October 26, 2026, 10:06 am | Read time: 3 minutes
On Saturday, October 24, the stars of the pet internet took the stage at the Gebläsehalle in Duisburg. At the German Petfluencer Awards 2026, cats and dogs with their owners were honored for reach, creativity, and engagement. About 600 guests celebrated the “Petfluencer Night,” including, according to the organizer, 150 Catfluencers in white and 150 Dogfluencers in black. Together, they reach more than 20 million followers! PETBOOK was there live and presents all the winners at a glance.
What Are the German Petfluencer Awards?
The awards have been presented annually since 2019 by the agency TONY the petfluencer agency. The host and initiator is agency founder André Karkalis. The event was presented by animonda and Agria Pet Insurance, with Jana Azizi and Sandra Kuhn hosting the evening. The jury included, among others, cat expert Birga Dexel for the Cats categories and dog coach Kate Kitchenham for the Dogs categories.
Also interesting: Best German pet accounts of the year awarded
The Winners in Team Cats
- Petfluencer of the Year: Laura and the Schnurrs (@schnurrbertofficial) impressed with a lot of humor, honest insights, and above all, a lot of love.
- Newcomer of the Year: Kathrin “Kathi” Theesfeld with rescue cat Gülli (@katschennn) won the Newcomer of the Year award with topics around working in animal welfare.
- 9:16 Video of the Year: Katzitänin Ocean (@katzitaenin_ocean) shows in her award-winning video, and generally on her account, how the cat Ocean explores the seas on the sailboat.
- Purpose Award of the Year: Hande de Palma (@handeciiim) from Stade, is committed to street cats in Turkey and has won many hearts that beat for the well-being of wild cats.
- Audience Award of the Year: Tatjana with Apollo, Cosmo, and Loki (@apollo_und_cosmo). For Apollo and Cosmo, this is already the second consecutive award, as they won the Audience Award last year as well.
The Best Horse Influencers of 2026 Have Been Announced
Best German Animal Accounts of the Year Announced
The Winners in Team Dogs
- Petfluencer of the Year: Katja Robertz with her three Labrador retrievers Carlie, Elsa, and Florentine (@katjaschocolates). The jury called her content a “total work of art.”
- Newcomer of the Year: Svenja Tworek from Bielefeld with dog Yuna (@oxydogcin). They are especially known for their free-shaping videos and their special bond with each other.
- 9:16 Video of the Year: Kathi (@pupsonality) won the award with a post on the topic of breeding defects. Her carefully researched and understandable video helps make this controversial topic visible.
- Purpose Award of the Year: also Kathi (@pupsonality). She was doubly honored that evening, taking home two awards.
- Audience Award of the Year: Manuel Ries with Border Collie Hazel (@the_amazing_hazel). With a dramatic story about Hazel that touches the heart, he won the audience’s hearts.
Cats vs. Dogs – Who Won?
As every year, the two teams competed against each other in various challenges. In “Cats vs. Dogs – Who Rules the Internet?” #TeamCats once again won the title. For host André Karkalis, this is no surprise: “The first picture on Instagram showed a dog, and cat content is known to be the most important on the internet.” He emphasized that both animal types are appreciated.
And so, a successful evening came to an end, once again showing that dogs and cats capture the hearts of many people and make life just a little bit better.