Samoa has a fragmented system for privately kept animals rather than one all-pets authority or portal. The Samoa Police Service and Samoa Police Prisons & Corrections Services handle canine registration and control under the Canine Control Act 2013. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), through the Animal Production and Health Division (APHD), handles animal-health functions, while Samoa Quarantine Service and Biosecurity Samoa handle live-animal import and export requirements. Animal Protection Society Samoa (APS) provides practical veterinary, rescue, adoption and rehoming support, especially for dogs and cats. Dog owners should check whether registration has been activated for their place and period by a Minister's Savali notice. The current Samoa Police Service information states that the owner must be at least 21 years old, may keep up to three dogs without the additional permit described there, and pays WST 5 per dog. Keeping more than three dogs requires a Canine Permit costing WST 30 plus WST 10 for each additional dog. The Act provides for registration by 31 December each year and annual re-registration, as well as register changes when the owner, address or ownership changes. A registration mark is required when a dog is roaming, and the registration record must be shown when lawfully requested. A Canine Control Officer may seize an unregistered dog found roaming and place it in a pound or another designated location. If it is not collected within four days, the law allows sale or killing. A dog that attacks a person or animal may be killed summarily, and a court can require control measures or killing for a dangerous dog. An owner who receives notice about a sick, malnourished or neglected dog generally has five days to correct the situation; non-compliance can lead to a maximum of 10 penalty units plus one penalty unit for each continuing year. A female dog in heat in a public place can attract a maximum of two penalty units. Attacking, rushing at or frightening people or animals in a way that creates a risk of injury or property damage can attract a maximum of 10 penalty units, compensation and possible killing. A livestock owner may also kill a dog that threatens livestock. Village canine-control by-laws may add local rules after consultation, police approval and Savali publication, including humane killing powers and penalties of up to two penalty units. The Minister may also set rules about covered species, places and numbers through a Savali notice. The Police Offences Ordinance 1961 prohibits unnecessary suffering and requires proper and sufficient food, water and shelter. A breach can lead to up to 12 months' imprisonment, two penalty units or both. A constable may enter without a warrant when there is reasonable cause to inspect an animal and may seize it for protection. The reviewed official sources do not establish a separate general Animal Welfare Act or a central state surrender service for all pets. APS accepts sick, injured, abandoned and stray animals when capacity allows. Before rehoming, animals may receive treatment, de-sexing, vaccination and parasite control. APS guidance expects daily food and fresh water, shelter, veterinary care, de-sexing, play and companionship. Adoption is arranged by telephone or Facebook, and a waiting list may apply when no animal is available. APS does not publish a general state owner-surrender procedure or fixed surrender price in the available information. The APS Clinic in Vailima offers health checks, vaccinations, flea and tick treatment, de-sexing and surgery. New puppies and kittens should receive a veterinary check promptly. APS guidance describes worming from about two weeks of age, repeated every two to four weeks for several months, followed later by regular flea, tick and worm treatment. Vaccination commonly starts at six to eight weeks, continues about four weeks later and may include a third dose at around 16 weeks because of Samoa's high infection burden. Adult dog vaccination intervals of one to three years depend on risk. APS describes de-sexing from four months, ideally at four to six months, and recommends a collar with a phone tag. Routine appointments use 22403; life-threatening emergencies outside opening hours use 7522403. Home visits may help households with several animals or transport problems. Outreach can serve villages at least 15 kilometres from Apia when funding and veterinary staff permit, usually with a suitable venue, lunch and at least 15 animals for de-sexing. APS is strongest in Apia and Vailima, with services reaching Savai'i and outlying villages on a capacity-dependent basis. MAF and APHD provide government animal-health functions including disease surveillance and control, care for sick or injured animals, diagnostics, live-animal import and export certificates and quarantine liaison. APHD has a Savai'i location in Salelologa, but the available information does not confirm a regular companion-pet service there. Published APHD fees concern livestock and should not be treated as a reliable pet-care price list. Anyone bringing a pet into Samoa should contact Biosecurity Samoa before travel. The biosecurity guidance recommends contact at least three months before arrival because requirements depend on the species, origin and circumstances. A permit application can require the importer or exporter, village address, breed, age, microchip number, quantity, port and intended date. Arrival declarations, complete supporting documents, inspection and, where required, a certificate from the exporting country's authority may apply. Under the Quarantine (Biosecurity) Act 2005, a written permit may impose conditions such as post-entry quarantine, a deposit or bond. Missing or false information or an absent permit can lead to seizure, holding, treatment, destruction, fees, fines or prosecution, and the importer may pay storage and inspection costs. A normal application may take about two working days; introducing a new species or other higher-risk case may require an Import Risk Analysis taking about three months. Export requirements come primarily from the destination country. They may include a microchip, approved transporter, animal-welfare certificate and export certificate from a government veterinarian. Returning to Samoa requires a separate check of Samoa's current import conditions before departure. Requirements can change, so Biosecurity Samoa should confirm the applicable documents and quarantine conditions for the specific animal and travel plan.
Pets in Samoa
Keeping a private companion animal in Samoa involves daily care, veterinary access, local community expectations and, for dogs, formal control rules. The Canine Control Act provides for registration, registration marks and controls on roaming or dangerous dogs, while no central cat register or single all-pets portal is evidenced. Dogs and cats can be obtained or rehomed through Animal Protection Society Samoa (APS), but clinic capacity and coverage vary by place and time.
Tip
Treat keeping a pet in Samoa as a daily care and legal responsibility, not as a service covered by one central system. For a dog, confirm registration, local controls and secure containment before taking responsibility; for any dog or cat, arrange veterinary access and a fallback for illness, travel or rehoming. Start Biosecurity checks months before importing an animal because missing documents can cause seizure, treatment, destruction and extra costs.