Getting your pet's paw print in Brussels
Whether your pet is a healthy senior or has just died, there's usually still time for a print. Here's the calm, practical version for Brussels: what to do first and what can wait.
- Take the print before cremation
- Clay, ink or cast, explained simply
- Published prices, no guesswork
Brussels, Brussels-Capital
Getting a paw print in Brussels: the local picture
Belgians traditionally visit cemeteries around All Saints' Day in early November, laying chrysanthemums for family members. Some Brussels families now mark a pet's memory at the same season, lighting a candle beside an urn or placing flowers by a memorial stone at home. If you like that idea, a small engraved plaque or an urn with space for a candle fits naturally.
If you are thinking about scattering ashes, the woods and parks around Brussels hold many family memories, but they are also busy public places. A quiet corner of your own garden, a relative's land outside the city, or a biodegradable urn that can be planted with a tree are gentler options. Keeping a small portion in a keepsake before any scattering means you will not regret it later.
Collection can be fast in a busy city like Brussels, sometimes within an hour or two, and that shortens the window for taking a print yourself. If you want to do it with your own hands, do it before you make the call, or ask the collection team to give you ten minutes. They are used to the request and will wait. Keep the clay, a damp cloth and a towel ready on a table beforehand.
Brussels is home to about 1,209,000 people.
Nearby, we also have local pages for Antwerp (26 miles) and Ghent (31 miles), which can help if your vet or the provider you prefer is based there.
67.98%[1]
In 2023, 67.98% of deaths in Belgium were cremated (21 crematoria).
~$32[2]
Paw-print add-ons at US crematories have a median price of about $32, from $10 to $76.
3-5% of body weight[3]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
How Belgium thinks about cremation, and why prints matter
About 67.98%[1] of people who die in Belgium are cremated. With both burial and cremation common, you'll find pet cemeteries that set a print into a headstone and crematories that return one with the ashes. The print itself is the same either way. What changes is who takes it, so decide that early.
Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023 (2023) is where the Belgium figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Brussels tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
Heat, humidity, cold and drying times
Local weather in Brussels affects a paw print more than you might think. In hot, dry spells, air-dry clay can crack if it dries too fast, so dry it slowly indoors and turn it often. In humid months it stays soft for longer, so be patient. In cold weather, warm the clay in your hands and never let plaster freeze before it has set.
Paw print prices: kits, add-ons and finishing
Europe has more pet cats than dogs: about 108 million cats[4] against roughly 89.6 million dogs[5]. Cat paws are small and neat, so a print of all four often fits on one card or a single clay disc, and many crematoria include one for cats within the package. Before choosing a provider in Brussels, ask whether VAT is included and whether the print is clay, ink or both.
The full price table by product is on our Brussels-Capital 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.
What the law in Brussels-Capital does and doesn't cover
Some towns and councils in Brussels-Capital run a collection service for pets who die at home, usually without returning any ashes. If that's the route you take, a print will be the only keepsake you have, so take it before you call. The notes below cover the other options: home burial, pet cemeteries and scattering ashes.
What to do first, and what can wait
- Take a breath. If your pet has just died at home, there is usually time for a print in the first few hours. Lay them on a towel in a cool room.
- Gather what you need: a damp cloth, and either clay you've softened between your palms or a sheet of card fixed to a board alongside a pet-safe ink pad.
- If the leg has stiffened, bring the clay to the paw. Ease it onto the pads with light pressure; don't try to push the foot down.
- Take a nose print too if you'd like one, with a light touch of ink or an inkless wipe.
- Call your vet or crematory afterwards, and let them know a print has already been made so they can skip that step.
- Let the print dry indoors, out of direct sun and well clear of radiators, before framing it or mailing it.
Shelf, wall or garden: where the print ends up
Space in a Brussels flat is limited, so many owners choose a compact urn that sits on a bookshelf or mantelpiece, or a small memorial stone for a balcony planter. A paw print pressed in clay before the cremation, a lock of fur in a glass locket, or a photo frame with the pet's tag are popular with city households. Ask for prints or clippings before collection.
or compare your instinct with the poll results, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, Our services overview lays out every option side by side. More local pages: the Brussels-Capital overview and every city in Belgium.
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 worries you most about taking a print yourself?
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Who would you rather take the print?
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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.
Paw print keepsake chooser
Match a print method to your pet's size, fur and the keepsake you want to keep.
Jewelry ash capacity guide
How much ash fits in pendants, rings and glass, and how many pieces one pet can fill.
Questions people ask
How do Belgium attitudes to cremation compare?
Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023 (2023) puts the Belgium human cremation rate at about 67.98%[1]. We show it on the Brussels page because pet aftercare choices tend to track it: where cremation is normal for people, communal and private pet cremation are both easy to find.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Brussels?
Usually yes. Antwerp is about 26 miles away and Ghent is about 31 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
How do I stop an ink paw print from smudging?
Dry the paw with a towel first, tape the card to a hard surface and press straight down with steady pressure, then lift straight up without sliding. Too much ink blurs the pads, so dab lightly. Take three or four prints and keep the clearest. Let the ink dry fully before touching it, especially in humid weather.
Is it possible to print a guinea pig's or hamster's feet?
Yes, but it takes patience and a light touch. Tiny feet leave only faint marks in ink, so very soft modeling clay or an inkless kit usually works better. Warm the clay well, cradle your pet in a towel on your lap and press the clay gently up to the foot rather than lowering the foot. For a hamster, one clear hind foot is plenty. If your pet is frightened, stop; letting your vet take it after death is gentler.
Is a paw print included when a vet comes to our home in Brussels?
Often, but not always. Many home-visit vets bring a clay kit and include one print in their fee; others charge for it or leave it to the crematory. Ask when you book, and check whether a flat ink copy is possible as well. Home goodbyes are no longer unusual: in the Dog Aging Project, 22.8% of dogs who were euthanized died at home[7]. You can also take your own print before the vet arrives.
Can I get a print of my bird's feet?
Yes, with care. Birds are light and their toes are delicate, so use very soft clay and the gentlest pressure, or an inkless kit with treated paper. Ink is best avoided because birds preen and may swallow it. An avian vet can help if your bird is nervous. The result is a lovely, delicate impression of the toes and scales.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] In 2023, 67.98% of deaths in Belgium were cremated (21 crematoria). Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023, 2023.
- [2] Paw-print add-ons at US crematories have a median price of about $32, from $10 to $76. Our estimate: median of [$10 clay (AGP), $15 laser engraving (AGP), $49 ink (Final Gift), $76 clay (Final Gift)]. How we calculate.
- [3] 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.
- [4] Europe has about 108 million pet cats, more than its 90 million pet dogs. FEDIAF European Pet Food, Facts & Figures 2025 (2023 data), 2023.
- [5] Europe has about 89.6 million pet dogs. FEDIAF European Pet Food, Facts & Figures 2025 (2023 data), 2023.
- [6] The typical sterling silver pet cremation pendant costs about $190, based on the middle of three sellers' price points. Our estimate: median of [Urns.com median $129, Memorials.com midpoint of $87.95–$297.95 = $193, Final Gift sterling paw pendant $240]. How we calculate.
- [7] Of euthanized dogs in the Dog Aging Project, 76.7% were euthanized at a veterinary clinic or hospital and 22.8% at the owner's home. Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2026), via PubMed Central, 2026.
Ask who takes paw prints in Brussels
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.