Pets in El Salvador

The main national law is the Ley Especial de Protección y Bienestar Animal, usually called LEPBA, established by Decree 276/2022 and amended by Decree 775/2023. It treats animals as living and sentient beings. The Instituto de Bienestar Animal, or IBA, is the national authority under LEPBA. Municipalities handle local enforcement, ordinances and municipal animal-protection units. MAG handles animal health, quarantine and import or export controls. MINSAL, DISAM and the Unidad de Zoonosis handle public-health issues such as rabies, while the PNC and FGR may investigate criminal offences. A pet should come from an authorised source. Buying or selling animals through unauthorised businesses, public streets, social media or markets is prohibited under the researched national framework. Breeding, selling, boarding, day-care, training and shelter activities may require IBA approval or licensing and can also be subject to municipal control. Adoption commonly involves an application, a suitability or household review, a home inspection and a sworn declaration of responsibility. Independent rescuers and associations have a planned registration or accreditation framework, but operational access should be checked locally. MAG has expressed a preference for adoption rather than purchase, and sterilisation or castration helps reduce overpopulation. The keeper must provide suitable space, food, water, shelter, hygiene and protection from overcrowding. Abandonment is prohibited, including abandoning a sick or dead animal. Immunisation against rabies and other relevant diseases is required according to the animal and health rules that apply. A Médico Veterinario must authorise the physical or digital cartilla de vacunación or vaccination record. Reproduction should be controlled, and a pet should carry a tag or microchip where available. The keeper is responsible for damage caused to people, property or other animals. Excrement and urine must be removed from commonly used paths. Municipal rules often require a leash and may require a muzzle or closer supervision in particular situations. The 2025 official rabies campaign covered dogs and cats from three months of age between 10 February and 31 March. It used house-to-house teams and fixed or mobile posts, and vaccination was free with a certificate. A 2026 campaign date was not published in the reviewed sources, so current dates should be confirmed with MINSAL or the local health unit. After a bite or scratch, wash the wound with soap and water and go to the nearest Unidad de Salud; the animal may be observed for ten days. Veterinary access includes private Médico Veterinario practices and Chivo Pets in Antiguo Cuscatlán. Chivo Pets is a public service that lists a charge of USD 0.25 per medical service, consultations from 07:00 to 20:30 by appointment and 24-hour emergency care. Listed services include consultation, surgery, hospitalisation, imaging, laboratory work, pharmacy, rehabilitation and grooming. Exotic-animal services depend on availability, and private prices and coverage are not nationally standardised. For entry into El Salvador, the researched process covers dogs, cats and rabbits, subject to checking the rabbit's current status. The request normally requires the original vaccination record, the original zoosanitary certificate and payment. The import authorisation costs USD 9.04, is valid for 30 days and can be used once. Applications can be made through MAG Cuarentena in Santa Tecla or at an airport, border or port, online or in person. The authorisation for entry does not serve as a return document. For departure, dogs, cats and rabbits are covered when the destination country permits them. Apply to MAG three to five working days before travel with a complete vaccination record and a veterinary certificate issued no more than 15 days earlier, signed and stamped, confirming that the animal is healthy and free of infectious disease and parasites. The animal does not need to be present when the application is filed. The export certificate costs USD 16.95, and MAG places its seal at the departure point. Airline rules and destination-country requirements apply as well. Stays of one to ten days may allow departure using the entry documents together with the application and payment. The United States treats El Salvador as a high-risk country for dog rabies and requires a CDC dog import permit requested at least 30 working days, or about six weeks, before entry. Travel to the European Union without an EU pet passport may require a rabies antibody test and a MAG certificate with an apostille; some South American destinations also require an apostilled MAG certificate. If a keeper can no longer care for an animal, there is no publicly documented nationwide surrender or drop-off procedure. Functional alternatives include contacting the municipal Unidad Municipal de Protección de Animales de Compañía, the IBA where accessible, an albergue, an accredited non-governmental organisation, an independent rescuer or a private rehoming arrangement. A responsible adoption process may require an application, home inspection and sworn declaration. Keep proof of ownership, such as the vaccination record, photographs and witness information, where possible. Humane euthanasia is limited to suffering or illness, or a documented danger to public health, and should be performed by a Médico Veterinario in an authorised clinic, hospital or suitable home setting. The national procedure and costs for disposing of a dead animal are not clearly published. Municipal administrative proceedings follow the applicable local ordinance and the Ley de Procedimientos Administrativos, so penalties differ by municipality. Local examples classify fines as 1 to 3 minimum wages for minor offences, 4 to 6 for serious offences and 7 to 10 for very serious offences, using the commerce and service sector minimum wage. Criminal animal abuse under Article 261-A of the Código Penal can include action or omission causing injury, pain, suffering, permanent damage or reduced welfare, as well as zoophilia, with imprisonment of two to four years. Aggravating circumstances can increase the sentence by up to one third, and a death may also lead to a ban or disqualification from keeping animals. The IBA remains legally designated, but its public service directory did not show current active entries in the reviewed material, while Chivo Pets had an active website. Verify the responsible office and current procedure locally before relying on an IBA service or municipal process.