The impact of your kindness 2025
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We wrapped up the year with a special campaign to help pets most in need. Our hearts were filled with hope and joy witnessing the PetRescue community come together to support and help these special pets find a loving home in time for Christmas.
If you were following the 12 Pets of Christmas campaign, you might have noticed that each of them had one thing in common - they were all big dogs! It was no coincidence - the 2024 campaign featured 12 large dogs for a few reasons:
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Large dogs typically take twice as long to find their new homes compared to smaller dogs.
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Our friends at Mars Pedigree excitedly joined in to help them find homes by kindly providing adorable adoption gift packs.
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The 12 dogs featured have been waiting the longest in council care, and we’ve been working closely with these facilities to spotlight these lovable pets who’ve had an extended stay.
Collectively, these dogs had been waiting over 3,000 days to find homes. But finding a home for every pet is possible…
And because of your support Angel, Frank, Sawyer, Bo-Bo, Wish, Jasper, Layla and Hunter had their Christmas wishes come true and have all been adopted!
“We drove a couple of hours to meet Bo-Bo and I guess you could say it was just meant to be as Bo-Bo realised, he had finally found his new family.
We had a wonderful trip home Bo-Bo or Beau as we now call him was so good in the car, he was very calm and with his harness on he could just pop his head between us both. We stopped for a walk, a drink and a toilet break and he chose to stay close to my partner. Once home he explored his backyard and rolled in the grass.
Beau has settled in well, he loves cuddles and pats, giving sloppy kisses, going for his morning walk and splashing in his little pool, he is slowly learning not to jump up, to sit on command, to wait for his food, has nearly learnt to drop and is getting the hang of stay. Beau is such a beautiful boy and just brings so much joy to all of us.”
- Beau’s new guardian, Deborah.
Frank’s new guardian, John, drove 140km to Canterbury Bankstown to meet him!
“We have had a number of rescue dogs over the last 40 years. We lost our last one in January after 16 wonderful years. We felt we could not handle losing another dog until we saw Franki. He had been in a shelter for over 200 days. We decided to go and see him even though he was over 140 km away. We fell in love with him, and look forward to seeing how he settles in his new home.”
Layla’s new guardian, James came across her profile online and enquired about her via her PetRescue profile. Not long after, James was invited for a meet-and-greet with the council and hopped in the car for the hour and twenty-minute journey to meet Layla.
“I felt a bond right away. I agreed to adopt her and she joined me on the car trip home. Since then we've gone on lots of walks, explored new places, played with new toys, had a bath and learned some new tricks. She follows me around the house everywhere I go, sleeps right next to me… I think we are both very happy with each other. I needed a bit of emotional support and she needed a loving and caring home.”
And if you were following along closely, you might have noticed that the 12 Pets of Christmas actually became the 24 Pets of Christmas! Through collaboration with PetRescue member rescue organisations, we uncovered an insight that couldn't be ignored. A special cohort of cats needed an extra boost to find love.
Cats account for a staggering 70% of the estimated 100,000* healthy and rehomable pets unnecessarily killed each year in Australia. In many shelters and council facilities, the odds are stacked against them, with outcomes for cats being four times poorer than for dogs.
Black cats, in particular, face a unique set of challenges.
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Black kittens wait 10 times longer for adoption than kittens of other colours.
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Black adult cats spend almost twice as long in care compared to ginger or tortoiseshell cats.
When Pet Circle, one of our amazing partners, heard about this challenge, they quickly jumped in to help, offering adorable kitty gift packs and incentives to adopters and began sharing far and wide to help get them seen.
And when we told you about our concerns for the outcomes for these loveable black cats, you came to the rescue without hesitation.
We’re excited to report that thanks to the kindness of the PetRescue community, Archie, Pixie, Agnes, Coco, Shadow, Luna and Derrick have all found love!
“After losing my senior cat, my second cat was very upset whenever I took my dog out walking. So, I decided that I would try and find a cat that had been waiting for a new home a long time, and give them a home. Pixie looked like a very sweet cat, and she also had been waiting since September for a home. I applied to meet her and she was a very smoochy and playful girl. Since I have brought her home, she is finding her feet with the dog and cat, and quickly becoming part of the household. She knows that there is a room that is her safe space, but more and more she spends time with me, and also demands her share of attention.”
- Susan, Pixie’s new companion.
When Dennis and his wife met Archie at Ballarat Animal Shelter, he says it was love at first sight - they knew it was meant to be from the look in Archie’s eyes and the wiggle in his bum. Archie is settling in beautifully - he enjoys an afternoon nap and taking up most of their queen-sized bed!
“I'd previously befriended a neighbour's cat and decided it was time to adopt my own. I found Shadow on PetRescue and after speaking to the shelter knew we'd be a good match so travelled to pick him up later that week. He was extremely shy at first before showing his affectionate side, love of chasing toys and afternoon naps together. He’s an indoor cat but plans are underway for an enclosed catio and harness training in the future.”
- Kale, Shadow's new companion
Uniting to save lives
Because of your kindness, PetRescue can unite homeless pets with new families, connect rescue groups with adopters and foster carers, and collaborate with corporate partners to drive positive change.
Your compassion and contributions to the 12 24 Pets of Christmas appeal helps homeless pets find love through PetRescue's adoption platform. And it's thanks to Everyday Pet Insurance from Woolworths that your kindness will go even further to help more homeless pets be connected with their new families as they doubled (and TRIPLED!) donations throughout the appeal.
And a big head-booping thank you to Mars Pedigree and Pet Circle, who kindly provided adoption gift packs for each of the 24 Pets of Christmas!
"Thank you kindly for the treat pack we received this morning I'm sure Beau will thoroughly enjoy it! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from Beau and his family!"
