Missing them in London: 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 London, with free and paid options explained.
- Local and online options for London
- Honest costs: what's free and what isn't
- Private, free to ask, no pressure
London, Ontario
What grieving a pet in London can be like
London is a city of neighbourhoods and long-time residents, and a pet's farewell often reflects that: a small gathering at home, friends dropping off food, or a few quiet minutes in the backyard under the trees. If you want to stay with your pet until pickup, or be present at the cremation, raise it when you first get in touch. A simple goodbye with those who knew your pet is often enough.
Losing a pet during a long Ontario winter can feel especially hard, when days are short and routines shrink indoors. Pet bereavement services are available by phone or online, and your vet can often suggest one. Some Londoners find it helps to get out along the Thames Valley Parkway, even briefly, and let the memories surface in a place their pet knew.
London is big enough to have some real pet loss support but small enough that you may need to ask around to find it. Your own vet practice is a good first call: staff usually know whether a local group is meeting, which counselors take animal loss seriously and whether anything runs in a larger center such as Hamilton. If nothing meets locally, an online group fills the gap well, and you can join from home.
London's population is around 422,000, the 6th-largest of the 15 Ontario communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Hamilton, about 72 miles (116 km) away, which is where some providers serving London are based.
Nearby, we also have local pages for Guelph (63 miles), Hamilton (72 miles) and Burlington (77 miles), which can help if your vet or the provider you prefer is based there.
81.1%[2]
CANA projects the Canadian cremation rate will reach 81.1% by 2030.
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.
Where these figures come from: RSPCA and Hyland et al., 'No pets allowed: Evidence that prolonged grief disorder can occur following the death of a pet', PLOS ONE (2026).
Funeral customs in Canada and pet grief
In Canada, cremation accounts for about 81.1%[2] of deaths, so many families already have some experience of keeping, dividing or scattering ashes. That familiarity helps if your pet has been cremated too: questions like whether ashes can be split between two households, or whether you can wait a year to scatter them, will sound ordinary here. They are ordinary, and none of them has a deadline.
The Canada figure comes from CANA Industry Statistical Information (2030). It describes people, not pets, so read it as a sign of local attitudes rather than a pet statistic.
How London's climate shapes remembering
If you're planning an outdoor memorial, a planting or a scattering in or around London, choose a season and time of day that's comfortable for everyone. There's no deadline. Many families keep the ashes at home for months and wait for weather, or an anniversary, that feels right.
What's free, and what isn't, in London
No survey tracks the cost of pet loss counseling in London, so we'd rather not guess. Free options, such as online groups and helplines, are a sensible first step, and a licensed counselor is there if grief stays heavy for months. Aftercare prices are better documented: the table shows what some Canadian providers publish, in Canadian dollars.
The full price table by product is on our Ontario page, and the services page explains what each option includes.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Time off, burial and scattering in Ontario
Grief doesn't come with paperwork, but a few decisions do. If your pet is buried at home, the land and any nearby water can matter; if you scatter ashes, the landowner's permission matters most. Here's what we know for Ontario. For anything we don't cover, a short call to your local council or city office settles it.
In Canada, 988 is available by call or text at any hour for anyone in distress, including grief after a pet. Veterinary colleges and humane societies in several provinces share pet loss resources, and many groups now meet online. Winters are long in most of the country, so many families keep ashes at home and hold a burial or planting in spring.
The rules that apply across Ontario (home burial, scattering and who oversees pet cremation) are summarized on our Ontario page. London may add its own conditions, so check with the city or county before digging.
What to do while the grief is new
- Tell a teenager straight away and in person if you can. Hearing the news from a sibling or by text can feel like being left out.
- Ask what they'd like to do rather than assigning a role. Some want to be at the burial; some would rather write something privately.
- Expect grief to look like irritability or withdrawal. Teens often grieve in their room, with friends or online.
- Share your own sadness in small doses. A parent who tears up, then gets on with the day, teaches them grief can be lived through.
- Give school a heads-up if exams or big deadlines are near; a quiet word to one teacher is enough.
- Watch for weeks of withdrawal, slipping grades or any talk of things being hopeless. If those show up, speak to the school counselor or your doctor.
Honoring them close to home in London
Many London households include students, young families and grandparents, and a pet's death is felt by everyone in different ways. For students at Western or Fanshawe, losing the family pet back home can hurt all the more because they could not be there. A phone or video call, and a photo on the desk, can help. Younger children benefit from honest words and a small task.
For a plain comparison of the choices, open services, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details, or see how other readers answered in our polls. You can also browse every city in Canada. Nearby, we also cover Mississauga, Ottawa, Toronto and Brampton, and every city in Ontario.
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.
Which moment of the day feels emptiest now?
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
Is cremation common in Canada?
For people, yes: about 81.1%[2] of Canada deaths end in cremation, according to CANA Industry Statistical Information (2030). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in London follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from London?
Usually yes. Guelph is about 63 miles away, Hamilton is about 72 miles away and Burlington is about 77 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Where are the providers that serve London actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Hamilton, about 72 miles away. That is normal for a city this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for London and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Do vets in London offer any grief support?
Many vet practices don't run formal support, but staff see loss every week and usually know what exists locally, from groups to counselors who take animal loss seriously. Some send a sympathy card or a paw print, and a few host remembrance events. It's always fine to call and ask, even weeks later.
What's a good way to mark the first anniversary?
Choose something small and repeatable: a walk along their favorite route, a donation to a shelter, a candle and an evening looking through photos, or a meal with the people who knew them. Tell someone close that the date is coming, so you're not facing it alone. Many people find the days before the anniversary harder than the day itself.
Can I join a pet loss group in another town?
Yes. Most groups welcome anyone who's grieving, wherever they live, and some people prefer a group a little further from home so they're less likely to run into neighbors. Online groups remove the distance entirely. Before driving to a group near Toronto or further afield, check it's still meeting, and ask if it's fine to just listen the first time.
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] CANA projects the Canadian cremation rate will reach 81.1% by 2030. CANA Industry Statistical Information, 2030.
- [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.
Find pet loss support in London
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.