What if you've lost your pet?

Verified 30 November 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)

Have you lost your pet? You can report its loss to I-cad or Ifap and establish a search perimeter around your home. We will detail these steps.

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Cat, dog or ferret

If you have lost your cat, dog or ferret and it is identified, you can report its loss to the National Domestic Carnivore Identification File (I-cad).

If it is not identified, private websites offer you the possibility to run search ads and tips to conduct your searches.

Remember: identification is mandatory before any transfer or acquisition (free or paid) and without any transfer, at the latest 4 months for a dog, at the latest 7 months for a cat and at the latest 7 months for a ferret.

Identification allows you to register your name and address in the National Domestic Carnivore Identification File (I-cad) and to contact you if your pet is found.

Identified animal

If you have lost your cat, dog or ferret identified by electronic chip or by tattoo, you can report its loss to the National Domestic Carnivore Identification File (I-cad).

To make the declaration of loss, you must be in possession of identification number of your pet. This number appears on the registration card provided by I-cad after his identification, if he was born in your country, or after his acquisition.

Your veterinarian can also communicate it to you in case of need.

The declaration of loss of your pet allows you to inform people who may be able to find it (veterinarians, pounds...) that you are looking for it.

Reporting the loss of a cat, dog or ferret

If you just bought your pet and you are not yet registered as a holder in the I-cad, you can request the I-cad to be registered temporarily as a holder.

Contact the I-cad by e-mail with your name, first name, postal address and identification number of your pet.

Who shall I contact

This temporary registration will allow you to be contacted if your pet is found. It is valid for 2 months.

Once your pet has been found, you should quickly regularize your situation with the I-cad in order to be permanently registered as a keeper.

Know that an animal found wandering and impounded is kept for a clear period of 8 working days.

The animal is returned to you after payment of the custody fee.

At the end of the 8-day period, if you have not claimed your pet, it is considered abandoned and becomes the property of the pound manager.

After a veterinary surgeon has given his opinion, the animal is transferred free of charge to an animal protection foundation or association or is euthanized.

Please note

The free period of 8 days shall start on the day following the day on which the animal arrives in the impound and shall include the day following the day on which the period ends.

State services (veterinary inspectors, administration officials, state veterinarians, municipal police officers, rural rangers, customs officers) can return your stray animal without prior impounding. In this case, the animal is returned to you after payment of a lump sum fixed by a municipal decree.

In addition to reporting to I-cad, check with veterinarians, shelters or animal associations near you if your pet has not been found.

The function around me of theFilalapat application, offered by I-Cad, allows you to easily and quickly locate veterinarians, shelters and pounds as well as animals found around you.

Your city hall can also give you the contact details of the pickup service and the pound competent for the territory of your commune.

Who shall I contact

Private websites also offer the possibility to run search ads and tips for conducting research.

Establish a search area around your home that you will gradually expand by putting up posters.

FYI  

If it is a cat, take the litter outside, its smell is detectable even several kilometers away.

Once your pet is found, remember to report it to the I-cad.

Unidentified animal

If you have lost your unidentified cat, dog or ferret, private websites offer you the possibility to run search ads and tips to conduct your searches.

Check with veterinarians, shelters or animal associations near you if your pet has not been found.

Your city hall can also give you the contact details of the competent pickup service and pound for the territory of the municipality.

Who shall I contact

Know that an animal found wandering and impounded is kept for a clear period of 8 working days.

The animal is returned to you after payment of the custody fee.

At the end of the 8-day period, if you have not claimed your pet, it is considered abandoned and becomes the property of the pound manager.

After a veterinary surgeon has given his opinion, the animal is transferred free of charge to an animal protection foundation or association or is euthanized.

Please note

The free period of 8 days shall start on the day following the day on which the animal arrives in the impound and shall include the day following the day on which the period ends.

State services (veterinary inspectors, administration officials, state veterinarians, municipal police officers, rural rangers, customs officers) can return your stray animal without prior impounding. In this case, the animal is returned to you after payment of a lump sum fixed by a municipal decree.

Also, set up a search area around your home that you will gradually expand by putting up posters.

FYI  

If it is a cat, take the litter outside, its smell is detectable even several kilometers away.

Reminder

an unidentified animal is not legally owned by anyone. It can therefore be adopted by anyone who finds it without you being able to assert a right to recover it. And it's more exposed to various kinds of animal trafficking than an identified animal.

New pet (Nac)

If you have lost your Nac and it is identified, you can report its loss to the National Non-Domestic Animal Identification File (I-fap).

If it is not identified, check with veterinarians, shelters or animal associations near you if it has not been found.

Protected species

If your pet belongs to a protected wild species, you can report its loss to the National Non-Domestic Animal Identification Register (I-fap).

To make this declaration, you must be in possession of identification number of your pet.

This number appears on the registration card provided by I-fap following its identification, if it was born in your home, or its acquisition.

The declaration of loss of your pet allows you to inform people who may find it (veterinarians, shelters, firefighters...) that you are looking for it.

Identification of protected wildlife (I-fap) - User area

Know that an animal found wandering and impounded is kept for a clear period of 8 working days.

The animal is returned to you after payment of the custody fee.

At the end of the 8-day period, if you have not claimed your pet, it is considered abandoned and becomes the property of the pound manager.

After a veterinary surgeon has given his opinion, the animal is transferred free of charge to an animal protection foundation or association or is euthanized.

Please note

The free period of 8 days shall start on the day following the day on which the animal arrives in the impound and shall include the day following the day on which the period ends.

State services (veterinary inspectors, administration officials, state veterinarians, municipal police officers, rural rangers, customs officers) can return your stray animal without prior impounding. In this case, the animal is returned to you after payment of a lump sum fixed by a municipal decree.

In addition to reporting to I-fap, check with veterinarians, shelters or animal associations near you if your pet has not been found.

Your city hall can also give you the contact details of the competent pickup service and pound for the territory of the municipality.

Who shall I contact

Establish a search area around your home that you will gradually expand by putting up posters.

Once your pet is found, remember to report it to I-fap.

Other species

If your pet is not identified, check with veterinarians, shelters or animal associations near you if it has not been found.

Your city hall can also give you the contact details of the competent pickup service and pound for the territory of the municipality.

Who shall I contact

Know that an animal found wandering and impounded is kept for a clear period of 8 working days.

The animal is returned to you after payment of the custody fee.

At the end of the 8-day period, if you have not claimed your pet, it is considered abandoned and becomes the property of the pound manager.

After a veterinary surgeon has given his opinion, the animal is transferred free of charge to an animal protection foundation or association or is euthanized.

Please note

The free period of 8 days shall start on the day following the day on which the animal arrives in the impound and shall include the day following the day on which the period ends.

State services (veterinary inspectors, administration officials, state veterinarians, municipal police officers, rural rangers, customs officers) can return your stray animal without prior impounding. In this case, the animal is returned to you after payment of a lump sum fixed by a municipal decree.

Also, set up a search area around your home that you will gradually expand by putting up posters.

Reminder

an unidentified animal is not legally owned by anyone. It can therefore be adopted by anyone who finds it without you being able to assert a right to recover it. And it's more exposed to various kinds of animal trafficking than an identified animal.