My pet is missing — where do I report it?
A microchipped pet is found through the chip database: report it missing at Anagrafe animali d'affezione (ASL) / microchip (salute.gov.it) so any vet or shelter scanning the chip sees it — and check your contact details there are current. Then Carabinieri Forestali / Servizio veterinario ASL (1515) — the animal shelter and the animal-welfare organisation for Italy, which take in strays — and Comune — Polizia locale / URP (anci.it), the municipality, which collects animals from the street. Search at dawn and dusk with something that smells of home; most cats are within a few hundred metres, hiding.
🗣️ What to say
"My [dog/cat], [name, breed, colour, age, chip number], went missing on [date] from [address/area]. [Wearing collar / not.] Please register it as missing and tell me which shelters to contact. Photo attached."
🪜 Step by step
- Chip database: Anagrafe animali d'affezione (ASL) / microchipMark missing, update your phone number.
- Shelters and vets: Carabinieri Forestali / Servizio veterinario ASLCall and email the local shelters and vets with a photo; visit shelters in person — descriptions get lost.
- Municipality: Comune — Polizia locale / URPFound animals are taken in by the municipal service; report yours so they match.
- NeighbourhoodPosters with a photo, local social-media groups, neighbours' sheds and garages. Cats: put the litter tray outside.
- Keep lookingCats turn up weeks later; dogs are usually found within days. Report a found pet the same way if you find one.
📇 All contacts
❓ Frequently asked
Not chipped
Report anyway with photos; a found animal is matched by description. Microchipping is compulsory for dogs in most EU countries — get it done when the pet is back.
Someone found it and wants money
A finder can claim reasonable expenses, not a ransom. If it feels like a scam, involve the police.
Lost abroad on holiday
Chip databases are linked through the European pet-network; report at home and in the country you are in.
📎 Sources
- Anagrafe animali d'affezione (ASL) / microchip →
- Carabinieri Forestali / Servizio veterinario ASL →
- Comune — Polizia locale / URP →
- Polizia di Stato / Carabinieri — denuncia (112) →
🔎 Common searches
Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.
- “missing pet report Italy”
- “lost dog what to do”
- “lost cat found shelter”
- “microchip database report missing”
- “municipal animal shelter Italy”
🧭 Is this still correct?
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