A section with key insights from PetRescue's 2025 guardian-assisted rehoming program report: Finding another way home

Who applies to Home2Home

As a result, Home2Home application data reflects the rehoming support needs of guardians who can manage rehoming themselves, rather than the general population.

The factors reported by guardians seeking to use Home2Home closely align with findings from broader Australian studies on pet relinquishment (Navigating the relationship of pet guardianship and the social determinants of health in Australia: insights from a cross sectional study and Association of Socioeconomic Status and Reasons for Companion Animal Relinquishment). This suggests that the underlying reasons for needing to rehome pets are similar across groups.

However, factors such as the time available to find a solution and the guardian’s capacity to manage rehoming themselves are likely more influential in whether a pet is surrendered to an organisation or rehomed independently.

Pet Information

Typical Home2Home pet profile

Species breakdown of applications

Note: Some totals below do not reach the full number of applications, as not all guardians were asked every question (forms changed over time), or some did not provide answers.

Key points

• Desexing and microchipping:
  • Desexing rates are similar for dogs and cats.
  • Dogs are more likely than cats to be microchipped and vaccinated.
  • Among dogs: 95.6% were microchipped, 85.6% desexed, and 88.4% vaccinated.

• Microchipping explanation: Many councils across Australia now offer free or heavily subsidised microchipping. Dogs are more likely than cats to be microchipped through these events, which often take place at parks, expos, or other public spaces where bringing cats would be unsuitable.
   
• Species diversity: The range of pets for which guardians applied reflects the variety of pets people keep. While dogs and cats are the most common, applications also included typical domestic pets, farm animals, and even exotic or native species.

Guardian Information

Extended care during rehoming:

In over 80% of cases, guardians were able to keep their pets for a minimum of four weeks to facilitate the rehoming process.

This is an important consideration for organisations working with relinquished pets, including councils and shelters, as it demonstrates that many guardians have the capacity to delay surrender until suitable foster care or shelter placement is arranged.

Guardian involvement in rehoming: Guardians applying to Home2Home are invested in their pets’ wellbeing post-rehoming and actively participate in preparing and rehoming their pets. This may create an opportunity for organisations to leverage these guardians as “instant foster carers,” potentially reducing the need for additional foster or shelter capacity.

Support for keeping pets: Of 1,800 guardians asked if they would like additional support to stay with their pets, 263 (approximately 15%) said “Yes.” Most of these guardians were experiencing personal crises or other human-centric challenges but would have kept their pets if support had been available. This pattern was similar across dogs and cats.

Owner retention beyond initial willingness: Our owner retention rate is higher than this initial 15% would suggest. Some guardians were able to keep their pets even after initially stating they were not open to it. Many initially felt they had exhausted all options or that their situation was impossible to resolve.

With time and support from the Home2Home team, some were able to reassess their circumstances, access help, and ultimately stay with their pets.

 
Read about how PetRescue’s Home2Home team helped Sam move across the country and keep his fur family together. Boop here.
 

To download the full PDF boop here.

Jump to specific insights from the report: