Tree, garden and water memorials in University Place
University Place has an estimated 13,000 dog- or cat-owning households. When a planting or water memorial feels right for yours, here's what works in the local climate and what to ask before you buy.
- A memorial that moves with you
- Why pure ashes harm young roots
- Written prices you can compare
University Place, Washington
What an eco memorial looks like in University Place
Many University Place households have modest yards or live in condos looking over the Narrows. Indoor memorials, like an urn on a bookcase, a framed nose print or a small glass keepsake, suit that kind of home. Military families from the nearby base often prefer pieces that pack easily, since orders can mean a move to another state or overseas within a few years.
Sea air and western Washington drizzle wear on outdoor memorials, so pick durable materials for anything placed in a garden bed. Dense stone and cast metal hold up; painted resin and untreated wood break down in a few winters. A marker set on a gravel base drains better and stays level. Inside the house, material matters far less, so choose a style you'll be glad to see.
In rural areas around University Place, family pets are sometimes buried whole on the property rather than cremated. If you'd prefer that, check local rules on depth and distance from water. If you'd like a tree above the grave, plant it beside the grave, not directly on it, so the roots aren't disturbed and the ground can settle. For cremated pets, a planting urn gives you the tree without a large grave, and it can be placed exactly where you want.
About 35,479 people live in University Place, which makes it the 35th-largest of the 67 Washington communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Tacoma, about 6 miles (9 km) away, which is where some providers serving University Place are based.
The closest communities we cover are Lakewood (4 miles), Tacoma (5 miles, a larger centre) and Gig Harbor (8 miles). Providers serving those towns often travel to University Place too, so it can be worth asking them for a quote.
Our estimate
13,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in University Place
How we calculated this
35,479 ÷ 2.5 = 14,192 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 13,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
1,100
dog and cat deaths per year in University Place, our estimate
How we calculated this
13,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,100 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.
Sources for the statistics above: American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
Cremation, burial and green choices in Washington
In Washington, about 79.1%[5] of people are cremated, one of the higher rates around. When most human funerals end with ashes, the question "what shall we do with them?" comes up in nearly every family, and a tree, a garden bed or a lake release is a common answer. That familiarity carries over to pets. It also means more crematories to choose from, and more chance that one of them offers water cremation.
That Washington rate is a human one, published by Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024). We quote it for University Place only as a pointer to how families here already think about cremation.
What University Place's climate means for a living memorial
Wet winters are the main hazard for a memorial planting in University Place. Around November, heavy soils can stay waterlogged for weeks, and roots sitting in cold, salty water rot easily. If your ground drains slowly, plant on a low mound, raised a little above the surrounding soil, so excess water runs away from the ash blend rather than pooling in it.
In a gentle climate like University Place's, grass and weeds grow nearly all year, and they compete hard with a young tree for water. Keep a clear circle of bare, mulched soil around the base, at least an arm's length across, for the first three years. It also stops mowers and strimmers from nicking the bark, which is how many young trees are lost.
Eco memorial prices, from urn to tree
It helps to compare a planted memorial with the alternatives. A pet cemetery burial for a dog averages about $831[6] in the US, which by our estimate is around 3.2 times the national average for private cremation[7]. Private cremation plus a bio urn and a sapling in your own University Place garden usually comes in far below a cemetery plot, and there are no yearly maintenance fees.
Rather than repeat the price table on every city page, we keep one for Washington: Washington costs. What each service includes is on the services page.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Rules worth knowing in Washington before you scatter
Water releases need a little more care than a garden planting. Rivers, lakes, reservoirs and coastal waters in Washington 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.
Washington keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers University Place.
Start with the Washington rules, which cover burial, scattering and oversight for the whole state, and treat University Place's local ordinances as a possible extra layer.
Planting a memorial in University Place, step by step
- If you find your pet has died at home, lift them carefully onto a blanket or towel and lay them in the coolest part of the house, then phone the vet or a nearby pet crematory. Most can either pick them up or point you to a drop-off place.
- Say you want individual cremation, then mention that the ashes are going into a bio urn. Saying so up front keeps the provider from offering a communal service where nothing comes back.
- Keep the collar, a tag and a little fur before your pet leaves the house. These can go into the planting later, or into a small keepsake box.
- Leave the memorial decisions for another week. Choosing a tree the same night is too much to ask of anyone.
- When the ashes arrive, open the box once to see how much there is and how the inner bag is sealed, then put the lid back and keep it somewhere dry.
- Use our [memorial tree finder](/tools/memorial-tree-finder) once you feel ready, and plan the planting for a calm weekend in the right season.
Living memorials beyond the backyard
With relatives often spread across the country, and sometimes overseas, University Place families sometimes divide ashes between one principal urn and a handful of tiny vessels. A piece of jewelry or a sealed vial can go to each household. Mention the split before the cremation happens, and ask how small portions are packed for mailing or for a suitcase on the next move.
use the free tools before you ring anyone, Compare every option on our services page, the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones, or see what other families chose in the poll results. Close to University Place we also cover Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver and Spokane; the full list for Washington 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.
Would you consider releasing your pet's ashes in water?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If water cremation (aquamation) were offered near you, would you choose it?
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
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from University Place?
Usually yes. Lakewood is about 4 miles away, Tacoma is about 5 miles away and Gig Harbor 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.
Roughly how many pets die in University Place each year?
Our estimate is around 1,100. It comes from University Place's population (about 35,479), the average household size, the share of homes with a dog or cat (about 13,000 households here) and the average lifespan. It is arithmetic, not a count, so read it as a rough floor.
Does the University Place climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In August, with highs near 78°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. Winters here are mild enough that burial or scattering is possible in any month.
Will I have to travel to Tacoma to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Tacoma (roughly 6 miles from University Place) 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.
Can I put two pets' ashes in the same bio urn?
Yes, if the urn is big enough and everyone agrees, because once the ashes are mixed they can't be separated. Check the combined amount first: cremated remains weigh about 3-5% of body weight[9], so two large dogs may be too much for a single planting urn. Many families plant two urns close together instead, or set aside a pinch of each animal's ashes in a locket or small jar.
What happens to the memorial tree if I move away from University Place?
It stays with the land, and ashes mixed into soil can't be recovered. If a move is possible, plant in a large container, plant at a relative's home, or keep a small portion of the ashes back for a future garden. Cuttings from many shrubs root easily, so you can take a piece of the plant with you.
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] Washington had a 79.1% cremation rate in 2024, among the highest in the US. Direct Cremate (citing CANA), 2024.
- [6] CareCredit's 2025 cost study put the US national average for pet cemetery burial of a dog at $831 (range $659-$1,513). CareCredit (Synchrony) - How Much Does It Cost To Euthanize a Dog? (2025 ASQ360 procedural cost study), 2025.
- [7] US pet cemetery burial for a dog costs about 3.2x a private cremation ($831 vs $260 national averages). Our estimate: 831 / 260 = 3.20. How we calculate.
- [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] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
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.