Better evidence. Better outcomes for pets and people.
Understanding what it takes to create a safer, more sustainable future for Australia’s pets
What if we could better understand the forces shaping the lives of pets, the people who care for them, and the organisations working to support them?
Powered by Buddy Pet Insurance, PetRescue is investing in a two-year program of research to do exactly that.
The Buddy Pet Insurance X PetRescue Research Partnership will build evidence to help us better understand the true value of the human-animal bond and support a more holistic, preventative approach to animal welfare across Australia.
Because lasting change starts with understanding the bigger picture.
Why are we doing this research?
Animal welfare doesn’t exist in isolation.
The challenges facing pets are often connected to broader social and economic factors, including housing, domestic violence and financial hardship. At the same time, the people working and volunteering across the animal welfare sector can face significant emotional and psychological pressures.
There are also gaps in the data that we need to understand where support is most needed, what is working, and where earlier intervention could help people and pets stay together.
This research brings these pieces together.
By building a stronger evidence base across animal welfare, human welfare and shelter needs, we can look beyond one-off crisis responses and start identifying the changes that could create lasting impact across the sector.
Four white papers. One bigger picture.
Over two years, PetRescue and Buddy Giving will support the development of four in-depth white papers, each exploring a different part of the human-animal welfare ecosystem. Together, they will create a more complete picture of the challenges facing the sector and the opportunities for change.
White Paper 01 - A Tail of Two Systems: Moving Australia’s Rescue Sector from Strain to Sustainability
Understanding the current needs, challenges and pressures facing shelters and rescue organisations, and the people working within them.
White Paper 02 - Capacity for Care: Moving Australia's Shelter and Rescue Sector from Reactive Response to Proactive Practice
Coming soon
White Paper 03 - The Wellbeing White Paper
Coming soon
White Paper 04 - The Social Return on Investment of Preventative Work
Coming soon
From research to action
Research is only powerful when it helps create change.
The findings from these white papers will help PetRescue and the broader sector identify gaps, challenge assumptions and build a clearer picture of where resources and support are needed most.
The research will also inform advocacy campaigns and help shape future support for shelters, rescue organisations, foster carers, veterinarians and animal managers.
The ambition is to help shift the conversation from simply measuring survival to understanding and supporting wellbeing.
That means looking beyond measures such as adoptions and euthanasia rates to consider community impact, preservation of the human-animal bond and the wellbeing of the people who make animal welfare possible.
What could this research help us achieve?
A fuller picture of the human-animal ecosystem
Understanding how social, economic and personal factors intersect with animal welfare.
Stronger support for the people behind the work
Uncovering the pressures contributing to workforce burnout and supporting longer-term sustainability.
Earlier intervention and better prevention
Identifying gaps in services and policies that could help prevent pets entering shelters and keep people and pets together.
Better ways to measure success
Building more meaningful measures of impact that recognise wellbeing, community outcomes and the value of the human-animal bond.
Powered by partnership
Great change rarely happens alone.
Buddy Pet Insurance's investment is helping make this research possible, bringing together funding, expertise and PetRescue’s sector knowledge to build evidence that can be shared across the animal welfare community.
Together, Buddy Pet Insurance and PetRescue are working towards a future where decisions are informed by stronger evidence, resources can be directed where they are needed most, and the people and organisations caring for pets have the support they need to make a lasting difference.
The partnership is designed to turn research into action, with the potential to influence decision-makers, shape policy and strengthen support systems across the sector.
Thank you, Buddy Pet Insurance, for investing in the research that can help create a better future for pets and the people who care for them.
Explore the research
As each white paper is published, you’ll find it here.
Better evidence can help create better change.
By understanding the whole picture, we can work towards a future where animal welfare is more preventative, more sustainable and better supported, helping create a safer, more equitable life for pets and the people who care for them.