Adopting a dog or cat in Spain: shelters, rules and how it works

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Updated: October 2026

Spain’s animal shelters are full of dogs and cats waiting for a home, and many foreign residents adopt within months of arriving. Adopting is usually cheaper than buying, the animal comes vaccinated, microchipped and often sterilised, and you give a home to an animal that really needs one. This guide explains how adoption works in Spain, what the animal welfare law expects from you and where to start on the Costa del Sol.

Why adopt in Spain

• Many animals need homes. Abandonment is still a problem in Spain, especially after summer and the hunting season, when many hunting dogs (galgos and podencos) are left behind.
• Pet shops can no longer sell dogs and cats. Under the animal welfare law (Ley 7/2023), dogs, cats and ferrets may only be sold directly by registered breeders, so adoption from a shelter is one of the main routes to a new pet.
• The animal comes prepared. Shelters normally hand over animals with a microchip, the basic vaccinations, a health check and – depending on age – sterilisation.

How adoption works, step by step

1. Look online first. Most shelters show their animals on their website or social media, with age, size and character. Many also have English-speaking volunteers.
2. Fill in an adoption form. Expect questions about your home, garden, working hours, other pets, children and whether you rent (some shelters ask for the landlord’s permission).
3. Meet the animal. You visit the shelter, walk the dog or meet the cat, often more than once. Bring the whole family and any dog you already have.
4. Home check. Some shelters visit your home or ask for photos of the garden and fences.
5. Contract and fee. You sign an adoption contract and pay an adoption fee that helps cover vaccines, microchip and sterilisation. The contract usually lets the shelter follow up and requires you to return the animal to them, not give it away, if things do not work out.
6. Registration. The microchip is transferred to your name in the regional pet register – in Andalucía the RAIA. The shelter or your vet arranges this.

Fostering: try before you commit

If you are not sure you can adopt – for example because you may move again soon – consider fostering (acogida). You look after an animal at home for a few weeks or months while the shelter looks for a permanent family. Shelters usually cover food and vet costs. It is also a good way to find out whether a dog suits your lifestyle.

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What the animal welfare law expects from you

The national animal welfare law (Ley 7/2023) applies to every pet owner in Spain, foreign residents included. The main points:

• Dogs, cats and ferrets must be microchipped and registered.
• Animals may not be left alone for long periods – for dogs, not more than 24 hours in a row – and must not live permanently on a terrace, balcony or roof.
• Cats must be sterilised before six months of age, unless they are registered for breeding.
• The law also foresees a free course for dog owners and compulsory third-party liability insurance for dogs, but both still depend on a regulation that has not been approved yet. Until then, insurance is only compulsory for potentially dangerous dogs (PPP) and where regional or local rules require it. Many owners take it out anyway, because it is cheap protection if the dog causes an accident.

More detail in our guide to Spain’s animal welfare law and to pet insurance in Spain. If you want cover for vet bills and liability, providers such as Petplan (ad) offer pet insurance in Spain.

Shelters on the Costa del Sol and in Málaga province

These are some of the shelters and rescue groups in the area. Most welcome adopters, foster homes and volunteers – contact them first, as opening hours and needs change.

• Sociedad Protectora de Animales y Plantas de Málaga – Málaga city. protectoramalaga.com
• Suspiros de Cuatro Patas – Málaga. suspirosdecuatropatas.org
• Asociación Protectora Fidelio – Benalmádena. asociacionfidelio.org
• PAD (Protectora de Animales Domésticos) – Mijas. padmijas.org
• ACE / SHIN – Mijas. ace-charity.org
• Triple A Marbella – Marbella and San Pedro. tripleamarbella.org
• ADANA – Estepona. adana.es
• Galgos en Familia – greyhound rescue, Málaga. galgosenfamilia.org
• Axarquía Animal Rescue – east of Málaga. axarquiaanimalrescue.com

See all our pet guides and the full shelter list on Pets in Spain.

Before you bring your new pet home

• Register with a local vet and ask about vaccines, parasite protection and the leishmaniasis vaccine or collar for dogs – leishmaniasis is spread by sandflies and common in southern Spain.
• Check your rental contract or community rules on pets.
• Plan for summer: shade, water and walks early and late in the day.
• If you may travel, ask your vet for an EU pet passport.

Useful links

• BOE: Ley 7/2023 on animal rights and welfare (Spanish)
• Moving to Spain with a dog or cat
• Pet insurance in Spain
• Pets in Spain: all guides and shelters

FAQ: adopting a pet in Spain

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal or veterinary advice. Rules and shelter details change; check with the shelter, your vet or the town hall. Links marked “(ad)” are affiliate links – NewInSpain may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.