Has your pet gone missing in Austria? Exact steps

Updated: September 16, 2026 · Reunika

In Austria, dogs must be registered in the Heimtierdatenbank, the national database of the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection. By law, found animals must be reported to the district administrative authority or municipality and are placed in a shelter. A found pet can be rehomed after one month, so the first few weeks are crucial. The steps, in order.

No account. Starting the alert takes 30 seconds.

The steps, in order

Search on foot during the first few hours, close to where your pet went missing: cats usually stay within 500 m, and dogs 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 town map.
Check and update your registration in the Heimtierdatenbank (heimtierdatenbank.ehealth.gv.at): the public chip search is open to anyone, without an account. If you registered through ANIMALDATA.COM or PETCARD, report the disappearance there too.
In Vienna, call Fundservice für Haustiere 24/7 on +43 1 4000-8060: all animals found in the city are published with a Fund-ID. Elsewhere in Austria, contact the Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde (the Bezirkshauptmannschaft or, in statutory cities, the Magistrat/Amtstierarzt) or the municipality, as well as the regional Tierheim. Lower Austria has the tiersuche.noe.gv.at database.
Tell nearby vets: every veterinary practice can read a chip for free and search the Heimtierdatenbank.
Post in regional Facebook groups (such as 'Vermisste/Gefundene Tiere in Wien und Umgebung' and 'Katze vermisst/zugelaufen Österreich') and send the notice to Tierschutz Austria, which also offers telephone advice.
Put up posters at junctions, shops and veterinary practices, with a large photo and the QR code for the notice. Do not stick them to poles or street furniture without the local council’s permission.

What is specific to Austria

Dogs: they must be microchipped by 3 months of age and before their first handover, and registered in the Heimtierdatenbank within one month of chipping, entry into Austria or takeover (TSchG §24a); pet cats can be registered voluntarily in the same database.
The found animal is published by the authority; the owner has one month to claim it, after which it can be given to a new keeper (TSchG §30). The finder becomes the owner only after one year (ABGB §395), and the statutory reward is 10% of the animal’s value (ABGB §393).
Do not use Tiersuchzentrale.at any more (closed in June 2026) or tiersuche.at (expired website); the official channels and local groups remain available.

Common questions

I have found an animal in Austria. Who should I report it to?

As soon as possible, report it to the Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde (Bezirkshauptmannschaft or Magistrat/Amtstierarzt) or the municipality (in Vienna, Fundservice für Haustiere on +43 1 4000-8060) and the local Tierheim. The authority arranges accommodation and pays for care. In the meantime, have the chip read by any vet and post a found-animal notice with a photo.

Is a microchip enough?

No. An unregistered chip or one linked to outdated details will not lead anyone to you. Check the Heimtierdatenbank to make sure the number is registered and that your contact details are current.