2017 report Data cut-off: Version 2026.10.22-r1 How to cite ↓

Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain

Adoption on Miwuki in 2017

Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain with 2017 data: listed cases, profiles, recorded adoptions and, where available, requests and returns.

Download the report (PDF)Methodology
A Miwuki dog and cat walking together along a trail of paw prints towards a house.

Listed cases

6,604Partial period

In 2017

Recorded adoptions

2,353Partial period

In 2017

Key points of 2017

The most relevant findings of the year. Each one states its figure, its period and its main limitation.

  1. H-2017-01Descriptive

    Cases listed in 2017

    6,604 Partial period

    cases listed in 2017

    Details

    In 2017, 6,604 Partial period animal cases were listed for adoption on Miwuki in Spain: 4,103 Partial period dogs, 2,462 Partial period cats and 39 Partial period of other species.

    Limitation: It measures cases listed on Miwuki, not abandonment or shelter intakes across Spain.

    Link
    Cite

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-01). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-01

  2. H-2017-02Descriptive

    Dogs and cats in 2017

    37.3% Partial period

    of 2017 cases were cats (dogs: 62.1% Partial period)

    Details

    In 2017, cats made up 37.3% Partial period of the cases listed on Miwuki in Spain; dogs made up 62.1% Partial period.

    Limitation: It describes the make-up of the cases listed on Miwuki; it does not show how many dogs or cats are looking for a home across Spain.

    Link
    Cite

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-02). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-02

  3. H-2017-05Descriptive

    Recorded adoptions

    2,353 Partial period

    adoptions recorded in 2017

    Details

    In 2017, 2,353 Partial period adoptions of animals listed in Spain were recorded on Miwuki, corresponding to 2,353 Partial period distinct cases.

    Limitation: These are the adoptions that publishers record on the platform; some adoptions may not be recorded. A case may have more than one adoption if the animal is adopted more than once.

    Link
    Cite

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-05). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-05

  4. H-2017-07Descriptive

    Hard-to-place animals

    2.7% Partial period

    of shelter cases were flagged as “hard to place”

    Details

    In 2017, 2.7% Partial period of the cases listed by shelters on Miwuki in Spain carried the “hard to place” flag, which is set by the publisher. On Miwuki only shelters use it.

    Limitation: The flag is optional and each publisher may use it differently.

    Link
    Cite

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-07). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-07

  5. H-2017-08Association, not causation

    Age and adoption

    56.3% Partial period

    of puppies adopted within 180 days (adult dogs: 25.4% Partial period)

    Details

    Among the dogs listed by shelters on Miwuki in Spain in 2017, 56.3% Partial period of puppies had an adoption recorded within 180 days of listing, compared with 25.4% Partial period of adults.

    Limitation: Descriptive association in shelter cases: it does not show that age is the cause. It only counts adoptions recorded on Miwuki.

    Link
    Cite

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-08). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-08

More findings from this year (6)
  1. 2.1% Partial period

    H-2017-11Association, not causation

    PPP dogs

    of PPP-flagged dogs adopted within 180 days (others: 41.7% Partial period)

    Limitation: Descriptive association: the PPP flag tends to go with size and age, and adopting a PPP dog requires a licence. It only counts adoptions recorded on Miwuki.

    Details

    Among the dogs listed by shelters on Miwuki in Spain in 2017, 2.1% Partial period of those with the PPP flag had an adoption recorded within 180 days, compared with 41.7% Partial period of the rest.

    Link

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-11). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-11

  2. 53.6% Partial period

    H-2017-12Association, not causation

    Age in years

    of dogs under one year old adopted within 180 days

    Limitation: Age is calculated from the date of birth in the profile, which is often estimated. Association, not causation.

    Details

    Among the shelter dogs listed on Miwuki in Spain in 2017, 53.6% Partial period of those under one year old, 26.2% Partial period of those aged three to five and 31.7% Partial period of those aged nine or older were adopted within 180 days.

    Link

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-12). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-12

  3. 10.1% Partial period

    H-2017-13Association, not causation

    Dogs with leishmaniasis

    of dogs with leishmania adopted within 180 days (others: 42.2% Partial period)

    Limitation: The flag is set by the publisher. Association, not causation.

    Details

    In 2017, 10.1% Partial period of the dogs listed by shelters on Miwuki in Spain with the leishmaniasis flag were adopted within 180 days, compared with 42.2% Partial period of the rest.

    Link

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-13). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-13

  4. 32 Partial period

    H-2017-19Descriptive

    Days to adoption

    days to adoption (median), puppies (adult dogs: 75 Partial period)

    Limitation: It only counts cases adopted within that period and adoptions recorded on Miwuki.

    Details

    Among the shelter dogs listed on Miwuki in Spain in 2017 and adopted within 180 days, half were adopted in under 32 Partial period days if they were puppies and in under 75 Partial period days if they were adults.

    Link

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-19). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-19

  5. H-2017-23Descriptive

    Christmas

    At Christmas 2017 (from 15 December to 6 January), animal cases were listed on Miwuki in Spain at a rate 40.1% fewer per day than in the previous three weeks, and adoptions were recorded at a rate 7.8% fewer per day than in the previous three weeks.

    Limitation: It describes the calendar, not its causes.

    Details

    Link

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-23). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-23

  6. 41.2% Partial period

    H-2017-37Descriptive

    Adopted within their first six months

    of shelter dogs were adopted within 180 days

    Limitation: It only counts the adoptions that shelters record on Miwuki, and how much they record changes over the years: years are not compared.

    Details

    Of the dogs listed by shelters on Miwuki in 2017, 41.2% Partial period had an adoption recorded within 180 days of listing; of the cats, 43.0% Partial period.

    Link

    Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2017-37). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/#h-2017-37

Part 1 of 4

The animals

Which animals were listed on Miwuki in 2017: species, who listed them, age, size, breed, what their profile says, where they come from and where they were listed.

How many dogs and cats?

  • 4,103 Partial perioddogs listed
  • 2,462 Partial periodcats listed
  • 37.3% Partial periodof cases were cats
Read the full analysis

In 2017, 4,103 Partial period dogs and 2,462 Partial period cats were listed. Cats made up 37.3% Partial period of cases.

Who lists them?

In 2017, only shelters and other organisations (associations, rescuers, feral cat colonies and public administrations) were listing. Private individuals started listing in December 2018.

How old and how big are they?

Among dogs listed in 2017, 3.6% Partial period were seniors; among cats, 1.3% Partial period. Puppies made up 33.8% Partial period of dogs and kittens 49.5% Partial period of cats.

From the date of birth in the profile, 36.3% Partial period of dogs were under one year old when listed and 3.0% Partial period were nine or older. Among cats, 52.2% Partial period were under one year old.

By size, as stated by the publisher: 29.5% Partial period of dogs were small, 46.5% Partial period medium-sized and 21.3% Partial period large. We do not analyse size for cats because, as recorded, it barely varies.

Age when listed: dogs and cats, 2017

Percentage of dogs and of cats listed that year. Age estimated by whoever listed the animal.

View the data as a table
CategoryDogsCats
Puppy or kitten 33.8% (Partial period) 49.5% (Partial period)
Young 33.9% (Partial period) 27.4% (Partial period)
Adult 22.6% (Partial period) 16.1% (Partial period)
Senior 3.6% (Partial period) 1.3% (Partial period)

Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-12 measures

Age in years when listed: dogs and cats, 2017

From the date of birth in the profile.

View the data as a table
CategoryDogsCats
Under 1 year 36.3% (Partial period) 52.2% (Partial period)
1 to 2 years 26.0% (Partial period) 15.0% (Partial period)
3 to 5 years 12.7% (Partial period) 8.2% (Partial period)
6 to 8 years 5.5% (Partial period) 1.7% (Partial period)
9 years or older 3.0% (Partial period) 1.1% (Partial period)

Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-24 measures

Dogs of different breeds and sizes sitting together.

Which breeds are listed?

1.2% Partial period of listed dogs carried the potentially dangerous dog (PPP) flag, which requires the adopter to hold a licence.

Breed was not mandatory in the profile until June 2023, so we do not analyse it for 2017.

A vet checks a Miwuki dog with a stethoscope while a cat waits beside them.

Health, temperament and identification

  • 66.5% Partial periodof shelter dogs, microchipped
  • 46.9% Partial periodof shelter cats, microchipped
  • 44.9% Partial periodof shelter dogs, neutered
  • 2.9% Partial periodof dogs flagged with leishmania
Read the full analysis

According to the profile, when listed, 66.5% Partial period of shelter dogs and 46.9% Partial period of shelter cats had a microchip. 44.9% Partial period of shelter dogs and 46.1% Partial period of shelter cats were sterilised.

2.9% Partial period of dogs were flagged with leishmaniasis. Among cats, 2.1% Partial period were flagged with feline immunodeficiency and 1.1% Partial period with feline leukaemia.

These flags are set by the publisher.

Where do shelter animals come from?

In 2017 almost all shelter cases have the same origin (“taken in by the shelter”), so this information is only analysed from 2019.

Where were cases listed?

Breakdown by province of the cases listed in 2017. It describes activity on Miwuki, not the incidence of abandonment. Provinces with few cases change a lot from one year to the next.

Listed cases by province, 2017

Activity on Miwuki, not the incidence of abandonment.

  • Madrid 2,295 34.8% Partial period
  • Barcelona 486 7.4% Partial period
  • Murcia 437 6.6% Partial period
  • Sevilla 357 5.4% Partial period
  • Valencia 353 5.3% Partial period
  • Córdoba 324 4.9% Partial period
  • Granada 314 4.8% Partial period
  • Ciudad Real 265 4.0% Partial period
  • Cádiz 217 3.3% Partial period
  • Alicante 211 3.2% Partial period
See the other 42 provinces
  • Jaén 190 2.9% Partial period
  • Huelva 153 2.3% Partial period
  • Cantabria 138 2.1% Partial period
  • Toledo 81 1.2% Partial period
  • Albacete 77 1.2% Partial period
  • A Coruña 75 1.1% Partial period
  • Málaga 74 1.1% Partial period
  • Tarragona 68 1.0% Partial period
  • León 47 0.7% Partial period
  • Girona 46 0.7% Partial period
  • Castellón 43 0.7% Partial period
  • Guadalajara 43 0.7% Partial period
  • Badajoz 39 0.6% Partial period
  • Almería 36 0.5% Partial period
  • Las Palmas 33 0.5% Partial period
  • Guipúzcoa 32 0.5% Partial period
  • Lleida 26 0.4% Partial period
  • Baleares 23 0.3% Partial period
  • Zamora 23 0.3% Partial period
  • Huesca 15 0.2% Partial period
  • Segovia 15 0.2% Partial period
  • Asturias 13 0.2% Partial period
  • Zaragoza 11 0.2% Partial period
  • Vizcaya 10 0.2% Partial period
  • Pontevedra 8 0.1% Partial period
  • Valladolid 7 0.1% Partial period
  • Salamanca 6 0.1% Partial period
  • Teruel 5 0.1% Partial period
  • Burgos 3 <0.1% Partial period
  • Lugo 2 <0.1% Partial period
  • La Rioja 1 <0.1% Partial period
  • Navarra 1 <0.1% Partial period
  • Santa Cruz de Tenerife 1 <0.1% Partial period
  • Ceuta 0 0.0% 0
  • Cuenca 0 0.0% 0
  • Cáceres 0 0.0% 0
  • Melilla 0 0.0% 0
  • Ourense 0 0.0% 0
  • Palencia 0 0.0% 0
  • Soria 0 0.0% 0
  • Álava 0 0.0% 0
  • Ávila 0 0.0% 0

Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-16 measures

Part 2 of 4

Who wants to adopt

The interest the animals attract and what people who want to adopt are looking for, when the platform records it.

A person looks happily at their phone on a bench next to a Miwuki dog.

How much interest do they attract?

In 2017 the platform did not yet record adoption requests with their date: they exist from June 2023.

Part 3 of 4

Outcomes

How many adoptions and returns were recorded, how long animals take to find a family and which profiles find it hardest. We only count what is recorded on Miwuki.

A volunteer warmly welcomes a Miwuki dog at the door while a person waves goodbye.

How many adoptions and returns were recorded?

  • 2,353 Partial periodrecorded adoptions
  • 2,353 Partial perioddifferent cases adopted
  • 83.7% Partial periodof 2017 cases, adopted at the cut-off date
Read the full analysis

In 2017, 2,353 Partial period adoptions of animals listed in Spain were recorded, corresponding to 2,353 Partial period distinct cases. These are the adoptions that publishers record on Miwuki; some adoptions may not be recorded.

Of the cases listed in 2017, 83.7% Partial period were marked as adopted on the cut-off date. These cases have had several years to find a family, so the percentage is not compared with other years.

Returns have been recorded regularly since June 2023, so we do not analyse them for 2017.

How long does it take to find a home?

  • 32 Partial perioddays to adoption: puppies
  • 75 Partial periodmedian days until an adult dog is adopted
Read the full analysis

An adoption platform sees a part of the journey that other studies do not: how long each animal takes to find a family.

  • The wait. Among shelter dogs listed in 2017 and adopted within 180 days, half of the puppies found a family in under 32 Partial period days and half of the adults in under 75 Partial period.

They describe what happens on the platform, not its causes.

Which profiles find it hardest?

Who finds a home sooner?

56.3% Partial periodof puppies adopted within 180 days

  • 25.4% Partial periodof adult dogs
  • 23.3% Partial periodof senior dogs
A person stroking an older dog resting happily on a blanket.
Adopted within 180 days by age in years (shelters, 2017)

Cases listed by shelters in 2017 with an adoption recorded within the following 180 days.

  • Dogs · Under 1 year 53.6% Partial period
  • Dogs · 1 to 2 years 29.4% Partial period
  • Dogs · 3 to 5 years 26.2% Partial period
  • Dogs · 6 to 8 years 24.7% Partial period
  • Dogs · 9 years or older 31.7% Partial period
  • Cats · Under 1 year 55.3% Partial period
  • Cats · 1 to 2 years 23.5% Partial period
  • Cats · 3 to 5 years 19.3% Partial period
  • Cats · 6 to 8 years 9.8% Partial period
  • Cats · 9 years or older 25.9% Partial periodSmall base

Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-21 measures

Adopted within 180 days: all dogs and some profiles (shelters, 2017)

Associations, not causes. Percentages based on fewer than thirty cases carry a “small base” warning.

  • All dogs 41.2% Partial period
  • Hard to place 0.0% 0
  • PPP flag 2.1% Partial period
  • With leishmaniasis 10.1% Partial period
  • Under treatment 22.0% Partial period

Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-21 measures

Read the full analysis

Among dogs listed by shelters in 2017, 56.3% Partial period of puppies had a recorded adoption 180 days after listing, compared with 25.4% Partial period of adults and 23.3% Partial period of seniors. Among cats, 59.8% Partial period of kittens compared with 17.1% Partial period of adults.

By age in years, 26.2% Partial period of dogs aged three to five and 31.7% Partial period of those aged nine or older were adopted within 180 days. Among those adopted within that period, half of the dogs were adopted in under 46 Partial period days (puppies: 32 Partial period; adults: 75 Partial period).

With the “hard to place” flag, 0.0% of dogs were adopted within 180 days, compared with 42.1% Partial period of the rest. With the PPP flag, 2.1% Partial period, compared with 41.7% Partial period. With leishmaniasis, 10.1% Partial period, compared with 42.2% Partial period.

These are associations, not causes: the profile alone does not explain the difference, and we only count the adoptions that shelters record on Miwuki. We compare profiles within 2017, not 2017 with other years, because how much shelters record changes over time.

A Miwuki dog and cat walk along a paw-print trail through the four seasons.

Month by month

To compare months of different lengths, we show the daily average of each month.

  • Christmas (from 15 December 2017 to the following 6 January): listed cases, 40.1% fewer per day than in the previous three weeks; recorded adoptions, 7.8% fewer per day than in the previous three weeks.
Listed cases per day, by month
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNovDec
2017 — 36.7 (Partial period) 19.9 18.3 11.9 12.3 22.1 20.9 21.7 24.5 25.2 18.7

Daily average of each month.

Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-01 measures

Recommendations

  • For families: give adults, seniors and animals flagged as hard to place a chance. Their temperament is already known and they are looking for a home too.
  • For publishers: complete the profile and record adoptions and returns on Miwuki, including the reason. A complete profile is good practice; this report does not measure its effect.
  • For Miwuki: document every change in the way data are recorded and keep this report's definitions so that years can be compared.

Part 4 of 4

About these data

The report's technical summary, the data that existed in 2017, what they do not allow us to conclude, the methodological annex and how to cite them.

Technical summary

Edition
Annual report produced in 2026
Year analysed
2017
Period analysed
12 February 2017 – 31 December 2017
Data cut-off
22/10/2026
Publication
24 October 2026
Edition type
reconstruction
Scope
Animal cases listed on Miwuki with country Spain. Not a national statistic.
Reference dates
adopciones: adoption date · casos: creation date · devoluciones: return date · solicitudes: date sent
Data version
2026.10.22-r1
Status
Approved

Outside this edition or pending: adoption channel (outside the scope of the study) · origin of shelter animals (verification pending) · adoptions by private individuals in the barrier indicators (incomplete recording) · private individuals (listing since December 2018) · temperament, compatibility, vaccination and deworming (in the profile since December 2018) · requests (recorded with their date since June 2023) · breed (mandatory since June 2023) · reason written by private individuals (since June 2023) · returns (recorded regularly since June 2023).

Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · 2017 data · produced in 2026 with data as of 22 October 2026 · publication date: 24 October 2026.

It reconstructs what happened on Miwuki in Spain in 2017 with the report's current definitions and the data available at the cut-off date. It only includes what the platform recorded that year: when a data item did not exist yet, we say so.

What data exist for 2017 and what changed

  • The launch year. Miwuki officially opened to the public in February 2017. Before that, from November 2016, there was only a test phase with a few shelters, which is not included: case figures start on 12 February 2017, the launch day, and do not cover the whole year. Adoptions have been recorded since March 2017.
  • Shelters only. Only shelters and other organisations were listing: private individuals arrived in December 2018.
  • A simpler profile. Temperament, vaccination and deworming have been recorded since December 2018.
  • No summer comparison. Activity grew month by month during the first year, so for 2017 we do not compare summer with the other months.

What can we not conclude yet?

These data describe what happens on Miwuki, but they do not answer everything.

  • How many animals are abandoned in Spain. Listing a case on Miwuki is not the same as an abandonment, and many organisations and families do not use the platform.
  • Why the figures change. Fewer cases or fewer requests may be due to many factors, such as how many organisations use Miwuki or changes to the platform itself. We describe what happens, not its causes.
  • What share of requests ends in an adoption. Requests and adoptions are counted separately and do not form a funnel.
  • Why some profiles are adopted sooner than others. We show differences by age, size or the hard-to-place flag, but not their causes: photos, description, the organisation or the area also play a part.
  • Whether COVID-19 increased adoptions. This is a hypothesis we are studying with controls; for now it is not a conclusion.
  • Who adopts. Most recorded adoptions do not include data about the adopter.
  • Whether private owners' animals find a home sooner or later than shelter animals. Most private owners do not record their animal's adoption on Miwuki, so their figure is a minimum.
  • Where there is more abandonment. The breakdown by province reflects where Miwuki is used, not the incidence of abandonment, and the origin stated by shelters describes their cases, not the whole of Spain.
  • The size of dogs compared with years before June 2023, because the way it is recorded changed.

Methodological annex

Definitions, coverage, recording changes and data protection: see the methodology page.

See the methodology

Downloads and citation

This year's PDF report and infographics are on the downloads page, with their citation format. The published figures, reports and infographics are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution): you may reuse them for any purpose, including commercial use, crediting the source, the data version and the cut-off date. The Miwuki logo and the illustrations are not covered by the licence.

2017 report downloads

Infographic “Adoption on Miwuki in 2017”. Its full content is in the expandable text below.
Adoption on Miwuki in 2017 · 2017 data · report produced in 2026
2017 reportPDF · 3.6 MB

Social media carousel (6 slides, PNG 1080 × 1350)

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Read the infographic as text

2017 data · report produced in 2026

  • 6,604 partial period animal cases listed in Spain. First year of the series: from 12 February 2017.
  • 37.3% partial period of the cases were cats. Dogs made up 62.1% partial period.
  • 2,353 partial period adoptions recorded on the platform. Since March 2017.
  • 2.1% partial period of PPP dogs listed by shelters were adopted within 180 days. Compared with 41.7% partial period of the rest (association, not causation).
  • 23.3% partial period of senior dogs listed by shelters were adopted within 180 days. Compared with 56.3% partial period of puppies (association, not causation).

Giving older and hard-to-place animals a chance makes a difference too.

Cases listed on Miwuki in Spain in 2017. Not a national statistic and not a measure of abandonment.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain (cases listed on Miwuki; cut-off 22 October 2026).
Data version 2026.10.22-r1 · Data cut-off 22 October 2026
https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/

How to cite

Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2017 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2017/

Short credit: Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain (cases listed on Miwuki; cut-off 22 October 2026).

CC BY 4.0

The published figures, reports and infographics are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution): you may reuse them for any purpose, including commercial use, crediting the source, the data version and the cut-off date. The Miwuki logo and the illustrations are not covered by the licence.