Growing something from the goodbye in South Jordan
By our estimate, around 32,000 households in South Jordan share their home with a dog or cat, and roughly 2,700 of those pets die each year. More of those families now ask about planting or water memorials. Here's how to do it well.
- A memorial that moves with you
- Why pure ashes harm young roots
- Written prices you can compare
South Jordan, Utah
What an eco memorial looks like in South Jordan
Families moving into new homes in South Jordan sometimes want a memorial that can come with them later. Keepsake jewelry, a small urn and a printed photo book all travel well. If you prefer something permanent outdoors, a stepping stone or garden marker is easier to take up than a buried urn, and it can be moved if the landscaping changes.
Oquirrh Lake at the center of Daybreak and the trails along the Jordan River are familiar places for many South Jordan families, and a photo from one of them can anchor a memorial at home. An urn, a framed print and a paw or claw impression grouped on a shelf make a quiet corner children can visit. Ask the city before scattering in any public park.
In a smaller place like South Jordan, 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 Salt Lake City, and how the ashes come back.
With roughly 87,614 residents, South Jordan is the 10th-largest of the 52 Utah communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve South Jordan are based about 15 miles away in Salt Lake City, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
Nearby, we also have local pages for Riverton (3 miles), West Jordan (3 miles) and Herriman (5 miles), which can help if your vet or the provider you prefer is based there.
Our estimate
32,000
South Jordan: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
87,614 ÷ 2.5 = 35,046 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 32,000. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
2,700
South Jordan families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
32,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 2,700 a year. A floor, not a ceiling.
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 American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, and both are worth a look if you want the detail.
Cremation, burial and green choices in Utah
With about 46.1%[5] of people in Utah cremated, burial remains the local norm. A bio urn can bridge the gap for families who want the comfort of a grave but prefer cremation for a pet. You bury the urn, the tree marks the place, and the spot can be visited for years. If older relatives are uneasy, it can help to describe it simply as burying the ashes and planting a tree.
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) is where the Utah figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in South Jordan tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
When to plant in South Jordan's climate
A potted memorial in South Jordan has a hard time: roots in a container feel both the 94°F heat of July and the freeze of January, February and December more sharply than roots in the ground. Choose a species rated for a colder zone than yours, move the pot into shade in summer, and into an unheated garage or against a sheltered wall in winter.
Soil in South Jordan cracks in the summer heat and heaves in the winter freeze, and a young planting feels both. A thick ring of wood-chip mulch evens things out, shading the soil through July and August and insulating it through January, February and December. Top it up each spring, keep it a hand's width away from the trunk, and check the tree has not lifted after the thaw.
Price ranges for planting and water urns
Bio urns vary more in price than you might expect. A national guide puts biodegradable urns at $70–$260[6], depending on material, size and whether a seed or tree system is included. For a lake or sea release, one water urn designed to float briefly and dissolve sells for $149[7]. In South Jordan, the tree and the soil amendments are usually the cheapest part of the whole memorial.
For a line-by-line price table, see the Utah 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.
Where you can plant or release ashes in Utah
Burying ashes, scattering them loose and releasing them on water are often treated as three different things. In Utah, a place that welcomes a scattering may forbid digging, and a lake that allows a release may not allow a gathering on the shore. When you ask permission, say exactly which one you have in mind.
The official Utah local government directory lists every county and city office, which is the quickest way to find who to ask in South Jordan.
The rules that apply across Utah (home burial, scattering and who oversees pet cremation) are summarized on our Utah page. South Jordan may add its own conditions, so check with the city or county before digging.
From ashes to a growing tree: the steps
- Confirm the ashes will come back. With a communal cremation there's normally nothing to collect afterwards, which leaves you with nothing to put in an urn.
- Pick the type of bio urn: one that grows a tree, a simple biodegradable urn to bury in a quiet bed, or a floating urn meant for a lake, river or the coast.
- Ask permission from the landowner, landlord or park manager for anywhere that isn't yours.
- Plan for the weather. In South Jordan, avoid frozen, baked or waterlogged ground; a calm, mild day is best for planting or a release.
- Release gently on water. Rest the urn on the surface, leave it to drift and go under in its own time, and scatter only a few loose petals.
- Come back in a year. Replace mulch, check the tree's growth and take a photo to mark the anniversary.
Keeping your pet's memory growing in South Jordan
Utah's human cremation rate remains below the national average, and older relatives may remember burying pets in a backyard. With small lots and HOA rules in South Jordan, cremation is now the usual route for pets, and it opens up more options: pendants, glass art, a tree planted on a relative's land elsewhere in Utah, or an urn on a shelf at home.
try the free planning tools, Our services overview lays out every option side by side, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, or see how other readers answered in our polls. Close to South Jordan we also cover Lehi, Provo, West Valley City and Salt Lake City; the full list for Utah 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 water cremation (aquamation) were offered near you, would you choose it?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What kind of tree or plant would you choose?
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 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
Why does the South Jordan page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 46.1%[5] of Utah residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Is South Jordan big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 32,000 South Jordan households keep a dog or cat and around 2,700 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 87,614), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
Where are the providers that serve South Jordan actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Salt Lake City, about 15 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for South Jordan and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from South Jordan?
Usually yes. Riverton is about 3 miles away, West Jordan is about 3 miles away and Herriman is about 5 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
What if my pet dies when it's too hot or cold to plant?
Wait. Ashes don't need to go into the ground quickly, and a tree planted in the wrong season is more likely to fail. Keep them in the container from the crematory, use the time to choose a species and prepare the soil mix, and plant when the weather in South Jordan is kind to young roots.
Will the seed in a tree urn grow?
Not always. Seeds from kits can fail to sprout if they weren't stored or chilled correctly, and alkaline soil around them makes it harder. A young tree from a nursery near South Jordan is far more reliable, and most planting urns work just as well with a sapling in the top chamber.
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 Utah's cremation rate at 46.1% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] Funeral.com cites U.S. Funerals Online that biodegradable urns typically cost about $70–$260. Funeral.com – How Much Do Cremation Urns Cost in 2025, 2025.
- [7] 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.
- [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.
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.