Adopting or buying a pet in Spain

Terms used

• Protectora — A protectora is an animal shelter or rescue organisation that takes in abandoned animals and finds them new homes.
• Contrato de adopción — The contrato de adopción is the contract you sign with a shelter, setting out your duties to the animal.
• Donativo — The donativo is the donation a shelter asks when you adopt, to cover costs it has already paid.
• Pedigrí — The pedigrí is the certificate of an animal's recorded ancestry, issued by the Real Sociedad Canina de España.

Key rules

• Shop ban: Shops cannot sell dogs, cats or ferrets, so any shop or online advert offering them is illegal.
• Breeders: Buy only from a breeder with a registered breeder number that you have checked with the regional authority.
• Puppy age: Do not take a puppy younger than 8 weeks.
• Deposits: Never pay a deposit by transfer to a seller you cannot trace.
• Adoption donation: A shelter donation is not a purchase price, and each shelter sets its own amount.

Where you can legally get a dog or cat

You have two legal routes: adopt from a protectora, or buy from a registered breeder. Pet shops cannot sell dogs, cats or ferrets, and this has been the law since 29 September 2023. Shops also cannot show these animals in their windows. They can still sell fish, birds, rodents and reptiles.

Private owners cannot sell animals either. They can only hand a litter over to adopters. Online adverts for dogs, cats and ferrets from anyone who is not a registered breeder are also banned. If you see one, walk away.

Adopting from a protectora

A protectora is an animal shelter or rescue. Adoption is the simplest route, and shelters are full of dogs and cats.

This is how it usually goes:

1. Choose an animal and fill in the adoption form, or have an interview.
2. Show your ID. For some animals the shelter also asks for proof of address or your landlord's permission if you rent.
3. Some shelters check your home by visit, photos or video call. Others do this only for certain animals.
4. Sign the contrato de adopción. It sets out your care duties and bans selling, abandoning or breeding the animal. It also lets the shelter follow up and take the animal back if it is neglected.
5. Take the animal home. It comes microchipped, vaccinated and dewormed. Adults are usually already sterilised.

Each shelter sets its own conditions. Some refuse to place an animal that will live outdoors on a chain, or with a tenant who has no landlord permission. Many shelters check in with you in the weeks after adoption.

A puppy or kitten that is too young for sterilisation can still be adopted. You commit to sterilise it by a set age. The shelter may hold a deposit or fee and give it back when you show proof.

What it costs

Expect an adoption donation (donativo) of about 50 to 200 euros for a dog and about 30 to 100 euros for a cat, in 2025. Puppies and small breeds are usually at the top of the range. Some municipal pounds charge less or nothing.

The donation is not a purchase price. It usually covers the microchip, age-appropriate vaccinations, deworming, a health check and sterilisation if the animal is old enough. Sometimes it covers a passport or registering ownership too. Ask each shelter what is included.

Adopting a galgo

Galgos (Spanish greyhounds) and podencos are used for hunting. Many are abandoned or killed when the season ends around February. Dedicated rescues take in thousands each year. Most are adopted abroad, but adoption within Spain is growing.

Known organisations include SOS Galgos, Scooby Medina Galgos, Galgos del Sur, Galgos en Familia, Galgo Rescue and Galgos 112. Many work with foster homes (casas de acogida). The process is the same as for other dogs, and fees are usually similar.

Galgos are quiet and gentle. They need care with fragile coats, small animals and unfenced spaces. Check a rescue's record, and whether it sends dogs abroad, before you apply.

Buying from a breeder

Only a registered breeder can sell you a dog or cat. The breeder must be on the official breeders' register of their autonomous community and have a breeder number. Details and the office involved differ by region.

Before you pay:

• Ask for the breeder number and check it with the regional authority.
• Check that the microchip number matches the animal. It must be chipped and registered before sale.
• Ask for the written contract, the health record, the vaccination record and the vet's health certificate.
• If it is sold as pedigree, ask for the pedigrí from the Real Sociedad Canina de España and the parents' health tests.
• Visit the premises and see the mother with the puppies.
• Do not accept a puppy younger than 8 weeks.
• Never send a deposit by bank transfer to a seller you cannot trace.

Legal ads must show the breeder number and the animal's identification. An ad without them is a warning sign.

Penalties and dog owner duties

Illegal sales bring fines, and they are heavy for serious breaches. The law also requires a course for dog owners. Ask your town hall or regional animal welfare office how to take it.

Rules and the regulations that apply the law can differ by region and change over time. Check with your regional authority.

Documents you need

• Adoption contract (contrato de adopción) from the shelter: it sets out your care duties, a ban on selling, abandoning or breeding the animal, and the shelter's right to follow up and take the animal back if it is neglected.

• Your ID, which the shelter may ask to see before handing over the animal.

• Proof of address or your landlord's permission, if you rent and the shelter asks for it for that animal.

• Written contract and health record from a breeder, handed over when you buy. The animal must already be microchipped and registered.

• Veterinary health certificate and vaccination record for the animal you buy from a breeder.

• Pedigree (pedigrí) issued by the Real Sociedad Canina de España, if the animal is sold as pedigree.

Checklist

• Walk away from any pet shop or online advert selling a dog, cat or ferret, because only registered breeders may sell them.

• Check that the microchip number matches the animal and that the vaccination record and veterinary health certificate are in order.

• Ask the shelter what its adoption conditions are, including home checks, landlord permission if you rent, and any rule about keeping the animal outdoors.

• Ask the shelter what the donation covers and whether there is a refundable sterilisation deposit for a young animal.

• Read the adoption contract before you sign it.

What to watch out for

• Illegal sellers in shops and online: Pet shops cannot sell dogs, cats or ferrets, and neither can private owners or online advertisers who are not registered breeders. A seller who does is breaking the law, and the animal may have no papers. Buy only from a registered breeder whose advert shows a breeder number and the animal's identification, or adopt from a protectora.

• Paying a deposit to a seller you cannot trace: A deposit sent by transfer to a seller you cannot trace is easily lost, and the puppy may never exist. Do not pay before you have visited, seen the mother and puppies, and checked the breeder number with the regional authority.

• Puppies that are too young: A puppy younger than 8 weeks should not be sold, and a seller offering one is a warning sign. Refuse to buy a puppy younger than 8 weeks.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to adopt a dog or cat from a protectora?

Shelters typically ask for a donation (donativo) of 50 to 200 euros for a dog and 30 to 100 euros for a cat.

Can I adopt a puppy or kitten that is too young to be sterilised?

Yes, you can adopt a young animal, but you sign a commitment to sterilise it by a set age. Some shelters ask for a refundable deposit that they return when you show proof of the operation.

Can I adopt a galgo, and which organisations handle it?

Yes, you can adopt a galgo in Spain or from abroad through specialist rescues, such as SOS Galgos or Galgos del Sur, which follow the usual adoption steps. Fees are usually similar to other dogs. Galgos are quiet and gentle, but need care with small animals and unfenced spaces.

Can I sell or give away a litter from my own pet?

No, private owners may not sell dogs, cats or ferrets, and only registered breeders can sell them. You may hand a litter over to adopters, though.