Where have all the pet profile pictures gone?
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Chloe’s big, beautiful face probably looks familiar. This gentle giant was the face of PetRescue’s 2024 Christmas appeal '12 Pets of Christmas', and more recently, the star of a national campaign in partnership with Pet Circle to help big dogs find love.
Because Chloe had been waiting far too long for her new family to find her.
Thanks to extra promotion, media coverage (including three TV segments, one radio interview, and five online articles), and 50,000 flyers distributed by Pet Circle, Chloe’s profile views increased by 333% - jumping from 14 views a day to 61 during the campaign. And she wasn’t the only one to benefit. In total, 424 big dogs found loving new homes during the campaign period, with searches for big dogs increasing by 45.9%!
Despite all the buzz, after 689 days, Chloe’s happy tail came quietly when Courtney decided to visit Shoalhaven Animal Shelter in person. While she felt an instant connection, she took her time before applying, weighing up a lot of important questions, many of which will sound familiar to anyone thinking about adopting a pet:
“Is getting a pet the right choice for our family? Who will care for them if we go on a holiday or a weekend away? She may not be house trained, or she may bark a lot - things we cannot know without getting to know her (thankfully, she is a dream!) Can we afford the ongoing maintenance? Will she need regular grooming, or have medical needs with ongoing costs? And what if she gets sick? How will we afford the vet bills? Are my children mature enough for a dog?”
But Courtney couldn’t stop thinking about Chloe. And eventually, she decided to take the leap.
“It took a while, but I eventually bit the bullet and decided to just apply. I can safely say I only wish I had done it sooner, as she is just amazing!”
One of the biggest misconceptions about large dogs is that they’re high maintenance, but Chloe quickly proved otherwise. Chloe didn’t need a big backyard, intense daily exercise, or special training to settle in. She just needed someone to look beyond her size and take a chance.
“She gets spurts of energy for five minutes a few times per day, where she’ll grab a toy and bring it to you, she’ll play for literally a few minutes, then crash for a rest!
She has no interest in being walked; she gets up and follows everyone around the house all day, and that’s her main exercise. Aside from that, she’s a couch potato!
While our yard is not tiny, it's by no means big! We have a trampoline, a set of swings and a small area for the kids and Chloe to play, that's it! She gets out on the grass that there is to go to the toilet, we feed her outside as well, she is fine without copious space to run, especially considering running is her least favourite pastime!”
And Chloe really is a gentle giant - her gentleness has made her a perfect match for Courtney’s children.
“Chloe has an inbuilt nurturing nature, not something that can be taught, it's something that she just has, and I have found a lot of big dogs have it! She can be asleep with them in the loungeroom, and if one of them gets up to go to the bathroom, she is up to give an escort every time, she follows them and sleeps on the floor in their rooms, just moving herself around throughout the night. She does play with them for a minute or 2 at a time, here and there at her will, but mostly she just wants to be close to them, whether it's watching them on the trampoline, playing Lego, drawing, she is happy just being close by.”
To anyone who’s been skipping past big dogs on PetRescue, Courtney says:
“To not consider a big dog in your search for a good pet is doing yourself a disservice! Big dogs are often the most affectionate, they want to please, they are just as good at companionship as smaller dogs, just more likely to cause you pain if they sit in your lap!
That's not to say she is perfect, but) I think we have really got a winner! She is funny and sweet and loyal, playful but so cuddly, we couldn't be more grateful that she has come into our lives, it feels like she has been here forever.”
To lend a paw to adopters, Pet Circle generously offered a $100 voucher to the first 200 people who adopted a large dog through PetRescue during the campaign. Courtney says it’ll be well used.
“I haven't used it yet! But that’s because we had already got what we needed for her, we have just started the process of crate training her though, so possibly something for the crate to help her get comfortable with it will be good, otherwise it will be some more toys and treats for the good girl!”
Chloe’s story is a big, beautiful example of what’s possible when we give big dogs a chance.
The Looking for Love campaign featuring big dogs helped 424 big dogs find love, but many more are still waiting. PetRescue data shows that big dogs receive 78% fewer enquiries than small dogs, and wait almost twice as long to be adopted, with large and medium puppies being the cohort that waits the longest.
That’s why we’ll keep sharing and keep the love going for big dogs everywhere.
Start your search for a big, furry family member today!
Read more about how to keep your dog happy and healthy in an apartment here.
