Has your pet gone missing in Spain? Exact steps

Updated: September 16, 2026 · Reunika

In Spain, Law 7/2023 makes microchipping compulsory for dogs, cats and ferrets, and requires you to report a missing pet within 48 hours. Otherwise, the animal is considered abandoned. Registers are still regional, and the local council is responsible for collecting found animals. Follow these steps in order.

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Follow these steps in order

Search on foot during the first few hours, close to where your pet 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 your pet went missing and appears on the town map.
Report the loss within 48 hours to your regional register (RIAC in Madrid, ANICOM/AIAC in Catalonia, RAIA in Andalusia, RIVIA in the Valencian Community, REGIA in the Basque Country) and to the Policía Local. You can find out which regional database holds the microchip at reiac.es.
Call the Policía Local and the local council (ayuntamiento) or its animal protection centre: by law, the council provides a 24-hour emergency collection service and houses found animals. Check again every day; holding periods are short (Madrid: 5 working days from notification, Catalonia: 20 days).
Tell local vets: any practice can scan the microchip free of charge; the Policía Local has direct access to the registers.
Post on Pet Alert España (free, with pages by province), gato-perdido.com for cats, lostpets.es and the “mascotas perdidas” category on Milanuncios; share the notice link in regional Facebook groups.
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 posts or street furniture without the council's permission.

What is specific to Spain

Microchipping is compulsory throughout the country (Ley 7/2023) for dogs, cats and ferrets, but the national SICERPA register is not yet operational (September 2026): public searches are still carried out through REIAC, which only tells you which regional register holds the microchip.
Failing to report a missing pet within 48 hours means the animal is classed as “abandoned” (art. 24.2.g). The local council is responsible for collecting and housing it (art. 22.1); anyone who finds an animal must return it to its known owner or notify the authorities (Civil Code, art. 611).
Posters on posts and street furniture are prohibited under municipal by-laws (with fines of hundreds or thousands of euros in some cities); offering a reward is legal and common.

Common questions

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

Call the Policía Local (or 112), take the animal to a vet to have its microchip scanned, and post a found-animal notice with a photo and location. If the owner is known, you must return the animal to them; otherwise, hand it over to the local council.

Is a microchip enough?

No. The regional register can identify you only if your details are up to date and you have reported the loss. Check your registration with your regional register.