One million pets have found love through PetRescue.
When PetRescue.com.au launched in 2004, our co-founders didn’t know if it would have an impact, but they believed that if they could help save just one pet’s life, it would all be worth it.
They built a platform that made pets seen and valued for who they are, not discarded as unwanted.
Since then, something extraordinary has happened.
Rescue pets went from invisible to irresistible, and adoption became a mainstream, celebrated choice.
This moment belongs to a national community of rescue organisations and shelters, councils and vets, pet guardians and adopters, partners, supporters and donors.
One million happy tails!
Myka is one in a million. (The one millionth pet adopted, to be exact!)
PetRescue exists to connect rescue pets in the care of member rescue organisations with people looking to adopt. Leanna at DM Rescue says,
“(PetRescue) makes it easier to talk to potential adopters. Applications are structured, and it’s a really good way to see everything that’s going on, whether past or present.”
So when Sophie and her husband, Furkan, came across Myka’s profile on PetRescue, everything happened quickly.
Within a week, they met Myka (formerly Niobe), a tiny, shy pup in foster care with DM Rescue “Literally, we met her, everything felt really good, but she was a bit shy,” Sophie remembers, “then she just ran under Furkan’s legs, and we said, ‘OK, we’re taking her', popped her in the car and took her home.”
“She’s our little bundle of joy. From the moment we met her, it felt like she was always meant to be ours.”
What makes your pet one in a million?
Behind every adoption is a story.
A pet who needed a new home.
A person who opened their heart.
A moment of connection where everything changed.
And now, there are one million of those moments.
We’d love to hear yours.
By sharing your pet’s story, you’re helping inspire others to adopt, and showing just how special these connections can be.
Take a look at the happy tail gallery & tell us why your pet is one in a million.
Stippie was one in a million.
It was November 2005, PetRescue was still a start-up and just over 5,000 pets were adopted that year. One of those was a young dog, Sammy. Through PetRescue, Sammy (who would come to be known as Stippie) was found by his new guardians, Linda and Arjan.
For the pets we’ll never forget
Some of the pets who shaped our lives are no longer with us. But their impact stays. They are part of this milestone too, in the love they gave and the memories they leave behind.
If your pet has crossed the rainbow bridge, you're invited to honour and celebrate them in the gallery too. Tell us what made your angel one in a million, here.
Reaching one million adoptions is something worth celebrating. But the work isn’t finished.
Too many pets are still entering the system. And adoption numbers are beginning to slow. While we celebrate what's been achieved we’re also looking ahead.
To the next million. And how we get there, together.
Reaching one million adoptions is just the beginning. The next measure of success will be the number of pets who never need to enter the system, and the families who stay whole because of it.
Together, we can create a system that keeps pets safe where they belong: home.
The next chapter
We’re looking beyond one million pets adopted. Because the future of animal welfare isn’t just about pet adoption. It’s about making sure fewer pets need rescue in the first place.
There's no place like home is our next step forward.
A future where:
- More pets stay safely with the people who love them
- Pet guardians are supported through challenges
- Fewer pets enter the system at all
The pet adoption platform and connecting rescue pets with loving homes will always be a vital part of what we do. But the next million is about more than that. We’re looking toward a future beyond rescue.
PetRescue’s new strategic initiative focuses on reunification, intervention, and prevention - shifting the sector from reactive rescue to proactive care.
Together, we’ve helped shape a better future for pets in Australia.
And together, we can build what comes next.
A future where every pet is safe, respected, and loved.