Essential Animal Information if you have
Pets in Mallorca

Who to call for animal information, where to go and how the law affects you and your pet - or any other animal that enters your life in any part of Spain.

General Rules for Pet Owners in Spain

All domestic pets in Spain must be identified by microchip or by a clearly readable tattoo. The tattoo will only be accepted as a means of identification until 3 July 2011.

Vaccination against rabies is compulsory. It is also advisable to have dogs vaccinated against other diseases such as distemper and hardpad. Cats should be immunised against feline gastro enteritis and typhus.

There is no law against dogs fouling public places, however people are becoming increasingly sensitive about it and there are specific rules within certain places, such as urban parks.

Dogs should be kept on a lead in public places.

By law, dogs travelling in a car must be kept away from the driver or restrained.

Generally, dogs are permitted on trains. Sometimes they may need to be contained in a pet carrier, or they may have to be muzzled. Dogs normally travel at half the fare of a 2nd class ticket; this charge is payable directly to the conductor. 

The seller of a domestic animal has to provide the following documents:

The new owner of the pet has to:

Regulated Animals

There are restrictions on owning certain breeds of dog and potentially dangerous animals in Spain. Laws are regulated by the Autonomous Communities (Comunidades Autónomas), which impose a wide variety of rules and regulations within the country. 

In general, the following are considered as dangerous animals and owned under specific conditions: 

Any person owning a potentially dangerous dog  (perros potencialmente peligrosos) in Spain must have an appropriate licence (by law of article 3 of the Royal Decree 287/2002, of 22 of March 2002) and the dog must be registered with the municipality. Handlers and walkers of dangerous or potentially dangerous dogs must also be licenced (article 1, 2 of Law 50/1999, of December 1999). A licence is valid for five years. 

Potentially dangerous dog are identified as being in one of three categories: 

1) Breeds and breed crosses classified as potentially dangerous:

Full details of the act: Click here (in Spanish)

Dog owner licence application   

The licence application is made to the municipality of the place of residence. The applicant must take the following (an applicant must be over 18 years): 

Proof of having no criminal convictions Proof of being mentally and physically capable of looking after one of these animals. (There are centres test of physical and psychological aptitude can be done and a certificate issued. The certificate must have been issued in the previous 12 months)> An insurance contract for the dog with a liability of at least €120,000 (€175,000 in Andalucia) Proof of fully up-to-date vaccinations Proof of identification by microchip Proof that the dog is or has attended training school

Once accepted, a licence (the licencia para tener perros potencialmente peligrosos) is issued. 

For an example of the Madrid Municipality licence application form: Click here (PDF in Spanish)

Dog registration

Potentially dangerous dogs must be registered with the municipal registry for dangerous dogs (Registro Municipal de Perros Potencialmente Peligrosos). Registration of the dog must be renewed annually.

Take:

Proof of identification and microchip number's certificate Certificate from the vet stating that the dog is in good health

Walking a potentially dangerous dog   

Dog owners or handlers must carry the licence and dog registration document when out with the dog. The dog must be muzzled and on a lead of no more than two metres long (one metre in Andalucia). Only one dog may be handled per person. In Andalucia, dangerous animals are banned from entering children's leisure or recreational areas.

Comprehensive information is available from the Spanish Embassy in Washington DC: Click here 

Note: In most municipalities, only one dog may be registered to one person. The property where the dogs are kept must be enclosed by a two metre high barrier.

Further information on dog licences and the regulations is available from the CIAA (Centro Integral de Acogida de Animales): Click here (in Spanish)

Animals Lost & Found 

Found a pet in Spain?:

Take the animal to a local vet who will check if it is identified If it is not identified the finder may keep it or contact the SPA (Sociedad Protectora de Animals) to ask for help. The last option is to take the animal to the public kennels (Perrera Municipals), where, if nobody wants it and it is unclaimed within 13 days, it will be euthanised.

Lost a pet in Spain?:

Contact local vets and give the pet's identification number Contact the Archivo de Identificación del Colegio de Veterinarios:
Tel: 934 189 294 (office hours)
Tel: 902 170 401 (24 hour service) Report the animal missing at the local police station, and provide a photograph and description of the pet Contact SPA (Sociedad Protectora de Animals) to ask for help Use the search box on the website La Coordinadora which is specifically for Catalonia but which provides the ability to search country-wide: Click here (in Spanish)

Animal Organisations

Awareness of animal abuse is growing, and even though regulations are not consistent throughout the country, more and more organisations are claiming animal rights and at last there have been cases of people being fined for abusing animals

There are many organisations that take care of animals in Spain. For a comprehensive list of the various SPAs and other organisations with contact information and web-links see the Protection des Animaux website.