Palou tops 2,600 registered pet blood donors in Germany

Berlin nonprofit Palou says its free platform now lists more than 2,600 dogs and cats that can be matched with veterinary practices needing blood. The service is filling a gap in a country with no central pet blood bank and could speed transfusions in emergencies.

Why it matters: - Germany has no central blood bank for dogs and cats, so veterinary practices often depend on nearby donor animals in urgent cases. - Palou gives practices a searchable pool of 2,612 registered donors, which can matter after accidents, major surgery, some cancers or rat poisoning. - Cat transfusions are especially time-sensitive because stored blood lasts only a few weeks and cats usually receive fresh blood. - The platform is free for pet owners and veterinary practices, lowering the barrier to registering donors and finding them quickly.

What happened: - Palou, a free platform run by the Berlin nonprofit Palou e.V., says it now has 1,505 registered dogs and 1,107 registered cats on its donor list. - The total puts 2,612 animals in reach for veterinary practices searching for a transfusion donor nearby. - The platform runs in a browser at app.palou.app, so users do not need to download an app.

The details: - The Small Animal Clinic at Freie Universität Berlin opened Germany's first clinic blood bank for pets in 1997. - That clinic blood bank collects around 40 litres of donor blood a year. - Germany had 25.7 million dogs and cats in 2025, including 10.0 million dogs and 15.7 million cats, according to IVH/ZZF. - Only a small share of those pets meet donor criteria, and only some of those are registered anywhere. - Palou lets pet owners create a free account and add a dog or cat with weight, date of birth, blood type if known and postcode. - Registered animals appear anonymously on Palou's donor map, where nearby veterinary practices can find them. - When a practice needs blood, owners get a request by email or WhatsApp and decide each time whether to donate. - The donation takes place at the veterinary practice. - Veterinary practices register for free with an address and a contact person, then search by species, blood type, weight, age and radius. - Matching owners are notified and contact the practice directly. - Palou first asks the closest matching owners. - With consent, Palou can also share an urgent appeal on its social media channels. - Dogs can donate if they are 1 to 8 years old, weigh about 20 kg or more, and are healthy and vaccinated. - Cats can donate if they are 1 to 8 years old, weigh at least 4 kg, and are kept strictly indoors. - Owners who are unsure can check eligibility on the Palou website.

Between the lines: - The platform is solving a practical logistics problem rather than creating new blood supplies. - Its value rises with geography: the closer the donor animal is to the practice, the more useful the match becomes in an emergency. - Palou is also trying to build a wider network effect by getting both owners and clinics onto the same system. - Kirill Rubinstein, founder of Palou e.V., said: "Without a central blood bank, every registered donor near a practice counts. Owners have already signed up more than 2,600 dogs and cats. Now we want every practice that needs blood to be able to find them."

What's next: - Palou is asking more pet owners with healthy dogs or cats to register their animals for free. - Veterinary practices can sign up and start searching for donors at no cost. - Supporters can join Palou e.V. for €15 a year or make a donation to help fund the association's work. - The nonprofit says it is funded by membership fees, donations and grants. - Palou says its goal is broader reach so more practices can find nearby donors when blood is needed.

The bottom line: - Palou is turning a fragmented, practice-by-practice donor system into a searchable network for pet transfusions in Germany.