Pets in Tuvalu

Tuvalu has no standard pet register, microchip requirement, shelter system or adoption register documented in the available research. Local acquisition usually takes place through private or informal arrangements. Import is the main formal pathway for bringing in a new dog or cat. Pigs and chickens are generally treated as livestock or food animals rather than companion animals. The Dogs Act and Dogs (Control of Movement) Regulations provide the clearest rules for pet dogs. The local Kaupule or Falekaupule, meaning the island-level local authority, handles matters such as dog registration, leashes, stray dogs, nuisance complaints and relinquishment. A dog must generally be registered from six months of age. Registration is renewed yearly and runs until 31 December; the owner receives a receipt and a collar or badge. The dog must be kept on a leash in its compound and in public places, and a dwelling may keep no more than two dogs. Owners must remove faeces immediately and prevent nuisance behaviour. The Dogs Act allows a fee of up to $100, while a schedule example lists $1. The current fee charged by the relevant Kaupule should therefore be checked locally. After a complaint, the Kaupule can investigate, with the legislation referring to at least five working days. A Magistrate can order control measures or destruction of a dangerous dog. Failing to muzzle a known dangerous dog can attract a $100 penalty, an attack on a public road can attract a $250 penalty, and the owner remains liable for damage caused by the dog. Cats do not have a separate national registration system identified in the available research. Specific national rules on cat keeping, breeding or routine costs were not found. Cat and other pet care therefore depends largely on private households and the local Kaupule context, and reliable national figures on pet numbers or prevalence are not available. A veterinarian position was created in 2025 within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Department of Agriculture. The post covers diagnosis, treatment, surgery, medication, vaccination, routine health checks and advice on care, nutrition and behaviour. The position is based in Funafuti and is intended to support coverage across Tuvalu. Published information does not establish the current clinic capacity, fees, emergency service, medicine availability or coverage on every island. Biosecurity means the official system that controls the movement of animals to prevent disease and pests. Importing an animal into Tuvalu is generally prohibited unless the applicable requirements are met. Dogs and cats may be accepted from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Fiji, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania or South Australia, and landing is permitted only at Funafuti. Written permission from the Agricultural Officer should normally be obtained at least one month before the announced arrival; a shorter period may be accepted at the officer's discretion. The shipper must declare that the animal has been free from disease for at least six months and has not been in contact with a sick animal. An Official Veterinarian must examine it within seven days before shipment and confirm freedom from disease and vermin. Dipping or spraying must take place within 36 hours before shipment. An Inspector's landing permit is required before the animal leaves the vessel or wharf. Release may carry conditions and a bond supported by two sureties. Breaches can lead to seizure or destruction, with expenses charged to the importer. The inspection fee listed for another domestic or undomesticated animal is $20, while treatment, testing, spraying and disinfection are also charged to the importer. An import permit may be required before the animal leaves the country of origin. The application can require the origin, species, quantity, expected arrival and risk information. An import permit and import clearance are separate documents. Officers may require quarantine, treatment, re-consignment or destruction, and an animal under biosecurity control may not be left at large. The 2025 amendment also allows electronic documents and on-the-spot fines of up to $100 for an individual or $1,000 for a business. Export requirements depend on the destination country. An export clearance may be needed when the destination requires a sanitary or phytosanitary certificate or other measures. The application is made before departure and includes the destination, quantity and required certificates or measures. Moving a dog between Tuvalu's islands requires prior written authority under the Dogs (Control of Movement) Regulations. No standard national pet passport or airline or ferry procedure was identified, so the carrier and destination requirements must be confirmed for each journey. A stray dog, a dog without its collar or leash, or a sick or neglected dog may be secured by any person and handed to the Failautusi ote Kaupule, the local authority's designated official. The law allows stray-dog destruction, including poisoning, under controlled conditions. A notice must normally be given within three days, and poisoning requires additional radio announcements at least three times. Poison may be used only by authorised persons between 20:00 and 05:00 and at least 25 yards from residential buildings. Carcasses must be burned or buried. For a licensed dog, the owner can reclaim it after paying the penalty, holding costs and any required licence charge. After three clear days, the dog may be sold or destroyed, and compensation is not provided. No formal national surrender or rehoming process was identified, and no equivalent process for cats was found. Tuvalu's current legal index also does not show a separate national companion-animal welfare law; the Animals (Control of Experiments) Act concerns experiments rather than general pet welfare. Falekaupule functions can support livestock and dog by-laws, pounds and cruelty controls, but the full range of local by-laws is not published.