Safe and Sound Pets: Creating a better future for pets
Every pet deserves to be safe, respected and loved.
Each year, an estimated 100,000* pets are killed in Australian council facilities and shelters. Many never have the opportunity to find a home.
It doesn't have to be this way.
Across Australia, councils, shelters, rescue organisations, vets and communities are working together to create a better future for pets. Safe and Sound Pets exists to help drive that change.
A system under pressure, and starting to change
The challenges facing animal management in Australia aren't about irresponsible pet guardians or inevitable overpopulation. They're structural. Companion animal management is chronically underfunded, standards vary widely between facilities, and the system has historically prioritised impoundment over the early, community-based support that actually keeps pets safe.
But something is shifting. Councils, shelters, rescue organisations, vets and community groups are increasingly working together, sharing knowledge and aligning around a shared goal: keeping pets safe, keeping families together, and building a system that reflects what Australians genuinely want for the pets in their communities.
That's what Safe and Sound Pets is all about.
We know what works
We know that when people receive practical support before a pet enters the system, outcomes improve dramatically. Help with housing stress, financial hardship, behavioural challenges or major life changes, and provision of pathways to rehome pets before they enter the system can make all the difference. Programs providing this kind of early, in-community support reduce shelter intake and improve the well-being of both pets and people in communities.
Getting ahead of the problem is not only more humane. It's more effective.
A whole-of-sector effort
No single organisation can fix this alone. That's why PetRescue's Safe and Sound Pets work focuses on bringing the sector together. We unite with advocacy organisations to help inform and drive effective legislative and policy reform, support councils and shelters to strengthen rehoming programs, help rescue organisations operate sustainably, and advocate for consistent, transparent public reporting on animal outcomes.
Through Safe and Sound Pets, PetRescue brings together research, advocacy, partnerships and practical programs that help prevent pets from entering the system, strengthen rehoming pathways and improve outcomes for pets and people across Australia.
Because lasting change depends on transparency, accountability and collaboration.
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Keeping pets in homes
One of the most impactful things we can do is shift focus upstream, reaching people and pets before a crisis point arrives. Vets, rescue groups, shelters and councils all have a role to play in connecting people with support when they need it most.
Whenever it's safe and possible, helping people keep the pets they love is one of the most powerful ways to protect animal welfare. Keeping pets and people together strengthens families, reduces pressure on shelters and creates better outcomes for everyone.
Find out more about PetRescue’s next chapter: There’s No Place Like Home.
The future we're building
PetRescue is working toward a companion animal welfare system that is proactive, collaborative and built around the well-being of pets and the people who love them. That means:
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Legislation and funding that reflect the true cost of humane, effective animal management
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Consistent standards and transparent public reporting across all facilities
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Sector-wide collaboration built on shared purpose, not competition
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Community-based programs that reach people before pets enter the system
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Every council facility is connected to rehoming pathways, so every pet has the opportunity to find safety and care.
We're not there yet. But change is happening. Across Australia, more organisations are working together, more communities are embracing prevention, and more people are recognising that pets and the people who love them need support, not judgment.
Every pet in Australia deserves to be safe, respected and loved. And every person who needs support to keep their pet deserves access to it.