A dispute has erupted in Spain after Cristina López, a Tenerife resident, alleged that her missing Pomeranian, Lola, could now be living with singer Chenoa. López has requested a DNA test to determine whether Lola, who disappeared in April 2024, is the same dog as Cloe, whom Chenoa adopted in December 2024 through an association collaborating with the television program she presents.
After months without leads, López says she recognized what she believed to be her lost pet in Chenoa’s arms while watching television. She expanded her police report, citing specific physical traits: heterochromia in one eye and distinctive white markings on the muzzle and forehead. López also says the dog’s age and appearance match. Her account, reported in July 2026, has brought the dogs’ identities into dispute.
López says her own investigation included reviewing Chenoa’s social media posts and contacting both the shelter and the encourage home involved in the adoption. She claims to have received conflicting accounts of the dog’s origins, prompting her to escalate the matter with authorities. López says she does not suspect Chenoa of wrongdoing and believes the singer adopted the dog in good faith, but insists scientific testing could resolve the question.
Before making her suspicions public, López says she contacted Chenoa’s brother and manager to explain her concerns. Both reportedly dismissed the possibility that Cloe is Lola, citing the distance between Tenerife and Málaga and perceived differences in photographs. Chenoa has defended the adoption, saying legal and veterinary documentation shows the two dogs are not the same and that the process complied with regulations. López remains unconvinced and continues to press for a DNA test or another reliable way to identify the dog.
RTVE, the broadcaster of Dog House, the program hosted by Chenoa, has stated that the singer has the necessary documentation for Cloe and that there is no evidence of tampering with the dog’s microchip. A microchip provides a unique identification code that can be read with a compatible scanner; it is not a genetic profile. Under Ley 7/2023, Spanish animal-identification rules require dogs to be microchipped and registered in the relevant companion-animal registry. The autonomous communities administer registration procedures.
Genetic identification is a separate system. Spanish reporting has described nearly 100 municipalities in 15 provinces as having introduced canine DNA censuses by October 2026. These typically use a saliva sample to create a genetic profile linked to a dog’s microchip and municipal record. A microchip alone does not mean a dog is enrolled in such a database. DNA comparison can identify an animal when suitable reference material is available, but it does not automatically establish an ownership history.
Tarragona’s municipal DNA census became mandatory for dogs resident in the city in February 2026. The program uses saliva swabs and has been presented as a way to identify dogs from biological material and help locate those that are lost or abandoned, as well as animals that have been mistreated. In October, the city reported its first positive match between dog feces collected in public and a registered dog. The owner could face a €100 fine. ADN Canino personnel and Guardia Urbana officers carried out the collection operations.
The case has drawn attention to the challenges of pet identification and the emotional toll on owners of missing animals. The accounts remain opposed: López says the similarities warrant a genetic test, while Chenoa maintains that legal and veterinary records distinguish Cloe from Lola. Spain has also seen other high-profile personal disputes involving public figures, including the financial and legal battles faced by Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, as reported in coverage of her court struggles.
Adoption records document an animal’s transfer, while microchip registration links it to an identifying code and registry entry. DNA comparison requires a relevant genetic sample. López is seeking that test to establish whether Cloe and Lola are the same dog.
