The impact of your kindness 2024-2025
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Betty found love thanks to Rescue Cats of Melbourne
Thanks to your generosity, 2025 was a year of meaningful progress for pets and the people who love them. More people than ever turned to PetRescue, and because of you, more pets were seen and given the best chance to find love.
This year saw record-breaking engagement, with 5,164,313 website visits (a 7.37% increase on last year). It’s a big sign that PetRescue continues to be the place where people come when looking to grow their families by welcoming a wonderful rescue pet.
It was also our biggest year of sector and community involvement to date, strengthening collaboration across rescue organisations, councils, researchers, and partners nationwide.
Here’s what your kindness made possible in 2025.
Walter (and Jinx) found love via Home2Home. Thanks to the PetRescue community, they travelled 4,000 kilometres to their new home. Boop here to read their happy tail.
You helped find a home for every pet that needs one.
Because of you, 69,983 pets found loving homes via PetRescue in 2025.
Your support ensures PetRescue’s adoption platform and adoption assistance programs remain free for everyone, giving rescue organisations, councils, and shelters across the country the best chance to connect pets with adopters quickly.
This year:
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Pet profiles were viewed 34,917,252 times
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These views led to 92,897 enquiries from people ready to welcome a pet into their lives
All of that attention meant pets spent less time waiting. It took a median time of just 11.25 days for pets to find love via PetRescue (14.4% faster than in 2024).*
*Median time to adoption across all species of pets listed for adoption on PetRescue.
Lizzie featured in the 12 Pets of Christmas and found love thanks to Sutherland Shire Council Animal Shelter
Helping the ones who need a little more love
For the fourth year running, PetRescue wrapped up the year with our much-loved 12 Pets of Christmas campaign, which once again grew into 24 Pets of Christmas!
This special campaign shines a spotlight on pets who have been waiting the longest, including big dogs and black cats. Thanks to the incredible kindness of the PetRescue community, dogs Rolo, Ken, Rose, Dbo, Felix, Bundhi, Lizzie, Shania and Cherry, and cats Walter, Jinx, Samantha, Coco, Carlo, Mystique, Panda, Cat, Marlo and Brigita all spent Christmas exactly where they belonged - with loving new families.
Love Nose No Breed: A first for Australia and for the way people search for pets
In 2025, the Mars Global Pet Adoption Weekend came to Australia for the very first time.
Over a special 48-hour digital event, PetRescue championed the message “Love Nose No Breed”, encouraging people to focus on a pet’s personality rather than appearance. To support this, all pet photos were temporarily hidden across the platform, helping adopters connect with pets based on who they are, not how they look.
Because of your support, PetRescue remains free for everyone
This year, PetRescue welcomed 77 new, reputable rescue community organisations.
The PetRescue community now includes 786 verified members, made up of councils, shelters, vets, and rescue organisations nationwide, taking the all-time total of rescue members supported to 2,160.
“We have recently joined PetRescue, and the number of enquiries we are receiving for dogs available for rehoming has significantly increased. With the assistance of PetRescue, we were able to find new homes for five dogs last week, which is a new record for us.” Shellharbour City Council.
Jake found love via Home2Home
Keeping pets safe and recognising the bond between pets and their families
A major milestone: 1,000 pets kept out of the system
In 2025, the Home2Home program reached a huge milestone: more than 1,000 pets kept out of the rescue system since the program began in 2020.
Through one-on-one, compassionate support, Home2Home helps pet guardians navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives, offering safe alternatives to surrender wherever possible. This support protects pets, eases emotional stress for families, and reduces pressure on already stretched rescue organisations.
Sharing learnings with the sector
In 2025, the PetRescue team presented the Home2Home program at the G2Z Conference, showcasing the program's evolving approach to companion animal rehoming designed to support guardians while ensuring positive outcomes for pets.
The team shared the program’s journey, key findings, challenges, and lessons learned from implementing remote-assisted rehoming and tailored support, contributing valuable insights to the broader animal welfare sector.
Collaboration for impact
Your support enables PetRescue to collaborate across sectors to drive meaningful, long-term change.
PetRescue COO James Lolicato and Programs Specialist Dr Diana Rayment BAniSci PhD joined Lucy's Project National Roundtable.
Lucy’s Project National Roundtable
PetRescue was proud to join animal welfare organisations and family and domestic violence practitioners at Lucy’s Project National Roundtable, exploring ways to better support people and pets experiencing domestic and family violence.
PetRescue CEO Patima met with WA Local Government Minister, Hon. Hannah Beazley, BA MLA, to discuss the Adopt Don’t Shop campaign, the PetsWA system, and the Stop Puppy Farming Legislation.
Adopt, Don’t Shop, Western Australia
PetRescue met with the WA Government to explore how we can support their efforts to keep pets safe and promote positive, responsible pet guardianship.
Read more about the collaborations shaping a better future for pets
Luna found love thanks to Blue Cross Animals Society
Big Friendly Giants: Looking for Love
PetRescue data shows that big dogs receive around 78% fewer enquiries than small dogs and can take twice as long to find a home. In partnership with Pet Circle, we created the Big Friendly Giants campaign to give large dogs more visibility and a better chance at finding love.
Read more about the campaigns helping big dogs find love.
Research with La Trobe University
PetRescue partnered with La Trobe University on a high-impact research project and sector-wide survey to inform the next State of Pet Adoption Report. The research focuses on the health and well-being of people working in animal care roles, helping build a stronger, more sustainable future for the sector.
Explore more collaborative research projects here
Tonka found love thanks to Lithgow City Council
You helped keep pets safe within the current system
Your generosity supports vital behind-the-scenes work to build relationships with councils and introduce them to PetRescue’s adoption platform as a rehoming pathway.
In exciting news, ten councils became PetRescue members this year, expanding access to digital rehoming tools that help pets reach adopters far beyond their local area.
The PetRescue Safe and Sound Pets community now includes 88 councils across the country who are utilising PetRescue as a rehoming pathway to connect with potential adopters, finding homes for 7,873 pets via the platform this year.
“Shoalhaven Animal Shelter has utilised PetRescue for many years to advertise our dogs & cats that are looking for a new home. The reach that the PetRescue website has is incredible, which gives a greater chance for our dogs & cats to be seen by more people and for the chance for them to be adopted quickly. We get many enquiries and adoption applications from people who have seen our dogs & cats on PetRescue, which confirms for us that it is a valuable resource for shelters & rescue groups.” Shoalhaven Animal Shelter.
Digital rehoming plays a critical role in keeping pets safe. Without it, many pets in council facilities may never be seen. By connecting councils and shelters with a larger, engaged adoption community, including interstate adopters, PetRescue helps reduce pressure on rescue groups and improve outcomes for pets in care.
Ivy found love thanks to Bendigo Animal Relief Centre
Redesigning the future
Because of your support, PetRescue continues to share Council Spotlight stories that are helping shift perspectives and drive change across the animal welfare sector. By highlighting progressive, community-led council programs, these articles show what’s possible when compassion, collaboration, and practical solutions come together.
Shared widely across industry networks, working groups, and conferences, the Council Spotlights are being used as real-world examples, supporting peer learning, inspiring change, and strengthening connections between councils, communities, and the pets they care for.
Explore the Council Spotlight series in the PetRescue library.
You helped people and pets in crisis
In 2025, the PetRescue helpdesk responded to 6,165 calls for support from people and pets in crisis (16% more than 2024).
Using the crisis care directory, people facing hospitalisation, homelessness, domestic violence, or financial hardship were connected directly with local organisations offering outreach, crisis services, and short-term accommodation for pets, saving time, reducing stress, and keeping pets safe.
Tailored support when it’s needed most
This year, PetRescue expanded its crisis care and online helpdesk services with tailored support pathways and accessible resources for pet guardians.
Whether someone is navigating a crisis, seeking advice, exploring rehoming options, or has found a stray pet, these pathways offer compassionate, judgement-free guidance and practical support, helping people make informed decisions that prioritise safety and wellbeing for both pets and their families. Since launching this support tool in June 2025, we have been able to share vital information and resources to 3,995 people with pets who reached out experiencing hardship.
Want more tail-wagging good feels?
Take a look at the interactive timeline of PetRescue’s two decades of impact.
Thank you for joining us to create happiness and save lives.
And thank you to our generous pet-lovin' partners and sponsors for supporting the mission to find a home for every pet that needs one:
Major Partners
Sponsors
Offering vital support to our projects, programs and events.
