Our Story
When my dog, Riley, passed away after 14 years, I was handed a plastic bag of ashes and a brochure for "memorial products." The options were depressing: generic wooden boxes, cold metal canisters, urns with clip-art paw prints.
None of them felt like Riley.
Riley wasn't generic. He was the dog who stole socks and buried them in the yard. The dog whose ears went flat when he was guilty. The dog who slept with his head on my pillow every single night.
I wanted something that honored him—not "a dog."
So I searched for artisans who could create something meaningful. I found master ceramic painters who specialize in pet memorial art. I sent them photos of Riley—his graying muzzle, his goofy underbite, the way one ear always flopped wrong.
Three weeks later, I received a hand-painted urn that made me cry.
It wasn't a photograph. It was better. It was Riley's spirit, captured in ceramic—imperfect, expressive, unmistakably him. I put it on my mantel. Guests always ask about it. I tell them his stories.
That's what memorial art should do: remind you why you loved them.
The Soul & Slate Difference
- Most pet urns are mass-produced overseas and laser-etched with your pet's name. They're functional. Cheap. Forgettable.
- Soul & Slate urns are hand-painted memorial art. We work with ceramic artists who've spent decades perfecting their craft. They don't print your photo onto a box—they interpret it. They study your pet's markings, expression, and personality. They mix custom colors. They paint by hand, layer by layer.
- The result is a one-of-a-kind portrait that honors your companion the way they deserve: as an individual.
Our Promise
- We will never rush your memorial.
- We will never use AI, photo transfers, or mass-production techniques.
- We will send you a preview before finalizing your urn.
- We will treat your companion's memory with the same care we'd want for our own.
- Because they weren't just a pet. They were family.