My pet is missing — where do I report it?

Direct answer

A microchipped pet is found through the chip database: report it missing at DogID / CatID (dogid.be) so any vet or shelter scanning the chip sees it — and check your contact details there are current. Then Dierenwelzijn Vlaanderen / Bruxelles Environnement / Wallonie bien-être animal (vlaanderen.be) — the animal shelter and the animal-welfare organisation for Belgium, which take in strays — and Gemeentebestuur / stadsbestuur (belgium.be), 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.

Call firstDogID / CatID

Report toDierenwelzijn Vlaanderen / Bruxelles Environnement / Wallonie bien-être animal

If that failsGemeentebestuur / stadsbestuur

🗣️ 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: DogID / CatIDMark missing, update your phone number.
Shelters and vets: Dierenwelzijn Vlaanderen / Bruxelles Environnement / Wallonie bien-être animalCall and email the local shelters and vets with a photo; visit shelters in person — descriptions get lost.
Municipality: Gemeentebestuur / stadsbestuurFound 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

DogID / CatIDChip register, missing reportImmediately after the pet goes missing🔗 www.dogid.be

Dierenwelzijn Vlaanderen / Bruxelles Environnement / Wallonie bien-être animalAnimal abuse reporting, inspection, seizureFor neglect or abuse🔗 www.vlaanderen.be/dierenwelzijn

Gemeentebestuur / stadsbestuurNuisances, roads, waste, population registry, lost propertyFor anything the municipality handles🔗 www.belgium.be/nl/over_belgie/overheid/gemeenten

Politie — Police-on-webOnline report, case number immediatelyAlways — the basis for bank, insurer and platform🔗 www.police.be/nl/e-loket

❓ 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

Last checked: 2026-09-26

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🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

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🐕 My pet is missing — where do I report it?