By identifying common challenges faced by loving pet owners and measuring the impact of practical interventions, we’re championing pet ownership and safeguarding the wellbeing of both pets and their people.

Let’s make us better pet parents

Help keep pets healthy and happy at home

The Facts

Our Objectives

Personal challenges can make good pet care difficult for even the most loving owners

Lack of access to affordable routine healthcare can prevent owners from identifying and tackling treatable pet disease

Financial barriers to desexing and containment can lead to roaming, overpopulation and healthy animals being euthanised

Unwanted behaviours can lead owners to surrender their pets to shelters and rescue groups

37% of microchips in lost pets have incorrect contact details recorded on the database

Around 3% of Australians feed at least one stray cat daily - even though they don’t ‘own’ it, research shows the bond they share is as strong as any other human-pet bond

The Facts

Our Objectives

Personal challenges can make good pet care difficult for even the most loving owners

Lack of access to affordable routine healthcare can prevent owners from identifying and tackling treatable pet disease

Financial barriers to desexing and containment can lead to roaming, overpopulation and healthy animals being euthanised

Unwanted behaviours can lead owners to surrender their pets to shelters and rescue groups

37% of microchips in lost pets have incorrect contact details recorded on the database

Around 3% of Australians feed at least one stray cat daily - even though they don’t ‘own’ it, research shows the bond they share is as strong as any other human-pet bond

The Facts

Our Objectives

Personal challenges can make good pet care difficult for even the most loving owners

Lack of access to affordable routine healthcare can prevent owners from identifying and tackling treatable pet disease

Financial barriers to desexing and containment can lead to roaming, overpopulation and healthy animals being euthanised

Unwanted behaviours can lead owners to surrender their pets to shelters and rescue groups

37% of microchips in lost pets have incorrect contact details recorded on the database

Around 3% of Australians feed at least one stray cat daily - even though they don’t ‘own’ it, research shows the bond they share is as strong as any other human-pet bond

Our pets have such a significant, positive impact on our lives - but they need our help to stay safe and well. Whether it’s the unintended consequences of unplanned breeding, or making sure the living conditions of our pets meet their mental and physical needs, there’s lots that can make a big difference to the quality of our fur babies’ lives.

Over the longer-term, behavioural or health issues can also lead loving pet owners to surrender their pets - a tragedy for both the animals and their people.

There are simple, low cost things we can all do to keep our dogs and cats safe and well. But often, challenges accessing affordable vet care get in the way, causing stress for loving owners and impacting the lives of their pets.

At Australian Pet Welfare Foundation, we’re focused on helping every pet owner access the information and support they need for their pets to thrive.

What we're doing

  • Contributing to the latest evidence about keeping pets safe and well

  • Promoting easy, low cost actions that improve pet health and wellbeing

  • Using Community Cat Programs to help people in disadvantaged areas with cat desexing and other steps to support the health and wellbeing of cats (and the people caring for them)

  • Advocating for community vet clinics and funded support in disadvantaged areas

  • Lobbying for ‘Veticare’ (an animal-focused funding model like Medicare)

  • Tackling some of the barriers to pet owners providing good quality of life for their pets

  • Highlighting the importance of easy access to support in addressing pet behavioural and health issues

  • Researching key health topics that impact cats, dogs and their people

How you can help

  • Be proactive about keeping your pet healthy and safe!

  • Vaccinate and microchip your pet

  • Stay on top of routine pet preventative measures (for fleas and ticks)

  • If you’re worried, seek vet advice earlier (rather than later) - and research options for low-cost options in your area

  • Offer a struggling pet owner practical help with things like walking, pet-sitting and trips to the vet

  • Make a donation to promote healthy, happy pets!

case study - cat sitting next to food bowl in the yard

Helping people care for the pets they love

Tigger, a 5kg ginger tom assumed to be feral, was trapped after behaving aggressively towards a local resident and their cat. Taken in under the Community Cat Program, he was desexed, microchipped and ear-tipped before being returned to where he’d been found.

A week later, Tigger’s loving family presented him to a veterinary clinic for desexing, microchipping and vaccination, not realising it had already been done.

The family had been ‘adopted’ by Tigger three years previously

When they moved house, they brought him with them

At that time, they couldn’t afford to pay for desexing and microchipping

But on the day Tigger’s carers presented at the vets, they had finally saved enough money to get it done.

With Tigger now tagged and neutered, and his newly registered owners given advice on how to keep him securely inside at night, the reunited family could look forward to a healthy, happy future together.

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Address

Australian Pet Welfare Foundation
PO Box 5042 Kenmore East, QLD 4069, Australia

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© 2025 APWF · All rights reserved.

Divider charcoal

Address

Australian Pet Welfare Foundation
PO Box 5042 Kenmore East, QLD 4069, Australia

Subscribe to our newsletter!

© 2025 APWF · All rights reserved.

Divider charcoal

Address

Australian Pet Welfare Foundation
PO Box 5042 Kenmore East, QLD 4069, Australia

Subscribe to our newsletter!

© 2025 APWF · All rights reserved.