Has your pet gone missing in Portugal? Exact steps

Updated: September 16, 2026 · Reunika

In Portugal, all dogs, cats and ferrets must be registered with SIAC, and a disappearance must be reported there within 15 days. Found animals are taken to the local council’s Centro de Recolha Oficial (CRO), where they must be kept for at least 8 days before an unclaimed animal can be treated as abandoned. Here are the steps, in order.

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The steps, in order

Search on foot during the first few hours, close to where the animal went missing: cats usually stay within 500 m, while dogs usually stay within 3 km.
Post an online notice with a photo and the exact location. On Reunika, the notice becomes an alert on Facebook and Instagram in the area where the animal went missing and appears on the city map.
Report the missing animal on siac.pt (the “anunciar animal desaparecido” section). It will appear on the official national list, and any vet or CRO that reads the microchip can contact you. SIAC telephone: +351 212 697 878.
Call the Câmara Municipal and its CRO: animals collected from the streets are taken there, and they are required to scan the microchip and contact the owner. Check again every day: after 8 days, an unclaimed animal is considered abandoned and made available for adoption.
Notify PSP or GNR (SEPNA, line 808 200 520) and local vets: microchip scanning is free.
Post on encontra-me.org (the largest free national database, with area alerts and automatic PDF posters), on FindMyPet (findmypet.omv.pt, run by the Ordem dos Médicos Veterinários with PSP), and in national and regional Facebook groups. Include the link to your notice.
Put up posters at junctions, shops and veterinary practices, with a large photo and the QR code for the notice. Do not attach them to lampposts or street furniture without the local council’s permission.

What is specific to Portugal

SIAC: microchipping and registration are mandatory within 120 days of birth (DL 82/2019); reporting a disappearance within 15 days is mandatory; failing to report it creates a presumption of abandonment.
CRO: animals must be kept for at least 8 days (DL 314/2003, amended by DL 20/2019), starting from the date of collection if the animal has no microchip, or from when the owner is contacted if it does. After that, the animal is sterilised and put up for adoption.
Street posters are covered by the local council’s advertising rules. Use shops, veterinary practices and authorised noticeboards.

Common questions

I have found an animal in Portugal. What should I do?

Take it to a vet to have its microchip scanned (free of charge), notify the local council’s CRO and PSP/GNR, and report the found animal on siac.pt. Also post a notice with a photo and location so the owner can find you before the 8-day deadline.

Is a microchip enough?

No. SIAC can only help reunite you with your pet if your details are up to date and the disappearance has been reported. Check your registration on siac.pt now.