According to new figures from DogID and CatID that were released by the Flemish Animal Welfare Minister Ben Weyts (nationalist) 149,528 dogs and cats were registered in our region in 2025. Since the end of the coronavirus crisis the number of new dogs and cats registered has fallen each year.
Last year 71,724 dogs were registered by vets in Flanders. This is 4,000 fewer than in 2024, when 75,958 dogs were registered and 41,000 fewer than the 112,961 dogs that were registered in 2021. At the end of last year there were a total of 1,348,763 dogs in Flanders.
Crossbred dogs are the most common type of canine kept as a pet in our region. The dachshund is the most popular breed, followed by the chihuahua, the labrador and the poodle.
In 2025, the most popular names for male dogs in Flanders were Max, Ollie, Marcel, Milo and Charlie. The most popular female dog names were Nala, Luna, Mila, Billie and Pipa.
Last year 77,804 cats were registered in Flanders. This is also 5,000 fewer than the number registered in 2024 and almost 21.000 fewer than the 98,537 that were registered in 2021.
The European shorthair is the most popular breed, followed by the standard housecat, the British shorthair, the shorthaired housecat and the Maine Coon. The most popular names for male cats registered in 2025 were Simba, Leo, Milo, Marcel and Felix. The most popular names for female cats were Nala, Luna, Mila and Lily
Anyone in Flanders that takes a dog or cat as a pet is obliged by law to register it for identification purposes. The data is kept on the DogID and CatID databases.