Pet bereavement support for Burbank families
Roughly 10,500 Burbank households have a dog or cat, by our estimate. Losing one is common, but it rarely feels ordinary. Here's how to find support that takes it seriously.
- Rituals for the first weeks and the first year
- Groups that meet in person or by video
- Plain answers about guilt after euthanasia
Burbank, Illinois
What grieving a pet in Burbank can be like
In Burbank, many households would sooner hold the goodbye in the living room or on the back porch, rather than make a car trip with a sick animal. Ask your vet whether they, or a mobile service on the Southwest Side, can come to the house. Pick a collection time that lets the family gather and say goodbye without watching the door.
A farewell in Burbank might be a few family members around the kitchen table, a prayer or a poem, and a candle lit next to a photograph. Children can draw pictures, make a memory box or choose a plant for the front garden. Some families hold the gathering when the ashes come home, while others wait for the pet's birthday or the first warm spring weekend.
Farm and rural owners around Burbank sometimes feel they aren't allowed to grieve a working dog or a barn cat as deeply as a city owner grieves a lapdog. Grief follows closeness, not breed or job, and research on pet loss backs that up. If you spent every day with them, through every season and every chore, missing them this much makes complete sense.
Burbank's population is around 28,578, the 73rd-largest of the 151 Illinois communities we cover. Chicago, roughly 12 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Burbank run from there.
For a second opinion on price, Oak Lawn (2 miles), Evergreen Park (4 miles) and Palos Hills (4 miles) are close enough that their providers cover Burbank routinely. Two written quotes tell you more than any price list.
Our estimate
10,500
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Burbank
How we calculated this
28,578 ÷ 2.5 = 11,431 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 10,500. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
880
Estimated dog and cat losses in Burbank each year
How we calculated this
10,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 880 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.
Where these figures come from: Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry.
How people in Illinois mark a death
Cremation is now the majority choice in Illinois, at about 60.2%[5] of deaths, but burial and graveside visits still matter to many families. If you grew up with a grave to visit, grieving a pet whose ashes sit on a shelf can feel unfinished. Some people create a place anyway, such as a marked spot in the garden or a memorial stone, so the grief has somewhere to go.
The Illinois figure comes from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It describes people, not pets, so read it as a sign of local attitudes rather than a pet statistic.
Planning remembrance around Burbank's weather
Around Burbank, January lows average about 20°F, and that stretch of the year pushes most people indoors. It's a good season for slower remembrance projects: sorting photos into an album, writing down stories before details fade, or making something from their collar or blanket. Projects like these give restless evenings a focus and leave you with something to keep.
When ice and early darkness keep people home in Burbank through January, February, March and December, grief can quietly turn into isolation. Set up a regular check-in, such as a call every Sunday or a text on the weekday your pet died, with someone who understands. If the weeks start blurring and nothing feels worth doing, mention it to your doctor. Winter and grief together are a heavy load, and help exists.
Paying for grief support in Burbank
Paid pet loss leave is rare: only 11%[6] of US employers offer it, according to AbsenceSoft. That means grief can cost you vacation days as well as vet bills, so it's worth asking your manager anyway. Below are national averages for the aftercare decisions many Burbank families face, alongside the typical cost of each kind of support.
For a line-by-line price table, see the Illinois 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.
What Illinois allows for burial and scattering
Shared spaces need a little diplomacy. A garden in a shared building, a family farm owned by several siblings or a community plot in Illinois each involve someone else's permission, even where the law allows a burial or scattering. A short conversation beforehand avoids hurt feelings later. The rules we have on record for Illinois are set out below.
To find your county or city office in Illinois, start with the official Illinois local government directory.
The rules that apply across Illinois (home burial, scattering and who oversees pet cremation) are summarized on our Illinois page. Burbank may add its own conditions, so check with the city or county before digging.
Small steps for the days after a loss
- Let your other animals sniff or sit with their companion if that's possible and feels right. Some owners find it helps the survivors settle.
- Keep feeding and walking times the same for the animals still with you.
- Expect changes in behavior, such as searching, calling out, sleeping in the old spot or seeming unsettled. Most of it eases within a few weeks.
- Don't rush a new companion for them. Let the house settle into how it is now before adding anyone else.
- Make room for your own grief, too. Caring for the others can crowd it out, so set aside time to be sad on purpose.
- Call your vet if a surviving pet stops eating or seems unwell for more than a day or two.
Keeping their memory close in Burbank
The quiet after a pet dies can be the hardest part, especially in a small house where the animal was always underfoot. Some people find comfort in talking with neighbors who knew the pet, or in a support group their vet recommends. Phone and online pet-loss services are available too, and there's no set timeline for feeling better; some days will simply be harder than others.
or see what other families chose in the poll results, For a plain comparison of the choices, open services, the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones, try the free planning tools. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Aurora, Joliet, Rockford and Naperville, and every city in Illinois.
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.
How do you mark the day your pet died?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What words did you use to tell a child the pet had died?
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If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
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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
Will I have to travel to Chicago to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Chicago (roughly 12 miles from Burbank) 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.
Does the Burbank climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In July, with highs near 85°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. In January, February, March and December, when lows sit below freezing, a home burial may have to wait for a thaw, so cremation with ashes returned keeps your options open.
How many pet owners live in Burbank?
By our estimate, about 10,500 households in Burbank have at least one dog or cat, and around 880 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 28,578, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
Is cremation common in Illinois?
For people, yes: about 60.2%[5] of Illinois deaths end in cremation, according to NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Burbank follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
When should I get professional help for pet grief?
Most grief softens with time and ordinary support. Consider a counselor or your doctor if, months later, you can't manage daily life, nothing feels worth doing, the longing is getting stronger or you're leaning on alcohol to cope. In a UK study, 7.5%[8] of people bereaved of a pet met the threshold for prolonged grief disorder. If you ever think about ending your life, contact a crisis line or emergency services right away.
How many people in Burbank lose a pet each year?
By our estimate, about 10,500 households in Burbank have a dog or cat, and around 880 dogs and cats die there each year. We calculate this from the city's population, average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so it's a floor rather than an exact count. The point is simple: if you're grieving a pet in Burbank, many of your neighbors have been there too.
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 Illinois's cremation rate at 60.2% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] Only 11% of employers offer paid pet loss leave, according to an AbsenceSoft survey. AbsenceSoft — Understanding Pet Bereavement Leave and Its Importance to Today's Workforce, 2025.
- [7] 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.
- [8] 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.
Find a group or counselor near Burbank
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.