Animou, the community app for lost animals
Every year in France, over 82,000 animals are reported lost. That's a huge number that still drives pet owners to urgently print posters or post notices on Facebook. In light of this reality, two entrepreneurs from Bordeaux decided to create Animou, a new free mobile app designed to speed up reunions between pets and their owners.
Geolocated alerts by neighborhood in case of disappearance
Inspired by Aymeric Deloche and Ambre Capon after their cat Percy went missing, Animou works like a real local and instant alert network. “When Percy disappeared, we realized there was no simple, free, and centralized tool to quickly find a lost pet,” explain the two co-founders.
With just a few clicks, pet owners can post a photo, a description, and a location. All nearby users then receive a geolocated notification on their phones. The app also features an intelligent matching system that automatically cross-references multiple criteria to detect likely matches between found animals and reported disappearances.
“The idea is to create a community...acute;e, it's about digitally recreating neighborhood solidarity, but on a large scale”, they summarize.
1 cat lost every 8 minutes in France this summer
According to the 2025 I-CAD barometer, 82,264 animals were reported lost in France in 2024, with one cat lost every eight minutes during the summer. Despite these numbers, there hasn’t been any free and centralized national platform until now.
Animou aims to fill this gap by bringing together three communities: pet owners, neighbors and animal-loving volunteers, and professionals like veterinarians, shelters, and associations. They will also have access to a dedicated and free back-office.
100% free app available all over France
Available for free on iOS and Android starting June 25, 2026, Animou promises to remain completely free, even for partner organizations. “We wanted a model accessible to everyone, without subscriptions or hidden fees,” the founders assure.
The Bordeaux start-up also guarantees not to sell any personal data, focusing on an economic model based on partnerships within the animal world. Now, supported by over 200 partners in 10 major French cities.
Increases, the app aims for 15,000 downloads within the six months following its launch.
An exciting future version powered by artificial intelligence
A second version of the app is already on the way, featuring an AI-powered image recognition system to streamline visual searches. In the long run, the founders aim to expand across Europe in several major cities like Barcelona, Milan, Berlin, and London.