Rescue Awards Winners 2022

In another year that has been very challenging for rescue groups and animal shelters across the country, the Pet Insurance Australia Companion Animal Rescue Awards Winners for 2022 have been announced.

The Rescue Awards is a national program that celebrates and recognises achievements in rescue, sheltering, rehabilitation and rehoming of companion animals Australia-wide. The program is founded by Cathy Beer, from Pets4Life.

The surrender of ‘pandemic pets’ and spiraling cost of living have sadly left most animal shelters across the country overflowing and rescue groups inundated with calls for help.

So many shelters that I visit or rescue groups I talk to are literally at breaking point, so they need our support now more than ever.

As the proud Ambassador of these Awards, I’d like to congratulate not only the winners, but everyone who works and volunteers in the world of pet-rescue.  Of course, for anyone who fosters or has adopted a rescue pet, these awards are for you as well.  We need more people than ever to provide a loving home to all of those pets in need.

It was great to see that the The Ivory Coat People’s Rescue Story and Foster Carer Story categories received hundreds of entries from Australian pet guardians, and that it wasn’t only dogs and cats who shared centre stage, with many heartwarming stories of rescue rabbits, rats and even a horse finding their forever home.

The shelters I have visited recently have been overflowing with rabbits, which were also adopted in high numbers during lockdown when people couldn’t find a dog or cat. Sadly, they are also nowbeing returned to shelters in droves as people head back to work, so it’s wonderful to find people that are willing to adopt these gorgeous little pets too.

So without further ado…

Rescue Awards Winners 2022

Outstanding Rescue Group: The Rabbit Sanctuary (NSW)

Outstanding New Rescue Group: Strong Hearts Rescue (VIC)

Outstanding Animal Shelter: Just Cats Tasmania (TAS)

Australian Pet Welfare Award for Councils: Goulburn Mulwaree Animal Shelter (NSW)

Innovation in Companion Animal Welfare and Management: The Foster Carer Network 2.0 (The Rabbit Sanctuary, NSW)

Working with the community to keep people and their pets together: Second Chance Animal Rescue (SCAR)’s  Community Outreach Program (VIC)

Volunteer of the Year: Kyla Grimmond from Rachie’s Ratirement Home (QLD)

Refuel Creative Digital Marketing: Rachie’s Ratirement Home (QLD)

Ivory Coat People’s Rescue Story: ‘Shirley, Bunny, Fargo and Lola and Kerry’ (Kerry Harynes-Lovell, NSW).

Ivory Coat Foster Carer Story: ‘Choo Choo and Sharlene’ (Mrs Sharlene Simon, VIC).

Special Foster Carer Award: ‘Roxy and others and Suzanne’ (Mrs Suzanne Theuns, NSW).

Congratulations once again to Cathy for her work on bringing such an important awards event together, and to all of the Rescue Awards Winners for all that you do.

For more information about the winners and the awards visit their website.

If you are fostering or have adopted a rescue dog and would like some training tips for rescue dogs, check out my article to help HERE.

Lara Shannon is a certified dog behaviourist and trainer, pet food nutrition specialist, Executive Producer and Host of Pooches at Play on Channel 10 and editor of Poochesatplay.com. Lara also runs her own dog training business in Melbourne’s Bayside area and is the Author of World of Dogs and Eat, Play, Love Your Dog