Missing them in Antwerp: where to find pet loss support
In a large UK survey, 56.7%[1] of bereaved owners couldn't find the support they needed. This page is about closing that gap in Antwerp, with free and paid options explained.
- No therapy pitch, just clear options
- Ideas for remembering them around Antwerp
- Suggestions by email, in your own time
Antwerp, Flanders
What grieving a pet in Antwerp can be like
In a busy port city, the loss of a pet can feel strangely invisible: colleagues carry on, trams keep running, and the flat is suddenly silent. Grief for an animal is real grief. Talk to someone who knew your pet, your vet, or a pet bereavement service, and give yourself time. Some people find going back to the Stadspark or the Scheldt quays, where they spent time together, helps.
Children in Antwerp often form close bonds with small pets in apartment homes, so the loss can feel huge. Clear, honest words work better than vague explanations. Giving a child a role, like choosing a photo for the shelf or drawing a card, helps them take part. Grown-ups too may find the sadness returns on the first birthday or holiday without their pet.
Therapists who list grief or pet loss as a focus are easiest to find in metro areas like Antwerp, and most now offer video sessions, which helps on days when crossing town feels impossible. Before booking, ask two things: whether they've supported people after a pet's death, and what a session costs. A good counselor won't make you defend why this hurts, and you're allowed to try someone else if the fit feels wrong.
Antwerp is home to about 523,000 people, the largest of the 2 Flanders communities we cover.
The closest communities we cover are Brussels (26 miles, a larger centre) and Ghent (32 miles). Providers serving those towns often travel to Antwerp too, so it can be worth asking them for a quote.
67.98%[2]
In 2023, 67.98% of deaths in Belgium were cremated (21 crematoria).
7.5%[3]
7.5% of UK adults whose bereavement was the death of a pet met criteria for prolonged grief disorder (PGD).
34.5%[4]
34.5% of bereaved pet owners were told 'it's just a pet'.
56.7%[1]
56.7% of bereaved pet owners in the RSPCA survey could not find the support they needed.
The published sources behind those figures are RSPCA and Hyland et al., 'No pets allowed: Evidence that prolonged grief disorder can occur following the death of a pet', PLOS ONE (2026).
How Belgium remembers the people it loses
About 67.98%[2] of people in Belgium are cremated, a figure that has risen steadily as families move away from traditional funerals. Memorial customs here are a mix of old and new: some people still visit graves every holiday, others scatter ashes and hold a celebration of life. You can borrow from either when you mark a pet's death, and nobody gets to tell you which is right.
For the Belgium figure we rely on Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023 (2023). Read it as a picture of local custom around death and remembrance in Antwerp rather than as pet data.
Grieving through the Antwerp year
Planting something in your pet's memory is one of the most common rituals, and it works in almost any climate. Choose something that suits local conditions and flowers or changes color at a time that means something to you. If you're adding ashes, mix them well into plenty of soil, since ashes alone are very alkaline.
What pet loss support costs in Antwerp
There's no reliable data on the cost of pet loss support in Belgium, so we won't guess. What's free nearly everywhere: talking to your vet, joining an online group, and using a general emotional support or crisis line if you're struggling. Aftercare costs are better documented, and the table gives examples from around Europe.
Prices for Antwerp track the wider Flanders market, so use the Flanders price table as your baseline and the services page to see what is included.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Permissions worth checking in Flanders
Two practical questions come up most after a pet dies: can I take time off, and where can I lay them to rest? Time off is between you and your employer, and a child's school will usually excuse a day if you explain. Burial and scattering fall under local rules, and here's the Flanders summary we keep.
What helps, one step at a time
- Expect shock before sadness. When a pet dies without warning, the first days often bring numbness, a racing mind or a sense it can't be true. None of that means you loved them less.
- Get the facts you need, then stop searching. A single talk with the vet about how it happened settles many of the what-ifs. A long night of googling tends to create new ones.
- Hand one practical task to someone else, like calling relatives or collecting the collar from the clinic.
- Sleep and eat on a simple schedule, whether or not you feel like it. Shock wears the body down.
- Tell the story out loud within the first week to a friend, a pet bereavement line or an online group. Saying it tends to loosen its grip.
- Notice images that won't fade. If a distressing scene keeps replaying for weeks, a counselor can help, and asking early is sensible, not dramatic.
Remembering your pet around Antwerp
A goodbye in Antwerp might mean lighting a candle beside your pet at home and letting each family member say a few words, or waiting until the ashes are returned and holding a small gathering with friends. Some families take the urn to a favourite spot before deciding where it will rest. Ask the provider in advance if you want to be present at collection.
or see what other families chose in the poll results, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, use the free tools before you ring anyone, For a plain comparison of the choices, open services. You can also browse every city in Belgium. Nearby, we also cover Ghent, and every city in Flanders.
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.
What words did you use to tell a child the pet had died?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Which kind of support have you tried since your loss?
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.
Pet loss grief check-in
A private, two-minute check-in on how you're coping, with ideas that match where you are.
Farewell & memorial service planner
Build a simple goodbye: who, where, readings, rituals and a checklist.
Questions people ask
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Antwerp?
Usually yes. Brussels is about 26 miles away and Ghent is about 32 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Why does the Antwerp page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023 (2023) reports about 67.98%[2] of Belgium residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Should I see a pet loss specialist in Antwerp or a general grief therapist?
Either can work. What matters most is that the counselor takes your loss seriously and has supported bereaved people before. In a large city you may find someone who lists pet loss specifically, which can save you explaining yourself. A warm, experienced grief therapist without that label often helps just as much. Book one session and ask yourself afterward whether you felt understood; if not, try someone else.
Where can English speakers in Antwerp find pet loss support?
Start with your vet, who may know English-speaking counselors or expat groups locally. International pet loss communities online meet in English, and video counseling across borders is common, though licensing rules differ, so ask. Expat forums and community groups in Antwerp are also worth a message; someone has usually been through it and can tell you where they found help.
How long does grief for a pet last?
There's no set timetable. Many people find the sharpest pain eases over weeks to a few months, while waves return on anniversaries and in old routines. In one US study, nearly 1 in 3 owners[6] grieved for at least six months. If after several months you can't function day to day, or the longing is getting stronger rather than softer, it's worth talking to a professional.
What should I do with my pet's bed, bowls and toys?
Nothing, until you're ready. Some people pack everything away within days because seeing it hurts; others leave the bed in place for months. Both are normal. When you're ready, you might keep one or two favorite things, pass unused food and bedding to a local shelter in Antwerp, and put the collar somewhere safe. There's no deadline for any of it.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 56.7% of bereaved pet owners in the RSPCA survey could not find the support they needed. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [2] In 2023, 67.98% of deaths in Belgium were cremated (21 crematoria). Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023, 2023.
- [3] 7.5% of UK adults whose bereavement was the death of a pet met criteria for prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Hyland et al., 'No pets allowed: Evidence that prolonged grief disorder can occur following the death of a pet', PLOS ONE (2026), 2026.
- [4] 34.5% of bereaved pet owners were told 'it's just a pet'. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [5] Roughly 850,000 bereaved U.S. pet households a year may not find the grief support they need. Our estimate: 1.5M pet cremations x 56.7% couldn't find support. How we calculate.
- [6] A 2009 Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic study of 106 pet owners found nearly 1 in 3 grieved for at least six months. SHRM — Grieving a Pet's Death: Should Workers Get Time Off? (2016), 2009.
Get Antwerp support options by email
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.