If you find an abandoned or injured animal

You want to help, but do not know where to start. Who to call, how to find out if it has an owner and who pays the vet.

First, carefully

A frightened or injured animal may bite or scratch. Approach slowly and, if it will not let you, do not force it. If it is on the road, get yourself to safety before doing anything.

Does it have an owner?

Check whether it has a tag or a tag with a QR code.
Any vet or the local police can read its microchip, and so find its family.
Ask around the area and check the local lost animal groups.

Who to call

The council animal collection service: councils have to have one available 24 hours a day (Ley 7/2023, the Animal Welfare Act).
The local police or 112 if there is danger.
A local shelter, which can give you guidance.

Who pays the vet?

If you pay to treat an injured or abandoned animal, you can claim those costs from its owner when they turn up, even if they are higher than its «value» (Código Civil, the Civil Code, art. 333 bis.3). Keep the invoices.

If you keep it, make sure it is registered in your name: an animal that has been taken in has to go through the council's procedures in case its family is looking for it.