Is reporting the death to the register compulsory?

Reporting a death is among the updates of the animal register, but the precise rules and deadlines depend on your region, because the register is managed at regional level. Beyond any formal obligation, closing the record keeps your data up to date and protects you: check with your local health authority or the vet what applies in your area.

Who handles the report, me or the vet?

It depends on the local procedure. In some regions and practices the vet can forward the report to the register directly, in others it is up to the holder to contact the health authority. The quickest way to find out is to ask the vet who followed or confirmed the death, who usually knows the local practice.

I cannot find the microchip number: what do I do?

The number is shown on the register enrolment document and usually on the health booklet. If you cannot retrieve it, turn to the vet, who may have it in their records. The microchip is the element that identifies the record to close, so it is worth finding it before starting the report.

How long do I have and how much does it cost?

Deadlines and any fees are not uniform in Italy, because each region manages the animal register under its own rules. That is why it is not possible to give a figure valid everywhere: verify the timing and any costs directly with your local health authority or the vet, avoiding treating data from other regions as valid.

The animal was registered in another region: who do I contact?

The record must be closed at the register of the region where the animal is registered, which may differ from where you live now. Start from the vet and your local health authority to understand how to proceed: they can point you to the correct channel and whether additional steps between different regions are needed.

Documents and paperwork20 minLevel: BeginnerUpdated on August 5, 2026

Removing a pet from the animal register after death

How to report a dog's or cat's death to the animal register, which documents you need, and why closing the microchip record matters for you.

Audience: Pet owners
Species: Dog, Cat
Scope: Italy

What you need before you start

Il numero di microchip dell'animale, reperibile sul documento di iscrizione o sul libretto sanitario
Un documento di identità valido dell'intestatario della registrazione
L'eventuale certificato o attestazione di decesso rilasciato dal veterinario, se previsto nella tua regione
I recapiti della tua ASL o del servizio veterinario competente per territorio

When an animal registered with a microchip dies, an administrative record in its name remains open in the register of companion animals. Reporting the death serves to close that record, so the microchip correctly shows as no longer active and the holder does not appear as the keeper of an animal that is gone. In the grief of the moment it is easy to put off, but it avoids future mix ups, for example if you later adopt a new animal or if the same number is mistakenly linked to another one. This guide explains the method, which documents are usually needed and who to turn to. You will not find legal deadlines, fees or specific forms, because the animal register in Italy is managed at regional level and procedures differ from region to region, so the operational reference always remains your local health authority or the vet who follows you.

Why report the death

The microchip links a unique number to the holder in the animal register. As long as the record stays open, for the system that animal still exists and is attributed to you. Closing the record after death keeps the data up to date and protects you, because it prevents you from appearing as the keeper of an animal that is gone and avoids confusion with any future animals. It is the same principle by which a change of ownership or a loss is reported: the register is only useful if it reflects reality.

What to gather first

Before contacting the right office it helps to bring together the few pieces of information almost always requested. Having them ready makes the report quick and saves you a second phone call. The key element is the microchip number, which uniquely identifies the record to close.

The microchip number, found on the register enrolment document or on the health booklet.
A valid identity document of the person the registration is under.
Any death attestation from the vet, when your region or the practice requires it.
The details linked to the death, such as the date and, if you know it, where it happened, useful to complete the report.
Up to date contact details of the holder, in case the office needs to reach you for confirmation.

The step by step procedure

Ask the vet how it works where you are
The first contact is the vet who followed or confirmed the death: they often know the local procedure and in some regions can forward the report to the register directly. Ask them how it works in your area.
Identify the competent office
If it does not go through the vet, the report goes to the animal register run by your local health authority or territorial veterinary service. Check on your health authority's or region's website which is the correct channel.
Verify channel, forms and timing
Ask how the report should be sent, whether a specific form is needed and whether the vet's attestation is required. Ask by when it should be done too, because deadlines vary from region to region.
Complete and send with the microchip number
Prepare the report stating the microchip number and the holder's details precisely. The microchip is the element that lets the office find and close the right record.
Keep the receipt
Save the receipt, the email or the reference number that proves the report was made. File it with the animal's other documents, so it stays findable over time.
Check that the record shows as closed
Some time later, if you have access to a regional portal or can ask the office, check that the record is genuinely updated. It is the final step that gives you certainty that you have finished.

If the animal was under someone else or registered elsewhere

The situation is not always straightforward. The animal may be registered under a family member, have been registered in another region or country, or its documents may have been lost. In these cases the method does not change, but an extra step is needed to identify the right register and who is entitled to report the death.

Situation and how to proceed
Situation	How to proceed
The animal is registered under a family member	The holder makes or authorises the report; check with the office who may submit it
You cannot find the microchip number	Get it from the vet, who can read it from their records or the scanner, or from the health documents
The animal was registered in another region	Contact the register of the region of registration, not only that of your current residence
The animal came from abroad	Ask the vet and health authority how to handle the record, which may require additional steps
You have lost the animal's documents	Start from the vet and health authority to reconstruct the data from the microchip

What to do with the other documents

With the register record closed, the animal's other documents remain to be sorted. Some are worth keeping, others should be reported to the relevant parties. A small final tidy up prevents reminders or communications about an animal that is gone from arriving months later.

Keep the health booklet and clinical documents: they can serve as history, for example for questions of inherited predisposition in the case of a future animal from the same line.
If you had insurance for the animal, report the end to the company to close the policy.
If you received reminders or subscriptions tied to the animal, deactivate them to avoid notices that renew the grief.
If the animal was covered by a pet passport, consider with the vet whether and how it should be handled.
Update your personal records by noting the date of the report to the register and keeping the receipt.

Frequently asked questions

Is reporting the death to the register compulsory?: Reporting a death is among the updates of the animal register, but the precise rules and deadlines depend on your region, because the register is managed at regional level. Beyond any formal obligation, closing the record keeps your data up to date and protects you: check with your local health authority or the vet what applies in your area.
Who handles the report, me or the vet?: It depends on the local procedure. In some regions and practices the vet can forward the report to the register directly, in others it is up to the holder to contact the health authority. The quickest way to find out is to ask the vet who followed or confirmed the death, who usually knows the local practice.
I cannot find the microchip number: what do I do?: The number is shown on the register enrolment document and usually on the health booklet. If you cannot retrieve it, turn to the vet, who may have it in their records. The microchip is the element that identifies the record to close, so it is worth finding it before starting the report.
How long do I have and how much does it cost?: Deadlines and any fees are not uniform in Italy, because each region manages the animal register under its own rules. That is why it is not possible to give a figure valid everywhere: verify the timing and any costs directly with your local health authority or the vet, avoiding treating data from other regions as valid.
The animal was registered in another region: who do I contact?: The record must be closed at the register of the region where the animal is registered, which may differ from where you live now. Start from the vet and your local health authority to understand how to proceed: they can point you to the correct channel and whether additional steps between different regions are needed.

What to do next

After the death of an animal with a microchip, report the death to the animal register to close its record: retrieve the microchip number, an identity document and any vet attestation, then verify the correct channel with your local health authority or the vet, because procedures differ from region to region. Keep the receipt of the report and sort the other documents, including insurance and subscriptions.