My pet is missing — where do I report it? · Malta

Direct answer

A microchipped pet is found through the chip database: report it missing at Reġistru tal-microchip (Direttorat għall-Ħarsien tal-Annimali) (1717) so any vet or shelter scanning the chip sees it — and check your contact details there are current. Then Direttorat għall-Ħarsien tal-Annimali — Animal Welfare 1717 (1717) — the animal shelter and the animal-welfare organisation for Malta, which take in strays — and Kunsill Lokali / LESA (2200 2300), 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 firstReġistru tal-microchip (Direttorat għall-Ħarsien tal-Annimali)

Report toDirettorat għall-Ħarsien tal-Annimali — Animal Welfare 1717

If that failsKunsill Lokali / LESA

🗣️ 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: Reġistru tal-microchip (Direttorat għall-Ħarsien tal-Annimali)Mark missing, update your phone number.
Shelters and vets: Direttorat għall-Ħarsien tal-Annimali — Animal Welfare 1717Call and email the local shelters and vets with a photo; visit shelters in person — descriptions get lost.
Municipality: Kunsill Lokali / LESAFound 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

Reġistru tal-microchip (Direttorat għall-Ħarsien tal-Annimali)Pet microchip registerPet lost or found📞 1717 🔗 animalwelfare.gov.mt

Direttorat għall-Ħarsien tal-Annimali — Animal Welfare 1717Animal cruelty: inspection, seizure, prosecutionNeglect or abuse📞 1717 🔗 agrikoltura.gov.mt/en/awd

Kunsill Lokali / LESANuisances, roads, waste, lost propertyFor anything the council handles📞 2200 2300 🔗 localgovernment.gov.mt

Pulizija ta' Malta — għassa tal-pulizija / 112Report at any police stationTheft, threats, stalking📞 112 🔗 pulizija.gov.mt

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