a whole-body burial in the yard. Both can grow a tree. The planting urn takes less space and can go almost anywhere; a whole-body grave needs more depth and distance from water, and the tree should go beside it rather than directly on top.
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) is where the Ohio figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Newark tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
Newark seasons and your memorial tree
Water releases need open water, and in Newark lakes and ponds may ice over around January. Never walk out onto ice to release an urn. If a lake or river was your pet's place, plan the release for spring or summer, when the shoreline is safe and a water-soluble urn can float and dissolve as it's meant to. Keep the ashes at home until then.
Early spring in Newark is when nurseries sell bare-root trees, often at a lower price than trees in pots. They need planting quickly, as soon as the ground can be dug after January, February, March, November and December, which fits well with ashes that have waited through the winter. Have the soil blend ready beforehand, soak the roots for an hour, and plant on a calm, overcast day.
What bio urns and aquamation cost in Newark
For a medium-size dog, published private aquamation prices at two US providers sit around $200–$259[6], and one Arizona provider's individual aquamation price of $75–$349[7] includes an urn, nameplate and ink paw print. Whether a Newark provider bundles extras like that makes a real difference when you compare. Add the bio urn or tree separately, and use the planner below to see the total.
The Ohio price table breaks costs down by product; our services page explains what sits behind each line.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Land, water and permission in Ohio
Water releases need a little more care than a garden planting. Rivers, lakes, reservoirs and coastal waters in Ohio are managed by different bodies, and drinking-water sources are often off-limits. Wherever you release, use only a water-soluble urn or loose ashes, add nothing but loose flower petals, and let no plastic, ribbon or wreath wire float away.
The official Ohio local government directory lists every county and city office, which is the quickest way to find who to ask in Newark.
For Ohio's rules on burying a pet at home or scattering ashes, see the Ohio guide. Local rules in Newark can be stricter than the state's, especially in homeowners' associations and rentals.
What to do first, and what can wait for the right season
- If your pet dies while you're away from Newark, have a vet close to where you are set up individual cremation locally. Transporting a body a long way home almost never works out.
- Ask how the ashes can reach you: collected in person, posted by a tracked courier service, or sent to your own vet.
- Flying home with the ashes? Carry them in your hand luggage in a container that can be X-rayed, with the crematory's certificate in the same bag.
- Don't buy the bio urn on the road. Hold off until you're back and have settled on a location, then choose an urn that suits it.
- Plant somewhere that links both places if you like: a tree from the region where your pet died, or one from your own garden, if it suits the climate in Newark.
- Write down the date and place of your pet's death and the name of the crematory. Memories of those particulars slip away sooner than most people think.
Ways to mark the spot and the date
Newark's older neighborhoods have small, shaded yards, while the countryside around it offers plenty of room. Wherever you live, central Ohio's freeze-thaw winters test outdoor memorials, so granite, sandstone or a piece of local fieldstone will outlast concrete and resin. Some families place a stone in the garden in spring and keep the urn inside until then, often on a mantel beside a favorite photo.
or compare your instinct with the poll results, See what each option includes on our services page, the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures. If you live between Newark and Toledo, Cleveland, Akron and Dayton, either page applies. Every other community in Ohio, and all of the United States, is listed too.
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.
Would you consider releasing your pet's ashes in water?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What kind of tree or plant would you choose?
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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 tree finder
Pick a tree for a planting urn that suits your climate, space and pet.
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Questions people ask
Will I have to travel to Columbus to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Columbus (roughly 32 miles from Newark) 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.
Is Newark big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 19,000 Newark households keep a dog or cat and around 1,600 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 51,473), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Newark?
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 84°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Newark?
Usually yes. Pataskala is about 17 miles away, Reynoldsburg is about 22 miles away and Zanesville is about 22 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
How long does a water-soluble urn take to dissolve?
Most are made from salt, sand, paper or gelatin and dissolve within minutes to hours once they sink. Some float briefly first, long enough for a few words: one maker's water urn floats for several minutes before dissolving[9]. Calm water gives the best result, so check the forecast for wind before you go.
How many dogs and cats are there in Newark?
By our estimate, about 19,000 households in Newark have a dog or a cat, and around 1,600 of those pets die each year. We calculate this from the city's population, average household size and national pet ownership and lifespan figures. The method is shown on this page, and the real number of animals is higher.
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] Private aquamation for a 21–50 lb dog costs about $200–$259 at two posted US price lists. Our estimate: Delaware 10–49 lb $200; A Greener Place 21–50 lb $259. How we calculate.
- [7] A Greener Place in Mesa, Arizona, charges $75–$349 for individual pet aquamation by weight, including an urn, nameplate and ink paw print. A Greener Place Pet Aquamation – Pricing, 2026.
- [8] U.S. pet flame cremations emit on the order of 47,000 t CO2e a year. Our estimate: 1.5M pet cremations x 31.3 kg CO2e. How we calculate.
- [9] The Living Urn's Eco Water Urn for water burial costs $149 and holds up to 225 cubic inches; it floats for several minutes before dissolving. The Living Urn – Eco Water Urn, 2026.
Tell us about your pet and your garden
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.