Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain
Adoption on Miwuki in 2018
Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain with 2018 data: listed cases, profiles, recorded adoptions and, where available, requests and returns.
Listed cases
10,968
not comparable with 2017: Miwuki opened to the public in February 2017
In 2018
Recorded adoptions
7,136
not comparable with 2017: Miwuki opened to the public in February 2017
In 2018
Key points of 2018
The most relevant findings of the year. Each one states its figure, its period and its main limitation.
H-2018-01Descriptive
Cases listed in 2018
10,968
cases listed in 2018
Details
In 2018, 10,968 animal cases were listed for adoption on Miwuki in Spain: 6,623 dogs, 4,247 cats and 98 of other species.
Limitation: It measures cases listed on Miwuki, not abandonment or shelter intakes across Spain.
LinkCite
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-01). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-01
H-2018-02Descriptive
Dogs and cats in 2018
38.7%
of 2018 cases were cats (dogs: 60.4%)
Details
In 2018, cats made up 38.7% of the cases listed on Miwuki in Spain; dogs made up 60.4%.
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.
LinkCite
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-02). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-02
H-2018-03Descriptive
Shelters and private individuals
1.1%
of 2018 cases were listed by private individuals
Details
In 2018, 1.1% of the cases listed on Miwuki in Spain were listed by private individuals looking for a new home for their animal, and 98.9% by shelters and other organisations.
Limitation: Private individuals have been listing animals on Miwuki since December 2018. “Shelters and other organisations” includes shelters, associations, rescuers, feral cat colonies and public administrations.
LinkCite
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-03). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-03
H-2018-05Descriptive
Recorded adoptions
7,136
adoptions recorded in 2018
Details
In 2018, 7,136 adoptions of animals listed in Spain were recorded on Miwuki, corresponding to 7,114 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.
LinkCite
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-05). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-05
H-2018-08Association, not causation
Age and adoption
78.9%
of puppies adopted within 180 days (adult dogs: 44.5%)
Details
Among the dogs listed by shelters on Miwuki in Spain in 2018, 78.9% of puppies had an adoption recorded within 180 days of listing, compared with 44.5% of adults (34.4 percentage points lower).
Limitation: Descriptive association in shelter cases: it does not show that age is the cause. It only counts adoptions recorded on Miwuki.
LinkCite
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-08). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-08
More findings from this year (8)
- 2.3%
Hard-to-place animals
of shelter cases were flagged as “hard to place”
Limitation: The flag is optional and each publisher may use it differently.
Details
In 2018, 2.3% 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.
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-07). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-07
- 8.9%
Hard to place
of hard-to-place dogs adopted within 180 days
Limitation: Each shelter sets the flag voluntarily. It is an association, not a cause, and it only counts adoptions recorded on Miwuki.
Details
In 2018, 8.9% of the dogs listed by shelters on Miwuki in Spain with the “hard to place” flag were adopted within 180 days, compared with 61.6% of the rest (52.7 percentage points lower).
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-09). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-09
- 19.4%
PPP dogs
of PPP-flagged dogs adopted within 180 days (others: 61.0%)
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 2018, 19.4% of those with the PPP flag had an adoption recorded within 180 days, compared with 61.0% of the rest (41.6 percentage points lower).
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-11). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-11
- 76.1%
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 2018, 76.1% of those under one year old, 43.2% of those aged three to five and 36.8% of those aged nine or older were adopted within 180 days.
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-12). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-12
- 15.0%
Dogs with leishmaniasis
of dogs with leishmania adopted within 180 days (others: 61.2%)
Limitation: The flag is set by the publisher. Association, not causation.
Details
In 2018, 15.0% of the dogs listed by shelters on Miwuki in Spain with the leishmaniasis flag were adopted within 180 days, compared with 61.2% of the rest (46.2 percentage points lower).
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-13). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-13
- 25
Days to adoption
days to adoption (median), puppies (adult dogs: 52)
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 2018 and adopted within 180 days, half were adopted in under 25 days if they were puppies and in under 52 days if they were adults (27 days more).
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-19). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-19
Christmas
At Christmas 2018 (from 15 December to 6 January), animal cases were listed on Miwuki in Spain at a rate 58.7% more per day than in the previous three weeks, and adoptions were recorded at a rate 63.4% more per day than in the previous three weeks.
Limitation: It describes the calendar, not its causes.
Details
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-23). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-23
- 60.2%
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 2018, 60.2% had an adoption recorded within 180 days of listing; of the cats, 57.2%.
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). (finding H-2018-37). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/#h-2018-37
What changes compared with 2017?
We do not compare 2018 with 2017: Miwuki opened to the public in February 2017, so that year is not complete and the difference would mix the platform's start-up with what happened in 2018. The charts below show both years month by month, as daily averages.
Part 1 of 5
The animals
Which animals were listed on Miwuki in 2018: 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?
- 6,623dogs listed
- 4,247cats listed
- 38.7%of cases were cats
Read the full analysis
In 2018, 6,623 dogs and 4,247 cats were listed. Cats made up 38.7% of cases, not comparable with 2017: Miwuki opened to the public in February 2017.
Who lists them?
- 10,844cases from shelters and other organisations
- 124cases from private individuals
- 1.1%of cases were listed by private individuals
Read the full analysis
In 2018, 98.9% of cases were listed by shelters and other organisations, and 1.1% by private individuals who cannot keep their animal (only in December, when the platform opened listing to them).
These are two different situations: an organisation that takes in animals and a family looking for a new home for its own. That is why we show the two groups separately.
How old and how big are they?
Among dogs listed in 2018, 3.6% were seniors; among cats, 1.2%. Puppies made up 40.6% of dogs and kittens 54.6% of cats.
From the date of birth in the profile, 43.2% of dogs were under one year old when listed and 3.1% were nine or older. Among cats, 55.3% were under one year old.
By size, as stated by the publisher: 31.1% of dogs were small, 45.1% medium-sized and 20.3% large. We do not analyse size for cats because, as recorded, it barely varies.
Percentage of dogs and of cats listed that year. Age estimated by whoever listed the animal.
View the data as a table
| Category | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy or kitten | 40.6% | 54.6% |
| Young | 27.4% | 23.6% |
| Adult | 22.6% | 14.0% |
| Senior | 3.6% | 1.2% |
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-12 measures
From the date of birth in the profile.
View the data as a table
| Category | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 43.2% | 55.3% |
| 1 to 2 years | 24.9% | 15.1% |
| 3 to 5 years | 12.8% | 6.5% |
| 6 to 8 years | 5.4% | 2.0% |
| 9 years or older | 3.1% | 1.1% |
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-24 measures
Which breeds are listed?
2.1% 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 2018.
Health, temperament and identification
- 78.8%of shelter dogs, microchipped
- 55.4%of shelter cats, microchipped
- 50.6%of shelter dogs, neutered
- 2.1%of dogs flagged with leishmania
Read the full analysis
According to the profile, when listed, 78.8% of shelter dogs and 55.4% of shelter cats had a microchip. 50.6% of shelter dogs and 43.8% of shelter cats were sterilised.
2.1% of dogs were flagged with leishmaniasis. Among cats, 1.4% were flagged with feline immunodeficiency and 1.2% with feline leukaemia.
These flags are set by the publisher.
Where do shelter animals come from?
In 2018 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 2018. It describes activity on Miwuki, not the incidence of abandonment. Provinces with few cases change a lot from one year to the next.
Activity on Miwuki, not the incidence of abandonment.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-16 measures
Part 2 of 5
Why do they need a new home?
What private individuals explain when they list their animal on Miwuki, and how much housing weighs in those reasons.
What reasons do private individuals give?
- 27.4% Partial periodchose “lack of time or space”
- 13.7% Partial periodchose a change of address
- 4.0% Partial periodchose allergies
One option per case, from the platform list.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-38 measures
Read the full analysis
When listing, the private individual chooses a reason from a list. In 2018, 27.4% Partial period chose “lack of time or space”, 13.7% Partial period a change of address, 4.0% Partial period allergies, 8.1% Partial period a litter and 8.1% Partial period the birth of a child.
Housing and pets
What private individuals say about their home
2.4% Partial periodchose “pets not allowed” from the list
- 13.7% Partial periodchose a change of address from the list
Read the full analysis
From the platform list (December only), 2.4% Partial period chose “pets not allowed at home” and 13.7% Partial period a change of address.
It is the reason stated by the publisher: it does not measure how many people give up adopting because of housing or how many animals are abandoned because of it.
Part 3 of 5
Who wants to adopt
The interest the animals attract and what people who want to adopt are looking for, when the platform records it.
How much interest do they attract?
In 2018 the platform did not yet record adoption requests with their date: they exist from June 2023.
Part 4 of 5
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.
How many adoptions and returns were recorded?
- 7,136recorded adoptions
- 7,114different cases adopted
- 87.1%of 2018 cases, adopted at the cut-off date
Read the full analysis
In 2018, 7,136 adoptions of animals listed in Spain were recorded, corresponding to 7,114 distinct cases. These are the adoptions that publishers record on Miwuki; some adoptions may not be recorded.
Of the cases listed in 2018, 87.1% 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 2018.
How long does it take to find a home?
- 25days to adoption: puppies
- 52median 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 2018 and adopted within 180 days, half of the puppies found a family in under 25 days and half of the adults in under 52; half of the hard-to-place dogs, in under 38 Small base.
They describe what happens on the platform, not its causes.
Which profiles find it hardest?
Who finds a home sooner?
78.9%of puppies adopted within 180 days
- 44.5%of adult dogs
- 46.0%of senior dogs
- 8.9%of hard-to-place dogs
Cases listed by shelters in 2018 with an adoption recorded within the following 180 days.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-21 measures
Associations, not causes. Percentages based on fewer than thirty cases carry a “small base” warning.
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 2018, 78.9% of puppies had a recorded adoption 180 days after listing, compared with 44.5% of adults and 46.0% of seniors. Among cats, 67.6% of kittens compared with 41.2% of adults.
By age in years, 43.2% of dogs aged three to five and 36.8% 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 33 days (puppies: 25; adults: 52).
With the “hard to place” flag, 8.9% of dogs were adopted within 180 days, compared with 61.6% of the rest. With the PPP flag, 19.4%, compared with 61.0%. With leishmaniasis, 15.0%, compared with 61.2%.
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 2018, not 2018 with other years, because how much shelters record changes over time.
Month by month
To compare months of different lengths, we show the daily average of each month.
- Summer (July and August): listed cases, 1.4% fewer per day than the rest of the year; recorded adoptions, 1.8% more per day than the rest of the year.
- Christmas (from 15 December 2018 to the following 6 January): listed cases, 58.7% more per day than in the previous three weeks; recorded adoptions, 63.4% more per day than in the previous three weeks.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2018 | 28.0 | 34.2 | 26.1 | 26.9 | 36.9 | 37.2 | 31.8 | 27.6 | 29.0 | 30.0 | 31.9 | 21.5 |
Daily average of each month.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-01 measures
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | — | — | 3.1 (Partial period) | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 7.5 | 8.9 | 10.2 | 9.1 | 12.3 | 10.9 |
| 2018 | 15.9 | 15.6 | 17.6 | 19.2 | 18.0 | 18.8 | 18.9 | 20.8 | 24.1 | 21.2 | 23.5 | 20.9 |
Daily average of each month, by adoption date.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-05 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 5 of 5
About these data
The report's technical summary, the data that existed in 2018, 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
- 2018
- Period analysed
- 1 January 2018 – 31 December 2018
- 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) · 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 · 2018 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 2018 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 2018 and what changed
- Private individuals arrive. In December 2018 the platform opened listing to private individuals: families looking for a new home for their animal. In 2018 they only appear in that month.
- A fuller profile. Since that same month, the profile records the animal's temperament and compatibility (for example, whether it is shy or gets on with children or cats), vaccination, deworming, allergies and whether it must be adopted together with another animal.
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.
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.
2018 report downloads
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- PDFVertical infographic566 KB
- PDFPrintable A4 infographic571 KB
- PDFLinkedIn document1.8 MB
Social media carousel (6 slides, PNG 1080 × 1350)
Read the infographic as text
2018 data · report produced in 2026
- 10,968 animal cases listed in Spain. not comparable with 2017: Miwuki opened to the public in February 2017.
- 38.7% of the cases were cats. not comparable with 2017: Miwuki opened to the public in February 2017.
- 7,136 adoptions recorded on the platform. not comparable with 2017: Miwuki opened to the public in February 2017.
- 8.9% of hard-to-place dogs listed by shelters were adopted within 180 days. Compared with 61.6% of the rest (association, not causation).
- 19.4% of PPP dogs listed by shelters were adopted within 180 days. Compared with 61.0% of the rest (association, not causation).
Giving older and hard-to-place animals a chance makes a difference too.
Cases listed on Miwuki in Spain in 2018. 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/2018/
How to cite
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. 2018 data (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/2018/
Short credit: Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain (cases listed on Miwuki; cut-off 22 October 2026).
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.