Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain
Shelters and other organisations
The animals listed on Miwuki by shelters, associations, rescuers, colonies and public administrations, where they come from and how many find a home.
The figure
- 4,624cases listed by shelters in 2025
- 51.9%of all 2025 cases
- 68.7%of their dogs adopted within 180 days
- 26median days until a dog is adopted
Read the full analysis
In 2025, shelters and other organisations listed 4,624 cases on Miwuki, 51.9% of all those listed in Spain. Here “shelter” covers shelters, associations, rescuers, feral cat colonies and public administrations. Of the dogs they listed in 2025, 68.7% had an adoption recorded within 180 days of listing; of the cats, 63.8%.
Has it changed over the years?
In 2019 shelters listed 10,428 cases on Miwuki and in 2025, 4,624. Fewer cases being listed does not mean less abandonment: it also depends on how many organisations use Miwuki and how they use it. Since December 2018 private owners have also been listing, and in 2025 they accounted for 48.1% of cases.
Partial period: 2017, 2026
Notes, marked milestones and chart data
Private owners have been listing since December 2018. 2026 is a partial year.
- February 2017 · Official public launch
- December 2018 · Private individuals arrive and a fuller profile
- June 2019 · The “Perfect pet” form begins
- March 2020 · COVID-19: state of alarm
- June 2023 · Platform update
Data as a table
| Period | Shelters and other organisations | Private individuals |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 6,604 (Partial period) | 0 (0) |
| 2018 | 10,844 | 124 |
| 2019 | 10,428 | 4,281 |
| 2020 | 8,459 | 3,491 |
| 2021 | 8,286 | 3,740 |
| 2022 | 7,413 | 4,872 |
| 2023 | 6,525 | 4,565 |
| 2024 | 5,163 | 5,001 |
| 2025 | 4,624 | 4,278 |
| 2026 | 3,151 (Partial period) | 3,027 (Partial period) |
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-01 measures
Which animals do they list?
In 2025, 50.1% of shelter cases were dogs and 48.9% cats: almost half of each species. Among private owners, dogs accounted for 62.3%. Among shelter dogs, 55.6% were male and 44.3% female.
Percentage of the cases listed by each type of publisher.
View the data as a table
| Category | Shelters and other organisations | Private individuals |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs | 50.1% | 62.3% |
| Cats | 48.9% | 30.3% |
| Other species | 1.0% | 7.4% |
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-02 measures
How old are they?
Shelters list mostly young animals. In 2025, 44.4% of their dogs and 72.5% of their cats were under one year old; among private owners, 26.1% and 49.3%. According to the age stated by the publisher, 2.9% of shelter cases were seniors.
Percentage of the dogs and cats listed by each type of publisher. Age calculated from the date of birth in the profile, which is often estimated.
View the data as a table
| Category | Shelters and other organisations | Private individuals |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 58.3% | 33.7% |
| 1 to 2 years | 21.0% | 26.0% |
| 3 to 5 years | 12.5% | 23.6% |
| 6 to 8 years | 4.8% | 10.7% |
| 9 years or older | 3.0% | 5.9% |
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-24 measures
Which breeds and sizes?
Breeds of shelter dogs
63.1%of their dogs were mixed breed
- 11.8%were hunting breeds
- 4.2%were Andalusian Hounds
- 4.1%were Spanish Greyhounds
The twelve breeds shelters have listed most since June 2023; the rest, under “other breeds”. Breed stated by the publisher.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-26 measures
Percentage of the dogs listed by each type of publisher. Size is derived from the breed.
View the data as a table
| Category | Shelters and other organisations | Private individuals |
|---|---|---|
| Toy | 3.7% | 7.6% |
| Small | 16.3% | 13.2% |
| Medium | 51.4% | 53.9% |
| Large | 25.0% | 20.5% |
| Giant | 3.7% | 4.8% |
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-13 measures
Read the full analysis
In 2025, 63.1% of shelter dogs were mixed breed and 11.8% belonged to hunting breeds, such as the Andalusian Hound (4.2%) or the Spanish Greyhound (4.1%). 5.9% carried the potentially dangerous dog (PPP) flag. By size, 51.4% of their dogs were medium-sized and 25.0% large.
Where do they come from?
Where they come from
24.3%were found in the street
- 60.4%recorded as “taken in by the shelter”
- 3.1%came from an unwanted litter
- 2.6%because the owner lost interest
Percentage of shelter cases, by the origin they state when listing.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-14 measures
Read the full analysis
When listing, shelters state where the animal comes from. In 2025, 60.4% of their cases were recorded as “taken in by the shelter”, 24.3% as “found in the street” and 3.1% as an unwanted litter. It is stated by the publisher, the list mixes origin and reason, and the series starts in 2019 because before that almost all cases have the same origin.
What does their profile say?
What the profile says
6.7%of their cases were flagged “hard to place”
- 2.2%of their dogs had leishmaniasis
- 82.9%of their cats had a microchip
- 63.7%of their dogs were sterilised
Percentage of shelter dogs and cats. Stated by the publisher.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-29 measures
Read the full analysis
In 2025, 6.7% of shelter cases carried the “hard to place” flag, which only shelters use: 6.0% of their dogs and 7.2% of their cats. 2.2% of their dogs were flagged with leishmaniasis.
When listed, 86.3% of shelter dogs and 82.9% of shelter cats had a microchip, and 63.7% of dogs and 60.7% of cats were sterilised. It is stated by the publisher, and an animal may be identified or sterilised after being listed.
Where do they list?
In 2025, the shelters with the most cases on Miwuki were in Barcelona (1,301 cases), Almería (712) and Valencia (362). It shows where Miwuki is used, not where there is more abandonment or which provinces do better or worse: in some provinces a single organisation lists, and in those with few cases the figure changes a lot from one year to the next.
Number of cases and percentage of shelter cases in the year.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-16 measures
How long does it take to find a home?
How long it takes to find a home
26median days until a dog is adopted
- 40median days for cats
- 37.1%of dogs adopted within 30 days
- 170returns recorded in 2025
Cases listed by shelters in 2025 with an adoption recorded within that period.
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-21 measures
Percentage of each type of publisher's cases. Many private owners do not close the case: “up for adoption” may include animals that have already found a home.
View the data as a table
| Category | Shelters and other organisations | Private individuals |
|---|---|---|
| Adopted | 77.2% | 16.1% |
| Up for adoption | 16.9% | 82.4% |
| Deceased | 1.0% | 0 (0) |
| Not available | 1.6% | <0.1% |
| Other situations | 3.3% | 1.4% |
Source: Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain · cut-off 22 October 2026 What IND-04 measures
Read the full analysis
Shelters usually record the adoption on Miwuki when an animal finds a family, which is why their adoption figures can be calculated. Of the cases they listed in 2025, 77.2% appeared as adopted on the cut-off date. Among dogs adopted within 180 days, half found a family in under 26 days; among cats, in under 40. Within 30 days of listing, 37.1% of dogs and 25.7% of cats had been adopted.
Not all of them attract interest through Miwuki: 71.7% of shelter dogs and 69.0% of shelter cats received no request through the platform in their first 90 days, although organisations also receive interest through other channels. In 2025 shelters recorded 170 returns of adopted animals.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a shelter in this report?
Shelters, associations, rescuers, feral cat colonies and public administrations that list animals on Miwuki with an organisation account. Private owners are counted separately, on the “Private owners” page.
How many animals do shelters list on Miwuki?
In 2025 they listed 4,624 cases, 51.9% of those listed in Spain. It describes activity on Miwuki, not the number of animals entering shelters in Spain.
How long does it take for a shelter animal to be adopted?
Among shelter dogs listed in 2025 and adopted within 180 days, half found a family in under 26 days; among cats, in under 40. Among dogs, puppies took less time (17 days) and hard-to-place dogs longer (76).
Where do shelter animals come from?
According to what they state when listing, in 2025 60.4% were recorded as “taken in by the shelter” and 24.3% as “found in the street”.
Which animals find it hardest?
Among shelter dogs, adults, seniors and those flagged as “hard to place” are adopted less in their first months. With that flag, 29.5% of dogs were adopted within 180 days, compared with 71.2% of the others. These are associations, not causes.
How do I cite these data?
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. Shelters and other organisations (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026).
How is it measured?
- Who counts as a shelter. Each case is assigned to a type of publisher according to the account that lists it. “Shelter” covers shelters, associations, rescuers, colonies and public administrations.
- Adoption. Adoptions are recorded by the publisher. We count one adoption per animal and day, and adoption rates at 30 days, 90 days and 180 days only use the years with that full period by the cut-off date.
- What is compared. We compare profiles within the same year. How much shelters record changes over the years, so we do not compare adoption rates between years.
- Limits. It describes what is listed on Miwuki, not every shelter in Spain or the animals entering them. The profile and the origin are stated by the publisher.
How to cite and download
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. Shelters and other organisations (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). The card with the 2025 figure is on the downloads page. The published figures, reports and infographics are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution): you can reuse them for any purpose, including commercial use, citing the source, the data version and the cut-off date.
How to cite
Miwuki. Miwuki Report on Pet Adoption in Spain. Shelters and other organisations (data version 2026.10.22-r1; data cut-off 22 October 2026). https://miwuki.com/en/adoption-report/shelters/
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.