It’s a common story.

You Google the nearest breeder or, perhaps, choose from the accredited list on the National Breeders Association.

You visit the breeders. They’re kind and knowledgeable, and their puppies are beautiful.

You take one home. And it may not happen within one year, five years, or even fifteen years, but at some point, preventable genetic diseases start to emerge.

Heart disease. Bleeding disorders. Neurological conditions. These all have genetic markers that a lab can spot and are, therefore, completely preventable. Yet, would this be something you or your breeder could spot?

This story is so common that it probably mirrors your own or someone you know.

The question is: can it be prevented if breeders do their due diligence from the start?

This is the conundrum FERAGEN is trying to solve. I sat down with co-founders Dr Anja Geretschläger and Michael Geretschläger to learn about how a dog called Nala inspired their mission to transform the breeding industry from the ground up.

A genealogist on a mission

FERAGEN is a genetics lab and platform that helps breeders find the best mates for their dogs. Their proprietary process and innovative online system accounts for generic diversity as well as preventing common hereditary diseases, so breeders can make the best decisions.

But that wasn’t how it started.

In the spring of 2012, a passionate PhD student and worried dog parent—Dr Anja Geretschläger—ran some lab tests on her poorly Labrador Retriever, Nala, to see what she could find. Here’s what Anja had to say, after conducting more thorough research on the topic:

“Our dog had some health issues and it wasn't clear for me whether she should’ve been having those problems at that point in time. When I started researching what can happen to dogs, the different possible issues, and how breeders typically choose ‘healthy’ parents, I was shocked. There are a lot of problems—especially in purebreds.”

So little by little, Anja continued to run small genetic analyses on Nala, building up a comprehensive genetic profile over time. That’s when the lightbulb moment struck. What if this could be of use to breeders?

“I was not happy with the possibilities that we had then for testing dogs. We wanted to change from single analyses to screening a dog. Most breeders have no idea how to find a perfect mating partner for their dogs for a better chance of producing healthy puppies. Because that’s the most important thing. To have healthy puppies, you need a healthy mating partner”, said Anja.

While studies show that the prevalence of disease in purebreds and mixed breed dogs are about the same, there’s a fair argument to suggest that screening dogs prior to breeding them could bring the rate of disease down in both populations.

Another issue relates to genetic diversity getting narrower, as breeders selectively breed for “desirable” traits but not necessarily for strong, healthy litters. In many countries, anyone can apply for a breeding license without any special training. Anja talks about how many reputable breeders may be sending their dogs for thorough vet examinations but do not necessarily understand the results. Unreputable breeders don’t bother with examinations at all. Is there a way to make it all simpler?

Business Executive Officer of Nestlé Purina PetCare in the DACH region, Marius Baumeister, told me, “Bringing new and connected digital services to breeders, pet owners and government or association bodies remains a challenge. I strongly believe that creative and out-of-the-box solutions and partnerships will create the best answers.”

And that’s exactly what the Geretschlägers set out to do. They imagined a genetics lab that could fully screen the DNA of a dog for different traits or disorders. So, they designed a platform that could match a dog with potential ideal mates based on their genetic makeup. A Tinder for dogs based on genetic information, if you will. As co-CEOs and husband and wife, Michael Geretschläger became the business strategist, while Anja Geretschläger focused on the science. The dynamic duo brought their passion for healthy dogs and opposing skill sets to launching this groundbreaking company.

Though the ingredients were all there—a knowledgeable founding team, a passionate mission, and an obvious need—the lack of support was glaring.

Anja and Michael shared the difficulties they faced in finding opportunities for pet startups in the DACH (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) region, which stunted their growth. After all, it’s pretty impossible to grow a genetic lab with the requisite qualified employees and advanced technology without funding and industry support.

Michael told me, “We founded our company in a country [Austria] where it is very difficult to get funding. So, compared to countries like the United States or other countries where startups are supported and celebrated, it was very difficult for us in the beginning. So we started with a single genetic analysis for breeders as a routine lab to earn the money to do the more exciting things.”

Adding available analyses and building out their platform slowly was working for a number of years. But having the resources and support to be at the forefront of emerging technologies is crucial to maintaining that competitive edge. So when a friend mentioned the Unleashed by Purina startup accelerator programme to Anja and Michael for the first time, they were all too excited to apply.

Teaming up with Unleashed by Purina

In 2022, FERAGEN was accepted into the Unleashed by Purina programme and gained a lot of knowledge and support for their mission.

“Purina is a company that knows the pet industry very well. And for that reason, it was a perfect match for us. It’s really cool to work with them. They are very hands-on and treat us like a true partner.” said Michael.

Their excellent rise and developing influence in the DACH region, and beyond, was part of why the Unleashed by Purina team chose to invite FERAGEN to join the business incubator programme in 2024. This invite-only programme is for select Unleashed by Purina alumni with aligned goals and values.

“We had the chance to mutually learn a lot about FERAGEN and Purina through the Unleashed Accelerator program. Our visions for animal health were clearly matching. Plus, FERAGEN is run by a highly competent and committed team of founders. They are experts with years of experience in their field. Their genetic capabilities are above most competition. Their ability to combine leading-edge genetics with leading-edge scientific service and leading-edge digital services adds to their differentiation.” said Marius Baumeister, Business Executive Officer at Nestlé Purina PetCare.

Right now, the Unleashed by Purina and FERAGEN teams are working on aligning their visions and seeing how ProPlan products could further improve the health and longevity of puppies, as well as promoting improved breeding standards internationally.

Carving a better path for breeders

Since 2022, FERAGEN has seen an impressive growth of 500%, having increased their user base from 1,000 to 6,000. They can perform 250 analyses with their breeder’s DogCheck package, giving breeders a full yet simplified view of a dog’s health and genetic predispositions.

With around 20,000 dogs on the MyFERAGEN database, the company has seen excellent success rates matching up dogs for the best genetic diversity and overall health of their litters.

However, growing an industry-disrupting company, like FERAGEN, is not without its challenges.

When I asked the Geretschlägers what one thing would they focus on to transform the breeding industry, there was no hesitation—education.

“We need to educate breeders about the power they have and what breeding healthy puppies actually means. Yes, there are government programmes on how to breed and basic regulations, but they don’t explain how to make good breeding decisions. There’s no real strategy”, said Michael Geretschläger.

The MyFERAGEN platform is a step towards helping breeders with strategy, specifically giving scientifically-backed recommendations for their matches. But FERAGEN is also committed to educating those they work with to ensure breeders feel empowered to make smart decisions. Part of that is running free webinars and creating accessible content for breeders.

The other side of educating breeders is teaming up with breeding clubs around the world.

Dog breeding is one of the oldest sub-sects of the wider pet industry. Even older than pet food as a concept! Despite innovation in multiple other areas, traditional, low-tech breeding methods are still predominant. A breeder may use a spreadsheet or two—perhaps even written notebooks. So you can understand why convincing old-school, award-winning breeders and associations to switch to a tech-forward model is akin to bathing a cat.

“We have very open, interested, and innovative breeding clubs. They tend to have young committee members of the board. And then you have the others that say, ‘We haven’t needed any of this stuff for the last 25 years. Why do we need it now?’ They don’t realise that we are where we are because of the mistakes made in those 25 years.” Anja said.

But the FERAGEN team haven’t let the old-school methods get in their way. As of January 2025, FERAGEN is affiliated with over 100 clubs in multiple countries around the world, including Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Netherlands, Belgium, England, USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Poland, Saudi Arabia and many more. 

From our team at Purina, Marius Baumeister mentioned how this international reach is crucial for the evolution of ethical breeding practices for all. He said, “Government institutions and associations should develop a standard that enables and enforces the exchange of genetic testing profiles between genetic testing companies. To drive genetic diversity, we need to enable international breeding practices based on the best genetic matches. For that we need the genetic data to be available across borders. It’s for the government institutions and associations as well as for corporates like us to support young ambitious companies like FERAGEN.”

What’s next for FERAGEN?

On the surface, FERAGEN wants to be the leading platform that creates a step-change for health management in dog breeding, based on leading-edge genetic diagnostics and digital services.

But during my conversation with the founders, it’s clear the true core of the company is based on a singular vision.

Co-CEOs Anja and Michael envision a world where screening dogs before breeding is a normal part of the process, rather than considered an unnecessary luxury.

“In five years, I hope that genetic testing will be completely normal if you want to breed dogs. Something everybody is familiar with and there is no question if it is necessary or not. Why? Because we want to avoid genetic disorders and we want to improve health”, said Anja.

In this not-too-distant world, where breeders prioritise health over aesthetics and profit, perhaps more dogs would live longer, healthier, happier lives. Wouldn’t that be something?

Written by Olivia De Santos, Pet Tech Writer @ Unleashed by Purina.