Palou passes 2,600 registered dog and cat blood donors in Berlin

Berlin nonprofit Palou now lists 2,612 registered pet blood donors, aiming to help veterinary practices quickly find nearby matches when transfusions are needed. The free platform fills a gap in Germany, which has no central blood bank for dogs and cats.

Why it matters: - Germany has no central blood bank for dogs and cats, so veterinarians often have to find donor animals on short notice. - Palou’s growing network gives practices a larger pool of nearby donors for emergencies, surgery, cancer treatment and rat poisoning cases. - The platform may be especially useful for cats, where stored blood lasts only a few weeks and transfusions often require a fresh donor.

What happened: - Palou, the free Berlin nonprofit platform run by Palou e.V., now lists 1,505 dogs and 1,107 cats as registered blood donors. - That brings the searchable donor pool to 2,612 animals for veterinary practices using the platform. - Pet owners and veterinary practices can use Palou at no cost.

The details: - The Small Animal Clinic at Freie Universität Berlin opened Germany’s first clinic blood bank for pets in 1997. - That 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 are registered anywhere. - Palou makes registered donors searchable for nearby practices through its platform. - The service runs in a browser at app.palou.app, with no download required. - Pet owners create a free account and add their dog or cat with weight, date of birth, blood type if known and postcode. - Registered pets appear anonymously on Palou’s donor map. - When a practice needs blood, owners receive a request by email or WhatsApp and decide whether to donate. - Donations take place at the veterinary practice. - Veterinary practices register for free with an address and a contact person. - Practices search by species, blood type, weight, age and radius. - Owners of matching animals are notified and contact the practice directly. - Palou first alerts the closest matching owners. - With consent, Palou can also share an urgent appeal on its social media channels. - Eligible donors are dogs aged 1 to 8 years and weighing about 20 kg or more, if healthy and vaccinated. - Eligible donors are cats aged 1 to 8 years, weighing at least 4 kg and kept strictly indoors. - Owners can check eligibility on the Palou website.

Between the lines: - Palou is trying to solve a logistics problem, not a medical one: it connects existing donors with practices that need them fast. - The model depends on voluntary registration, so the value of the platform rises as more practices and pet owners join. - The system also reflects a structural shortage in Germany, where donor blood supply for pets is limited and decentralized.

What's next: - Palou wants more veterinary practices to register so more donors become discoverable when emergencies happen. - Owners and practices can continue joining for free, while supporters can fund Palou e.V. through membership or donations. - Supporters can become members of Palou e.V. for €15 a year or make a donation. - Palou says it is funded by membership fees, donations and grants. - Palou won the Fressnapf Innovation Award 2024. - Palou e.V. is based in Berlin and is registered under VR 41951 B. - The platform was developed by Wheels & Wings Lab GmbH. - More information is available on Palou’s LinkedIn page.

The bottom line: - Palou is building a national pet blood donor network in a country that lacks a central system, and 2,612 registered animals is a meaningful step toward faster transfusion matches.