Pets in Zambia

Pet services in Zambia are organized through several institutions rather than one national pet system. The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) within the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock handles national animal health, disease control, quarantine and animal import and export procedures. A District Veterinary Officer (DVO) provides district-level access, surveillance, vaccination campaigns and emergency responses. Local councils may provide veterinary services, dog licensing, stray-animal and public-nuisance control, and local arrangements for animal care or burial. The Veterinary Council of Zambia (VCZ) registers veterinarians and para-professionals, issues practising certificates, licenses animal health facilities and oversees professional standards. Before acquiring a dog, cat or another companion animal, check its origin, vaccination and health records, the resources needed for proper care, and access to a registered veterinary provider. Pets are commonly obtained from private owners or breeders, through informal transfers, or from local rescue and rehoming organizations. No central national breeder or adoption register is documented. Zambezi Animal Welfare Services serves Livingstone and surrounding areas with rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming, education, vaccination, treatment and sterilisation. Kabwe Animal Rescue provides rescue, shelter and adoption services. Their capacity and geographic reach are regional, and neither organization provides a nationwide intake guarantee. Owners must provide adequate care and supervision. Zambia's animal-welfare rules prohibit unnecessary suffering, mistreatment, animal fighting and inhumane operations or transport for dogs, cats and other domestic animals. A court may remove ownership or order an animal's destruction in relevant cases. For a seriously ill or injured animal, the police and a veterinary surgeon may be involved. Human treatment after a possible rabies exposure belongs to the Ministry of Health, while diagnosis, vaccination and treatment of the animal follow the veterinary system. Rabies control is especially relevant for dogs and cats. The Animal Health (Control and Prevention of Animal Disease) Order 2014 provides for vaccination at three months, again at nine months and thereafter at intervals of no more than twelve months, with a vaccination certificate issued by a veterinarian. Current ministry information treats rabies vaccination for dogs as an annual responsibility. Government services support surveillance, quarantine, impounding of stray dogs and risk-based mass vaccination, while the owner remains responsible for keeping the animal vaccinated. The 2022–2026 National Dog-Mediated Rabies Control and Elimination Strategy provides the broader control framework. Dog registration and local control follow the Control of Dogs Act, which allows rules on import, movement within Zambia, isolation, inoculation, muzzling, rabies reporting, registration, badges and fees. The practical requirement depends on the local council and its by-laws. Chilanga Town Council's Health Department, for example, lists dog registration at K50 with validity shown as unexpired; the current fee, documents and enforcement should be confirmed with the relevant council before payment. The Animal Health (Amendment) Act 2025, in force from 8 August 2025, links animal identification and traceability to the Animal Identification and Traceability Act 2024, but the available sources do not establish a fully operational national companion-animal register. Use a registered veterinary surgeon or para-professional with a practising certificate. The VCZ licenses public and private animal health facilities, but availability and service quality differ between regions. Government veterinary offices and private clinics are both possible access points. Routine food, veterinary treatment, housing, transport and sterilisation costs vary by provider and location; no national pet tariff, insurance structure or uniform fee schedule is documented. Importing a dog requires a DVS permit. The documented process refers to an application, an origin veterinary health certificate, invoices, valid vaccination records and information about the purpose of import and disease status. DVS sanitary clearance or a veterinary permit is followed by the relevant Control of Goods permit. A Trade Portal record lists an application fee of ZMW 52.50, but fees and procedure should be confirmed before payment. Exporting animals follows the Animal Health Act requirements and requires a DVS export permit. Trade Portal records list a 30-day validity for an associated permit, ZMW 50 for a non-commercial export of up to five domestic animals and ZMW 150 for a small-animal health certificate for up to five animals. These portal figures are dated records and require current confirmation. Airlines, transit countries and the destination country may impose additional conditions. No national Zambian pet passport is documented, and domestic movement may also be regulated under the Control of Dogs Act. When ownership ends, use a documented transfer to another keeper, contact the local council or DVO, seek private veterinary advice, or approach a regional rescue or rehoming organization. Zambia has no evidenced nationwide compulsory surrender or pound system. Abandoning an animal can create welfare and public-nuisance risks. Local arrangements for the death and burial of a pet should be checked with the relevant authority because availability differs by area. Wildlife and protected-species rules belong to a separate legal area and do not turn wild animals into ordinary household pets.