Two decades of finding a home for every pet that needs one.

PetRescue.com.au is launched as a free online platform connecting rescue pets with potential adopters.

_{Facebook launched this year too, and while they were connecting people, we were connecting homeless pets with new families.}

Much to the surprise of the founders, 517 pets found loving homes via PetRescue's adoption platform in the first year. They had never imagined that something that started as a simple idea could help so many pets.

_{Stippie (pictured) was one of the first pet adoption success stories. This was also the year Google became the world's first search engine.}

^{Read Stippie's Happy Tail here.}

Momentum was building fast. Rescue groups across Australia were joining the platform, helping thousands more pets get seen - and find love.

_{This was the year YouTube and Reddit launched, and the world enters a new tech era: Web 2.0.}

When the founders saw the growing numbers of the pets that were in need of loving homes, they realised PetRescue could make an even bigger impact.

With a clear vision and long-term goals in place, PetRescue was officially established as a charity.

This marked the beginning of a bold mission - to raise awareness for rescue pets and make pet adoption the number-one choice for Australians.

Proving that distance is no barrier to finding love, in 2007, PetRescue united with Virgin Australia and JetPets to enable interstate adoptions for the rescue community. Together, the sky was no limit!

^{Fun fact: the first iPhone is released this year, signalling a major shift in social communication and digital photography.}

A two-month campaign to raise public awareness about the animal welfare issues linked to Australian puppy farming quickly grew into a movement, capturing public attention and making a lasting impact in the media.

What begins in 2009 as a few instore adoption weekends blossoms into a fully-fledged national program and long-term major partnership.

Rescue groups gain free space in PETstock stores to rehome pets, and public awareness grows through the convenience of meeting adoptable pets at their local PETstock stores.

PetRescue teams up with Australia's most well known pet food brand, Mars PEDIGREE®, in a multi-year major partnership with a joint ambition to end pet homelessness.

Mars Petcare invested $4 million in the PEDIGREE® Adoption Drive - a bold, innovative, national campaign giving homeless dogs their chance to shine and showing Australians that adoption is the best option.

The launch was marked by Yellow Dog Day on June 4, when hundreds of bright yellow dog cut-outs “took over” city parks, capturing public attention and sparking conversations about pet adoption.

Every time someone said, “I can’t believe this dog is a rescue dog,” it proved that our message was getting through.

In 2010, 149 rescue dogs appeared on live TV, accompanied by 126 handlers, numerous volunteers, and the entire PetRescue team. These rescue dogs became ambassadors for adoption, promoting rescue and proving once again that adoption truly is the best option.

<sup>Watch the clip here.

Instagram launched in 2010, transforming social media and the way we share photos.</sup>

We started the search for a hidden community of compassionate urban stray cat carers and provide them with support and resources.

Posters were sent to vets nationwide, over 50,000 emails reached Australian subscribers, and a Secret Cat Society–branded email footer went out to more than 730,000 recipients.

The PEDIGREE® Pet Adoption Drive continued to shine a spotlight on rescue dogs with the co-directed Underdogs Series - a documentary-style look behind the scenes of rescue work.

Thousands of Australians gained a deeper understanding of the journeys rescue pets face, sparking important conversations about pet homelessness.

For every Facebook like, PEDIGREE® donated a bowl of food to rescue pets - creating a strong online community of supporters while also helping rescue groups care for pets in need. This campaign not only raised awareness but also provided vital support to organisations working tirelessly to save lives across Australia.

In 2011, as part of our rescue awareness and fundraising efforts, PetRescue co-authored its first book - a beautiful collection of over 100 touching true stories of rescue dogs overcoming difficult beginnings to bring joy, companionship, and adventure to their new families.

The launch was a success, with over 17,000 copies sold.

^{Get a copy here.}

Building on the idea that people often resemble their pets, PEDIGREE® and agency Whybin/TBWA created the Dog-A-Like mobile app. Using a clever “canine analysis” engine, the app matches a user’s selfie with a look-alike dog from PetRescue’s live database - and users could instantly adopt their doppelgänger dog.

The Adoption Drive campaign efforts and additional Pet Pages promotions helped to skyrocket the interest in rescue pets.

Pet Pages ran on alternate Sundays and the promotion was enormously popular. 800 dog profiles were advertised in five state newspapers. The campaigns drew a phenomenal response, successfully rehoming over 90% of the dogs featured and, in one case, reuniting a lost dog with his ecstatic owner.

In an effort to increase capacity for rescue community members, this project brought Pet Foster Care into the mainstream, connecting rescue organisations with potential volunteer foster carers.

This initiative highlighted the importance of finding temporary homes as well as permanent homes for pets to aid in the rehabilitation of pets in caring home environments.

^{Both Uber and Airbnb were launched in Australia this year.}

Just in time for the summer kitten season, PetRescue was joined by WHISKAS to spread the good word about kittens and cats.

A super successful adoption event in the Sydney CBD and a feline meet-and-greet event also transformed Sydney’s Martin Place into 'Kitten Place' for a day.

The event formed part of WHISKAS’ Bring Your Home to Life™ campaign with a website to promote kitten and cat ownership.

Supported by JetPets, we set out to find homes for 5,000 rescue pets during the holiday season. Displays in the CBDs of Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne gave the public a chance to meet amazing adoptable dogs, while special guest stars Sahara and Dave entertained the crowds - spreading joy and holiday cheer while helping pets find loving homes.

^{Take a look.}

Coles supported PetRescue in 2012, helping us gain more mainstream exposure to put the adoption option in the hearts and minds of the pet-loving public and, ultimately, save more lives.

Bold in-store branding, plus a feature in the Coles pet mag and product catalogue put rescue pets and the PetRescue name before the eyes of millions of shoppers who may never have considered adopting a pet.

With an average of 440,000 visits per month - half of them from tablets or smartphones - it was time for PetRescue to upgrade the platform to handle growing traffic and stay ahead of user needs.

In 2012, the PEDIGREE® Adoption Drive got more social.

For every PetRescue pet our Facebook fans posted, PEDIGREE® donated a free meal to a rescue pet.

Alongside the website rebuild, an iPhone iOS app was also developed and launched, making it easier than ever for people to connect with adoptable pets.

250 lucky pets, who couldn’t find homes locally, were connected with loving families interstate - all thanks to Jetpets’ free flights for rescue pets distance was no barrier to happiness!

Thanks to an incredible $260,000 worth of pro bono partnerships, we crafted a strategy and secured the kind of national exposure a rescue pet’s dreams are made of. The “Who Says You Can't Choose Your Family” commercial aired on national, regional, and metropolitan TV, appearing in more than 17,000 primetime spots and capturing the hearts of audiences across Australia.

^{Read more about the impact of this campaign.}

From tiny Chihuahuas to towering Great Danes, our tail-wagging doggy ambassadors stole the show. Time and again, visitors would say, “That’s not a rescue dog, surely?” Misconceptions were blown away as people opened their hearts and minds to the unconditional love a rescue dog brings.

^{Read about it here.}

Together with PEDIGREE®, we encouraged Australians to proudly show they had adopted a rescue dog with a FREE My Family™ car sticker. These happy pets became the best possible ambassadors for adoption, out and about enjoying life with their loving families. Stickers were available at Coles, Woolworths, and other retailers, helping take another positive step toward normalising dog adoption.

An inspiring collection featuring nearly 100 stories about every rescue animal imaginable...
‍
These tales of heroics, survival and companionship come from all over Australia and show the incredible bond between pets and their people.

^{Get a copy here.}

The 2014 PEDIGREE® Adoption Drive helped show Australians the joy that adoption brings. The adorable TVC featured Lilly and her proud guardian Sam, capturing hearts and raising awareness of the happiness rescue pets can bring to people’s lives.

PETstock Assist - PETstock's charity foundation - became PetRescue's third major partner, with the goal to help give pet adoption a huge boost.

^{Find out more.}

Signalling an exciting step towards seeing charity organisations represented in the entrepreneurship world, PetRescue wins the Social Entrepreneur Award for the Western Region of Australia (EY Awards), and co-founder JB scooped not just one but three awards at the Business News 40under40 Awards.

^{Read more.}

2015 was one of PetRescue’s biggest and most exciting years, celebrating 10 years of connecting pets with loving homes.
‍^{‍
It was also a landmark year in technology: Uber and Airbnb entered the mainstream, Google continued to shape search, smartphone usage accelerated, and streaming services like Netflix and wearable tech began transforming the way we live.}

The 5th PEDIGREE^® Adoption Drive™ celebrated all the good that dogs bring out in people in a big way.

Over 50 participating Coles stores played host to Phoenix the adorable rescue dog, and her cutting-edge kennel.

^{Read more.}

After successful in-store adoption days together, PetRescue and PETstock Assist officially launch the inaugural National Pet Adoption Day together.

The first (official) national PetRescue and PETstock Pet Adoption Day was a huge success, with many adorable pets finding loving homes.

^{See the impact here.}

Ever wondered if dogs dream, or if tail-wagging always means they’re happy? Is a pug really related to a wolf? Do You Love Dogs?, published by Penguin Books Australia, answers all this and more in an educational and entertaining book for dog-lovers of all ages.

^{Get a copy here.}

When we surveyed PetRescue’s rescue members, one need stood out: more foster carers to care for pets while they wait for their new homes. At the same time, we know that furry friends improve the physical and mental health of the people around them. Bringing foster dogs into the workplace creates a win-win - benefiting businesses, individuals, and the dogs themselves!

^{Find about more about the program here.}

We helped bring together more than 100 rescue groups and their local PETstock stores to participate in the first ever National Pet Foster Day to raise awareness and help more communities realise the lifesaving powers of fostering.

^{Read more.}

Woolworths Pet Insurance united with PetRescue, beginning a 10-year partnership and a shared commitment to help pets in need. With an incredible pledge to donate $10 from every pet insurance policy sold, PetRescue was able to launch the four-year Matchmakers Project, creating even more opportunities for pets to find loving homes.

With interest in rescue dogs soaring, this year marks the first year that the number of homeless cats exceeded the number of dogs, unveiling a deeper concern for the wellbeing and welfare of cats and kittens in Australia.

Through our partnership with Jetpets, we ensured that 33 hard-to-rehome rescue pets didn't miss out on the opportunity to find love and timely care, even if that meant flying them across the country.

^{Meet the pets who boarded flights to a safer future.}

Knowing that the cost of food was one of the biggest areas of concern for the rescue community, PetRescue called on our friends at PETstock and Mars Petcare to deliver the first of its kind pet food donation program.

Together, we delivered and distributed over $3 million worth of donated pet food (that’s about 130 tonnes) to 275 rescue groups, shelters and pounds registered at PetRescue.

^{Read more about the impact of this program here.}

In partnership with PEDIGREE®, PetRescue launched the Hearts Aligned Campaign. Working with human and canine scientists Dr. Craig Duncan and Dr. Mia Cobb, we showed that stress - a major issue in today’s world - can melt away simply by spending time with your dog.

^{Watch the video.}

Featuring adorable pets that have been adopted via PetRescue, PETstock produced a cute, photogenic menagerie of kittens, puppies, a horse and even guinea pigs.

The calendar was sold in-store with 100% of proceeds donated and raised much needed funds for PetRescue's continued work in the pet adoption space.

Something incredible happened during this time period, and following a year with record-breaking adoption numbers, it was a defining moment in rescue.

For the first time, the interest and demand for rescue pets was so awesome, but what emerged was that many interested households were struggling to successfully adopt a pet.

The rescue sector was operating over capacity and under intense pressure.

Adopting a pet became the desired option for the public, but potential adopters began to turn to other, easier, methods to acquire pets.

PetRescue proudly launched a pilot program connecting senior citizens with shy adult cats, in collaboration with a foundation passionate about the human-animal bond.

This innovative program was launched with the purpose of helping to match senior (human) citizens with shy adult cats, offering a reduced $25 adoption fee (with a $50 subsidy to the rescue group), and providing a pet helpline to follow up with cat adopters via phone over a 10-month period

In response to a growing need within the rescue community, the Matchmakers Project launched with an ambitious tech solution: a modern, mobile-friendly enquiry management system.

Features like adopter profiles, a safe messaging system, automated replies, and pet alerts were developed to streamline the adoption process, reduce administrative burden, and give rescue groups a faster, more efficient way to connect pets with loving homes.

^{Find out more.}

Our friends at Woolworths held a kennel building volunteer day, donating their time and handy-work to help dogs in shelters.

Half a million pets adopted = half a million lives saved and half a million happy adopters.

The growing pro-adoption culture has even created a demand for rescue pets that outstrips supply in some states - the only kind of economics we love!

<sup>Kelpie man, Van (pictured), was the 500,000th pet adopted!

Read Van's Happy Tail.</sup>

A program to help extra special pets find love! With the support of our amazing partner, PETstock, The Adoptables campaign was launched to support special needs pets who face greater challenges finding homes.

These pets receive extra care through professional photography, profile rewrites, social media promotion, and even free flights to their new families - giving them the boost they need to find love.

^{Find out more about The Adoptables here.}

Leading animal health company Zoetis generously donated $100,000 of Canex Puppy Suspension. PetRescue immediately connected the donation with a rescue organisation that desperately needed it, helping puppies stay healthy on their journey to loving homes.

^{Read more.}

PEDIGREE®’s national ‘Feed a Dog in Need’ campaign aimed to raise $1 million worth of food for rescue dogs.

This time, we connected the Woolworths and PEDIGREE® teams together with the pledge by both brands that Woolworths Rewards shoppers buying PEDIGREE® would equate five times the value of the points donated in food to pets in need.

^{Read more.}

The biggest year in the program's history, with $1.3 million of food distributed to 256 PetRescue members, all made possible thanks to Mars Pedigree and PETstock!

^{Learn more about this milestone.}

PetRescue teamed up with the great people at PETstock Assist to host the 4th Annual National Pet Adoption Day in PETstock stores all over Australia.

^{Find out more.}

The calendar not only raises money for pets in need, it also features beautiful photography of animals including Richie the greyhound, Pillow the pig and a paddle of ducks known as The Drakes.

PetRescue teamed up with the fantastic humans at Woolworths Insurance to host an event with rescue pets as the stars of the day.

As an extra incentive to encourage adoptions, Woolworths made an incredible commitment to cover adoption fees for any pets adopted by their team members.

PetRescue partners with the Australian Pet Welfare Foundation and progressive industry leaders to make the a four year pilot research project possible.

^{See the impact here.}

The initiative launched in response to PetRescue’s 2017 members survey, which revealed that a lack of funding was the biggest single issue facing hundreds of animal rescue groups across Australia.

Combined with the lack of resources to be able to develop the technology and marketing required to accept online payments, PetRescue knew that this was an area where we could help make a difference and enable for member rescue organisations.

PetRescue partnered with the great folks at ANZ to make this possible.

The shift towards a pro-adoption culture eventually helped create a demand for rescue pets that outstrips the supply in some states!

Also the only kind of economics we LOVE.

^{Read the Happy Tails!}

In an Australian first, all breed labels were removed from pets listed on in the week leading up to NPAD, to ensure as many loving pets of all types find the homes they deserve.

The campaign drew a lot of attention and discussion, raising awareness that there are many more important factors than breed that determine a pet’s personality and temperament.

^{Find out more.}

PetRescue’s food donation program hit a huge milestone of over $10 million worth of food donated to rescue groups and community organisations across Australia.

What began as a small-scale food donation drive with Mars Petcare evolved into a nationwide initiative, supported by PETstock.

^{See the impact of this milestone here.}

As part of the Matchmakers Project, some remarkable milestones were reached to modernise the technology on the PetRescue platform.

Advancements in tooling included streamlining adoption and enquiry management for the rescue community, ensuring that PetRescue continues to be the best adoption platform in the southern hemisphere!
‍
^{See how this project made a difference.}

One of our most ~trendy~ campaigns to date was our fab collab with iconic Australian fashion label, Gorman.

We got some lucky doggos to be the brand ambassadors for the Gorman x PetRescue campaign and had them sport some of the chicest dog coats EVER.

The campaign was incredibly successful and our furballs became celebrities overnight with their adorable faces shining across the media!

^{Take a look.}

As part of our latest collaboration to promote pet adoption, we teamed up with Sit Stay Society Wines for a nation-wide campaign that celebrates friendship, pets, the joys of bringing home a furry BFF and some dang good vino.

^{Read more.}

We buddied up with Moose Toys to promote compassion for rescue pets to the next generation of animal advocates.

^{Read more.}

Over 650 rescue pets, including 507 cuddly cats and 159 delightful doggos across Australia found new homes on the big day via PETstock stores.

And the love continued to pour for rescue pets throughout February, with over 400 pets being adopted after the event - bringing the total number of February in-store adoptions to a whopping 1000+!

^{See the impact of this event here.}

The 2019 PetRescue and PETstock calendar and desk planner celebrated pets finding homes. The calendars were generously supplied by PETstock Assist, PETstock’s charity foundation dedicated to supporting the bond between people and animals.

^{Read more.}

And the Safe and Sound Pets Squad is invited to visit the WAestern Australia Rangers (WARA) conference and seminars.

^{Read more.}

The G2Z National Summit is a bi-annual event that features national and international speakers who share their success stories and innovative strategies to improve outcomes for rescue pets.

And as bronze sponsors of the biggest rescue industry event, we were honoured (and beyond excited) to be a part of the 8th National G2Z Summit!

^{Read more about the summit.}

As one of the silver sponsors and part of the judging panel of the Awards recognising and rewarding achievement and innovation in rescue, we were thrilled to see the work of all the deserving organisations, including some of our amazing members, gain national recognition!

^{Read more.}

PetRescue published its next five-year big, hairy, audacious goals alongside a public charter, outlining key areas of focus and the outcomes we aim to achieve to improve the welfare and wellbeing of pets across Australia.

We were joined by some incredible tech minds from Apple to explore the problem space and generate creative, ideas and options to innovate and disrupt in the system.

Together, we re-imagined how innovation can emerge when you ask the right questions - all with the goal of making a bigger impact for pets in need.

The PetRescue team came together in person for a rare, but wholesome, offsite event filled with connection and learning.

It was an important and intentional event for the team have a shared and gain deeper understanding of the outcomes, and the opportunity to bring ideas and clarify the future charter and strategic goals together.

For PetRescue, flagship programs and events such as adoption events, food and product donations, and interstate adoptions could no longer take place due to lockdown restrictions.

Pausing these programs presented once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for PetRescue to explore in-waiting programs and innovative ideas. These were our pandemic pivots.

^{The global pandemic had, in ways, gifted the rescue sector with the opportunity to transform and adapt in the face of the lowest number of homeless pets since 2005, seen by a rise in pets being adopted into homes and intake of pets entering the rescue system coming to a pause.}  

With shelters and rescues unable to intake pets, the calls for help from the public continued to flood in.

It became clear that it was the right time to trial a new idea, one that could relieve pressure on the rescue sector and create an alternative pathway to keep pets out of the system.

The Home2Home pilot program began, offering remote-assisted rehoming as a service to support pets and their people.

^{See the impact of Home2Home here.}

A transformational research project begins exploring progressive, community-based cat management in Australia, aiming to reduce stray cat numbers, prevent the killing of cats and kittens in shelters and pounds, and lessen the emotional toll on those working in the system.

^{Find out more.}

To ensure pets continued to get the urgent help they needed, a new Emergency Relief Fund was established.

The funds aimed to provide urgent and immediate relief for rescue organisations where income sources have been significantly reduced or where their operations have been significantly impacted.

^{See the impact here.}

To tackle some of the biggest, longstanding challenges in animal welfare, PetRescue partnered with Google to bring together over 100 skilled technologists from across the country.

With the pandemic pivot, the event became a first-of-its-kind remote, fully digital hackathon, driving innovation and creative solutions for pets in need.

^{Take a look.}

Prior to the lockdowns, PetRescue facilitated food donations to member groups and circulated awareness information on how the community could assist in the areas of most need.

PetRescue has launched the State of Pet Adoption survey to better understand the well-being of people working in animal care. The resulting report provided the first comprehensive view of pet adoption in Australia, highlighting key trends, challenges, and opportunities to drive progress across the sector.

^{Explore the State of Pet Adoption Reports.}

Setting up more councils to successfully use PetRescue's free adoption platform as a rehoming pathway is crucial in keeping pets safe. Digital rehoming equips councils and shelters with modern tools and access to a much bigger community of adopters (including the possibility of interstate adoptions) while reducing the burden on rescue organisations at capacity.

After leading the organisation through a time of global uncertainty and navigating through to successful and positive outcomes stemming from formal enquiries via both the ACNC and ASIC, Patima Tantiprasut, previously GM, accepted an appointment on the board of directors and embraced her roles as PetRescue's new Managing Director, CEO, and new Company Secretary.

PetRescue teamed up with a leading charity operating in Europe seeking to launch an online rehoming platform specifically for the UK and IRE.

Through pro bono consultation and support from the team at PetRescue, PetRehomer successfully launched with a safe and supportive platform to help pets find homes.  

726,198 pets adopted & 2,000+ rescue organisations assisted as part of the PetRescue member community.

The massive support from pet-lovers and adopters for National Pet Adoption Month, made possible via a partnership with PETstock, creates an incredible opportunity to fast-track initiatives that promote pets that need the biggest boost.

^{Read more.}

Given the changes to the NSW pound legislation in 2021 and the potential impacts on the rescue community, PetRescue was invited to present at a webinar for council pound representatives for the Australian Institute of Animal Management.

^{Read more.}

In a recent Victorian government initiative to take steps to change the future for pets, PetRescue contributed to the taskforce by providing 18 years of data and insights from the PetRescue adoption platform.

These insights helped to provide an accurate picture of the current state of animal management to lobby for effective change. Creating a safe future for homeless pets includes changes at a legislative level to provide protection by law.

^{Find out more.}

Our co-founder Vix Davy was invited to be on the judging panel for the Pet Insurance Australia Companion Animal Rescue Awards, for the fourth year in a row.

^{Read more.}

PetRescue's Home2Home program was recognised with a special mention in the national awards.

Bringing incredible expertise, Gina Anderson joins as the 4th director and Matthew Macfarlane accepts the unanimous nomination as PetRescue's chairperson.  

An impressive advisory member board is also formed, including Nell Thompson, Dr Mia Cobb and Chris Cramond.

In time for this National Pet Adoption Month, the ‘Grow your family’ campaign was launched to shine a spotlight on the groups of pets that are struggling the most to find homes for various reasons.

PetRescue's data uncovered the need to focus on cats, big dogs and bonded pets take longer than others to find a home.

^{Explore the campaign.}

Through our free online helpdesk, the PetRescue team can offer guidance and direction towards local services for people experiencing crisis and needing support for their pets.

^{ChatGPT also launched this year, once again changing the tech landscape and creative opportunities for pet adoption.}

PetRescue’s sponsor, Sit Stay Society, along with Blend PR, held a one-of-a-kind Rescue Dog Wine Bar in Sydney that got everyone’s tails wagging.

^{Take a look.}

As Gold supporters of the awards, we were thrilled to see the work of all deserving organisations, including some of our amazing PetRescue members, and the stories of incredible adopters and foster carers gain national recognition.

Co-Founding Director Vix Davy was once again invited to be part of the judging panel.

For the second year in a row, PetRescue was recognised for the Home2Home Program, designed to empower pet guardians to find a new home for their pets.

The program aims to help slow the flow of pets entering shelters and rescue groups that are mostly at capacity and ensure that the pet is in a stress-free home environment until they transition to their new home.

^{Learn more.}

Thanks to MARS PETCARE and all the awesome humans who purchased yummy PEDIGREE® and WHISKAS® products from Woolworths for their pets during the ‘Buy One, Help Them’ campaign, a total of $104,896.30 was donated to PetRescue to fund pet adoption programs for pets across Australia.

Aimed at helping the pets who’d been waiting the longest, the 12 Pets of Christmas campaign featured those most in need in council facilities.

Because there truly is a home for every pet, sometimes it just takes a little longer to find one. Through extra promotion and support for participating councils, these special pets finally found the love they’d been waiting for.

Setting up more councils to successfully use PetRescue's free adoption platform as a rehoming pathway is crucial in keeping pets safe. Without this opportunity, pets within council facilities are possibly invisible and might never get a second chance.

Digital rehoming equips councils and shelters with modern tools and access to a much bigger community of adopters (including the possibility of interstate adoptions) while reducing the burden on rescue organisations at capacity.

Thanks to the PetRescue community including rescue organisations, councils, shelters, and vets - hundreds of thousands of pets have found new homes. Together, we celebrated 800,000 happy tails!

^{Read the happy tails.}

Data and insights from PetRescue.com.au (2022-23 FY) is published and shared alongside findings from the PetRescue members survey.

This comprehensive report provides invaluable insights into the current landscape of pet adoption in Australia, highlighting key trends, challenges, and findings in the effort to ensure a future where every pet is safe, respected, and loved.

^{Explore the State of Pet Adoption Reports.}

A project to help promote rescue pets, the hope is that PetRescue TV will reach a whole new audience and introduce people to pets they might not have considered before.

Helping people looking for pets get to know their quirky personalities and imagine what life would be like with each one, because if a picture paints a thousand words, videos will say a million.

^{Find out more about this project.}

Our tails were wagging with joy to welcome an exciting online retail disruptor, Pet Circle, as the third major partner for PetRescue.

We dreamed big and imagined ways of working together leveraging some of our favourite things; our love of pets and the joy they bring, and using technology and disruption to create a better world.

Thanks to the kindness of partners, supporters, and pet lovers, we got much needed food and products to pets in need.

^{See the impact of this milestone.}

Being recognised for Outstanding Achievement for PetRescue's programs is an absolute honour, especially alongside very inspiring charities, and helps us to know we are on the right track and making a difference.

The AI-powered pet profile writer is one of the ‘time-saving for life-saving’ tools that continues to improve what can be quite an arduous, repetitive task for many of the PetRescue member community.

Pets with profiles written using the AI assistant have found homes 14% faster!

^{Find out more.}

PetRescue continues to produce and share Council Spotlight articles that are helping shift perspectives and drive change across the animal welfare sector.

By showcasing progressive council programs, these stories provide real-life examples of how animal management can be compassionate, community-led, and effective.

<sup>Pictured: Rob from Hawkesbury Companion Animal Shelter with Memphis. image thanks to Peter Haynes from Peter Haynes Perspectives.

Read the Council Spotlight series here.</sup>

The Community Cat Program is a science-based humane cat management program focused on targeted desexing. These programs have been extremely successful, reducing the numbers of cats entering shelters and pounds and lowering the numbers of urban stray cats in the community.

^{Find out more.}

The PetRescue team introduced the Home2Home program to hundreds of councils and rescue organisations from all over Australia as an alternative to surrendering at the Big Hairy People and Pets Summit in October 2023.

^{Read about the impact here.}

Getting more councils on board using PetRescue's adoption platform as a rehoming pathway is crucial in keeping pets safe.

Digital rehoming gives pounds and shelters access to a much bigger community of adopters (including the possibility of interstate adoptions) while reducing the burden on rescue groups at capacity.

This achievement reflects the program's outstanding success in creating positive outcomes for both pets and the people who love them.

^{See the impact of Home2Home here.}

The Home2Home Program reached a milestone of successfully keeping over 800 pets out of the rescue system, thanks to the one-on-one support the PetRescue team provides to pet owners during some of the most difficult moments in their lives.

This vital assistance not only ensures the well-being of the pets but also alleviates the emotional burden on families who want the best for their loved companions.

^{Find out more.}

Best Friends' Walk, a month-long fitness and fundraising challenge launches as a peer-to-peer community initiative to celebrate the bond we share with our furry friends, raising awareness to help homeless pets find their very own best friend.

^{Take a look.}

With the generous support from the team at Bunnings, the first ever PetRescue's Best Friends' Walk Initiative was launched and shared far and wide, with their awesome team members participating as walkers and as fundraisers too!

Dogs and the Postie - a rivalry for the ages.

To a dog, the postman might be perceived as a foe, but by keeping them safe and secure in yards and with a little guidance, they can become best buds. PetRescue provided recommendations to AusPost, and to the public, on ways to keep both posties and pets safe.

^{Read more.}

The PetRescue State of Pet Adoption Report provides a yearly capture of nationwide insights and trends affecting rescue pets and the broader pet management and adoption community in Australia.

^{Explore the State of Pet Adoption Reports.}

PetRescue’s Home2Home team presented on owner-assisted rehoming and the Home2Home program at the 2024 Authorised Persons Association Professional Development Seminar in South Australia.

By presenting Home2Home as an alternative, safe pathway to pet owners looking to surrender their pets to shelters, it also reduces intake and pressure on the rescue system, allowing organisations to help those pets most in need.

After a pandemic-sized paws - PetRescue’s Pet Transport Program, supported by Jetpets, has taken flight again, connecting homeless pets in need to their new families! Thanks to your support, PetRescue can continue collaborating with the community to connect pets with loving homes, no matter the distance.

Together with Foodbank SA and NT, we’re combining our strengths to unite and extend our reach and leveraging Foodbank expertise in warehousing and logistics to assist even more people and pets in need.

^{Read more about this collaboration for impact.}

PetRescue’s Visualise Science project is translating complex data into easy-to-understand graphics. By presenting complicated and sometimes confusing data in a more accessible way that’s clear, understandable, and engaging, we can challenge existing beliefs and leverage new data to inform initiatives to drive change for pets and people in the community.

Pets are very much a part of our families, which is why PetRescue fully supports including companion animals and pets in the next Census survey. The Census captures lots of information about what's happening in the family household, but doesn't currently recognise pets as part of this unit.

^{Find out more.}

PetRescue united with national charity Lucy’s Project to create a joint submission and letters of support to advocate for changes to the law to help protect people and pets and to recognise pets as part of the family.

^{Find out more about collaborating for impact.}

PetRescue is part of this taskforce, providing recommendations to Animal Welfare Victoria that will change the future for pets and ultimately help keep them safer in the system, including proactive and preventative measures to keep pets in their homes and out of the system in order to provide positive welfare outcomes.

^{See the impact here.}

The NSW government established an Inquiry into the Rehoming of Companion Animals Amendment (Rehoming Animals) Bill (2022).

In collaboration with AIAM, PetRescue participated in providing recommendations, including the perspectives of the rescue community as part of the submission.

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PetRescue delivered a free webinar covering the key features of the PetRescue platform for member organisations to help find homes for pets in care faster, as well as how to access the benefits available to PetRescue members, including pet transport, food and product donations, and exclusive Pet Circle discounts.

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With we told our friends at Pet Circle that black cats can take twice as long to find a loving home when compared to other colours, they leaped at the chance to help raise awareness and help them get the best chance at being seen and adopted.

Alongside a social media campaign just in time for the Black Friday timing, flyers went out in 50,000 delivery boxes straight into homes across Australia.

^{Take a look at the campaign.}

PetRescue’s adoption platform has helped connect 900,000 pets with new homes since its launch in 2004. Thanks to the dedication of rescue organisations, councils, shelters, and vets who use PetRescue's adoption platform to find homes for pets in their care and pet guardians who helped make adoption a mainstream choice, creating happiness and saving lives.

PetRescue’s data shows that big dogs can take twice as long to find a home when compared to small dogs, with large dogs receiving, on average, approximately 78% fewer enquiries than small dogs.

In partnership with our friends at Pet Circle, we created a campaign to help big dogs get a special chance to be seen, and adopted.

^{See the impact of this campaign.}

PetRescue and La Trobe University embark on a sector-wide survey in anticipation of the next edition of The PetRescue State of Pet Adoption Report with the goal to better understand the well-being of people working in animal care roles.

The research explores personal health and well-being of people working in the animal welfare sector.

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New research into the impact of rescue work on mental and physical health, and intention to leave the sector, was published. The peer-reviewed study found that average mental and physical health measures among participants were significantly below the general population’s averages.

^{Read more about it here.}

PetRescue’s Home2Home program was showcased at the 2025 G2Z Conference. H2H represents an evolving approach to companion animal rehoming, designed to support guardians while ensuring positive outcomes for pets.

The team shared the journey, key findings, challenges, and lessons learned from implementing remote-assisted rehoming and tailored support.

From small urgent requests to large-scale national deliveries over $14.5 million in food and product donations have supported pets and communities right across Australia thanks to the support of our pet-loving partners past and present.

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PetRescue’s community of pet-loving fitness fundraisers almost doubled in its second year, continuing to celebrate the special bond between people and their pets. Proudly sponsored once again by our friends at Bunnings.

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PetRescue has partnered with La Trobe University researchers to explore what makes cats appealing. This project, proposed by PetRescue to better understand how adopters perceive cats online, is investigating the factors that influence cat adoptability. The findings will help us refine our cat marketing and provide our rescue partners with evidence-based strategies to help more cats find homes.

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With increased visibility for thousands of wonderful rescue pets, and more people finding their new furry family members through rescue and rehoming programs, the lack of consistency in how rescue pets, and the people caring for them, are treated, and the gaps in industry regulation and safeguards against unethical profiteering practices across Australia has become more apparent than ever.

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PetRescue is proud to welcome two new Non-Executive Directors and a new Company Secretary to the board, strengthening the organisation’s governance.

The PetRescue board are all volunteers, generously devoting their time and expertise towards helping to ensure that PetRescue can continue to create a future where every pet is safe, respected and loved.

For many pets, the best place for them isn’t a new home, it’s the one they already have. 'There’s No Place Like Home' is PetRescue’s new strategic initiative focused on reunification, intervention, and prevention - shifting the sector from reactive rescue to proactive care.

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