Pets in Burkina Faso

Pets are commonly described as animal de compagnie or animal domestique in Burkina Faso. The reviewed sources do not document a central pet register or a standardized nationwide adoption and refuge system, so acquisition often depends on local arrangements. Choose a domestic species whose origin and health status can be checked, especially its rabies status, and confirm that you can provide reliable food, water, suitable accommodation, daily care and veterinary treatment. Wild-animal keeping follows a separate wildlife framework and may require a certificat de détention d'un animal sauvage, import or export authorisation and, where applicable, CITES documentation. Loi 048-2017 requires conditions compatible with the animal's species, sufficient food and water, suitable surroundings and species-appropriate restraint. Owners or guardians must not neglect an animal that is ill or injured. Detention, transport and trade can also be subject to declarations, approvals, authorisations, identification and traceability under additional rules. The competent veterinary authority is the ministère en charge de l'élevage, supported by the administration vétérinaire and the DGSV through central and déconcentrated services. A Poste Vétérinaire (PV), a Zone d’Appui Technique en Elevage (ZATE) or a veterinarian associated with the Ordre national des vétérinaires (ONV-BF) can be relevant local contacts. Dogs require particular attention because rabies is a major pet and public-health concern. The Certificat de Vaccination antirabique for dogs is issued free of charge, although processing time varies. A national campaign in 2025–2026 vaccinated more than 148,000 carnivores, an increase of more than 50 percent; these figures do not show population-wide coverage. The ENESA clinic reported 1,371 treated animals in 2025, including 504 vaccinated dogs and cats. The reviewed sources do not establish nationwide prices for consultation, food, sterilisation or boarding. A biting companion animal suspected of rabies should be presented to the competent service. The PV or ZATE can issue a Certificat de mise en observation; the document is free, but processing time varies and the animal must be available for observation. Industrial veterinary medicines require prior UEMOA market authorisation. A 2026 revision of the veterinary-medicine code was transmitted only as a draft to the Assemblée législative du Peuple and does not replace binding rules unless it is promulgated. Burkina Faso prohibits divagation. An animal is considered to be roaming when it is not effectively supervised, does not respond to voice recall or is more than 100 metres away. Stray, ownerless or unidentified animals can be taken to a designated lieu de dépôt, where identification is checked before release. The owner or guardian bears the related measures and costs, and restitution follows payment. If nobody claims the animal within eight working days, authorities may treat it as abandoned and arrange euthanasia, sale or transfer to an organisme de protection animale agréé. Penalties include 5,000–10,000 F CFA for allowing an animal to roam, 10,000–25,000 F CFA for abandonment outside an approved place or organisation, and 10,000–50,000 F CFA for cruelty or mistreatment. For internal animal movement, a laissez-passer zoo-sanitaire is free of charge and has variable processing time, but the published procedure is designed for the livestock sector and does not provide a complete pet-specific checklist. Import authorisation for animals or animal products costs 1,000 F CFA with variable timing; the reviewed Burkina Faso sources do not list all required documents. Export can require a free Certificat vétérinaire international with variable timing. Border controls are handled through the PCVF, while destination-country, transit, airline, container and quarantine requirements require separate verification. When ownership ends, use a lieu de dépôt or an organisme de protection animale agréé rather than abandoning the animal in a public or private place.