Pets in Madagascar

The French term animaux de compagnie is commonly used for privately kept companion animals. Madagascar has no documented nationwide pet authority, mandatory pet register or public surrender service. Responsibility therefore rests largely with the keeper, local veterinary services, private clinics and animal-support organizations. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, known as MINAE, works nationally through its Direction des Services Vétérinaires (DSV). Regional veterinary services, called Services Régionaux de l'Elevage (SRE), qualified private veterinarians and clinics, NGOs and refuges provide different parts of the available support. A refuge is a shelter that temporarily houses animals and may arrange rescue, fostering or adoption. Dogs and cats are the best-documented privately kept animals. In a 2016 sample from Mahajanga published in 2024, 338 of 400 dogs had an owner, 95.6% were kept primarily as guard dogs, 45% had free access to the streets or surrounding area, and only 34% had recorded rabies protection. Among 82 surveyed owners, 55 reported irregular access to veterinary care. This sample is not representative of Madagascar as a whole, but it shows why uncontrolled roaming, protective dog keeping, vaccination and access to treatment are practical concerns. Other species have less clearly documented routine care. Wild or protected animals, especially lemurs, fall under wildlife and CITES controls rather than ordinary pet arrangements. Loi n°2006-030 regulates parts of the veterinary and animal-welfare framework. Its Article 3 reserves veterinary practice to qualified personnel recognized by the state. Article 4 requires keepers to provide conditions suited to the biological needs of the species. Article 8 prohibits serious mistreatment, cruelty and violence, apart from activities required for zootechnical, scientific or sporting purposes. Madagascar does not have a documented modern law dedicated specifically to companion animals. A MINAE workshop in 2021 addressed revision of the animal-welfare legal framework, while the current extent of enforcement remains unclear. Arrêté n°3412/2000 applies nationwide to dogs, cats and lemurs kept as companion animals. A rabies vaccination may be given only by a veterinarian or a veterinary assistant working under veterinary supervision. The keeper pays the cost, and the vaccine must be an approved inactivated product. The first vaccination certificate is valid for no more than one year; later boosters follow the product protocol. MINAE recommends systematic vaccination of domesticated warm-blooded animals. Rabies is endemic in Madagascar, and dog bites are often linked to an owner's dog or a neighboring dog, so vaccination records should be kept with the animal's other documents. A MINAE report from 2022 recorded 81 dogs and cats in one vaccination program; that figure is not a national vaccination rate or an estimate of the total pet population. Veterinary access is uneven geographically and financially. MINAE reports shortages of veterinarians and difficult access. Antananarivo has the clearest evidence of specialized, comprehensive care. Vetcare lists consultations, vaccinations, deworming, surgery, imaging, laboratory services, hospitalization, dentistry, grooming, cat boarding, microchipping and import or export support. Non-emergency home visits are available by appointment. Rural and other national services vary, and no complete public list of providers is available. Private Antananarivo examples from VetClinic start at MGA 37,400 for a consultation or vaccination consultation, MGA 500,000 for male-dog castration and MGA 600,000 for female-dog sterilization. A 30-minute travel consultation is advertised as free. Medication, transport, clinic choice and timing can add costs, and Madagascar has no published national standard pet-fee tariff. To import a dog or cat into Madagascar, arrange an import authorization and a rabies vaccination certificate through the veterinary service. Other live animals require an import permit and a health certificate. The 2026 Malagasy customs tariff lists domestic dogs and cats under HS 0106.19 40 with a 20% customs duty and 20% VAT. The exact customs calculation and permit charges depend on the case and are not published as a single standard pet fee. For export, listed animals may require an import or export permit, an Autorisation de dédouanement, CITES documentation and health or phytosanitary certificates according to the species and destination. Dogs and cats also have to meet the destination country's rules and the airline's conditions. Madagascar has no documented national pet passport or nationwide microchip register. For an EU destination, Vetcare describes destination-specific requirements: the microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination, the antibody titre must reach at least 0.5 IU/ml, blood must be taken at least 30 days after vaccination, and the animal then waits three months before travel. The health certificate is valid for 10 days. These requirements apply to the EU travel process described by the provider and should not be assumed for every destination. When an owner can no longer keep an animal, practical alternatives include a private transfer, foster care, rescue, refuge placement or adoption. Gasy Animal Aid, an acknowledged NGO operating in Antananarivo since 2019, provides street rescue, veterinary treatment, sterilization, adoption support and help for families who cannot afford care. Gasy Mobilisation pour les Animaux is a registered nonprofit established in 2023 and operates the Refuge Ambohimanga, which houses about 40 dogs. No state-run surrender office or compulsory handover procedure is documented. Contacting a qualified veterinarian, a local refuge or an established animal NGO is therefore more realistic than expecting a central public intake service.