Get the Facts

The Pet Insurance Australia Companion Animal Rescue Awards 2022 is a for-purpose, national program whose mission is to celebrate and recognise achievements in rescue, sheltering, rehabilitation, and rehoming of companion animals Australia-wide.  It is the platform to showcase excellence and innovation in companion animal welfare and management.

The Rescue Awards program is managed by Pets4Life, consisting of a small team of hard-working volunteers and dedicated professionals. We have a panel of highly respected Judges from the animal welfare and pet industry.  The Rescue Awards is for rescue groups, animal shelters, councils, pet adopters, foster carers, and other organisations that work with the community to keep people and their pets together.

This is our fifth year of the Rescue Awards, it is Australia’s first and only national awards program for this industry.  Back in 2018, when Pets4Life launched the Rescue Awards, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive from animal shelters and rescue groups who said “this is just what the industry needs” and “why has it taken so long?”.  Don’t take our word for it, find out what the entrants said.

We wish to allay any concerns or questions and ensure you get the facts! If you have any further questions about the Rescue Awards, refer to our FAQS, or please do not hesitate to contact us.  We’re a small team, we’ll endeavour to reply to your query within 48 hours.

Get the Facts

#1  There is no Voting

The entries for all categories are assessed by a panel of Judges. The Rescue Awards has NO voting component at all.  This is because we want to prevent entrants with large social media communities from gaining an advantage by popular vote to win an Award.

#2 The Companion Animal Rescue Awards are for rescues, shelters, councils, other companion animal welfare support organisations, and pet adopters and foster carers.  

The term ‘Rescue’ in the ‘Companion Animal Rescue Awards’ has a broad meaning, it applies to the industry as a whole.  Rescue Groups can enter multiple categories including the Outstanding Rescue Group award category. Get inspired, and check out our 2021 Outstanding Rescue Group winner, Forever Friends Animal Rescue.

In 2022, there are eight categories for the industry including category 6, ‘Working with the Community to keep People and their Pets Together’, which is open to anyone who is working with the community to save lives and reduce intake.

#3 The judging panel has a depth of experience and diverse expertise

We have a balanced panel of Judges who will assess the entries for the industry categories 1 – 8. Each judge brings a different experience and perspective to the judging process. The judges have a depth of experience in companion animal welfare, with years of hands-on experience in managing animal operations which includes sheltering and rescue/foster care networks, both as employees and as volunteers.

#4 The Rescue Awards is not a program for the commercial pet industry

The Companion Animal Rescue Awards is not a concept by or for the pet industry.  The Rescue Awards has a genuine mission to celebrate and recognise achievement in the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of companion animals. The Rescue Awards are an initiative of Pets4Life, an independent educational resource whose mission is to help reduce animal surrender and improve pet wellbeing in Australia.

The Rescue Awards would not be possible without the generosity of our Supporters from the commercial pet industry and companion animal welfare sector.  We are delighted to welcome back Pet Insurance Australia as the Platinum Rescue Hero and Naming Partner in 2022.

#5 The purpose of the Rescue Awards is not an exercise to collect contact details to be shared with others for marketing purposes or seek charity donations

The purpose of the Rescue Awards is simple – to celebrate and recognise achievements in the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of companion animals Australia-wide.  Personal information that is collected will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy, which should be read in conjunction with the Specific Terms and Conditions for the Pet Insurance Australia Companion Animal Rescue Awards 2022.  For categories 1-8 the Terms and Conditions for Award Categories 1 – 8 outline that your contact details will NOT be shared with a third party without permission, except for winners’ details who will be shared with the Supporters who are providing Prizes in order to deliver them. The Finalists and Winners may be contacted for publicity purposes. Importantly, because there is no voting for these Categories, the information which is provided is controlled entirely by what the Rehoming organisation chooses to include in their submission.  These Categories do not allow for the collection of a list of Supporters of a particular Rehoming organisation, because it is the organisation, not their supporters, who control what information is provided about the Rehoming organisation.

This year, Ivory Coat is sponsoring the People’s Rescue Story for pet adopters and the Foster Carer Story for foster carers.  These categories will be known as the ‘Ivory Coat People’s Rescue Story’ and the ‘Ivory Coat Foster Carer Story’.  The entrants’ details will be shared with Ivory Coat as outlined in the Terms and Conditions.  This is common practice for this type of competition. The Rescue Awards sincerely thanks Ivory Coat for supporting the Rescue Awards.

#6 The Rescue Awards Supporters are from the not for profit animal welfare sector and pet industry

Pets4Life has engaged Supporters who share a collective passion for companion animal rescue and adoption including our Rescue Awards Ambassador, Lara Shannon, Author, Certified dog trainer, Host, and Producer of TV series Pooches At Play and The Pet Rescuers.

#7 Rescue Groups/shelters that are not members of PetRescue, Pound Paws, Australian Institute of Animal Management, or G2Z will have an equal opportunity of winning an award

Rescue Groups and Animal Shelters/pounds do not have to be a member of PetRescue, G2Z, AIAM, Pound Paws, or any other organisation to submit a nomination for categories 1 – 8 and be considered for an award.  Entrants must satisfy the eligibility criteria.

Each of the Judges for categories 1 – 8 will assess the submissions on their own merits.  There is no public voting. Conflict of interest is taken very seriously.  A judge will be removed from assessing a particular submission if there is potential bias or conflict of interest. This is applicable to all the judges.

#8 The Rescue Awards Supporters do not sell puppies or condone the sale of animals from puppy farms or unregistered breeders.

None of our Supporters have a business where they sell puppies or kittens.

 #9 Eleven great reasons for rescues and shelters to enter the Rescue Awards!

  1. Celebrate and showcase your best practice at a national level.
  2. Improve standards nationwide, which means better welfare outcomes for our companion animals.
  3. Attract more adopters and supporters in your local community as a finalist or winner.
  4. Shine the light on your hard-working volunteer who has made a difference in your organisation.
  5. Highlight your team’s effort and boost morale.
  6. Receive one free Vet Products Direct VIP Club membership valued at $64.95 and enjoy up to 40% off when you submit a valid entry for categories 1 – 8.
  7. Great prizes! $1,000 cash prize for some categories plus fantastic goodies from our Rescue Awards Supporters.  Check out the prizes for each category.
  8. Engage your community of pet adopters by encouraging them to share their remarkable and heartwarming stories of how pet adoption has changed their lives for the better by entering the Ivory Coat People’s Rescue Story.
  9. Foster Carers have a special category just for them, the Ivory Coat Foster Carer Story to share their story of fostering a pet and win fabulous prizes.
  10. Receive a $20 gift voucher from Vet Products Direct and 3 months FREE pet insurance offer from Pet Insurance Australia when you enter the Ivory Coat People’s Rescue Story or the Ivory Coat Foster Carer Story.
  11. It’s free to enter! So, why not have a crack and put your best paw, claw, wing or hoof forward.

Photo: Ian Schneider/Unsplash

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