A new report from Companion Animal Network Australia (CANA) has highlighted key challenges in animal welfare while showcasing the progress in advocacy efforts.

The 2023–2024 Impact Report reveals that CANA’s member agencies facilitated 15,619 pet adoptions in the past year, nearly halving the gap between incoming and outgoing pets.

CANA, formerly known as Animal Welfare League Australia, represents five organisations nationwide that provide rescue, shelter, re-homing, and healthcare services to more than 50,000 animals annually.

Trish Ennis, CEO of CANA, said the organisation has focused on raising awareness about issues such as pet-friendly aged care, rental housing, and workplace policies.

“In 2023–2024, we brought critical issues like pet-friendly aged care, rental housing and workplace policies into the national spotlight,” she said.

The report found that the leading reasons for pet surrenders in 2024 were that they were no longer wanted or due to rental issues. Changes in circumstances, including homelessness, also ranked among the top five reasons.

“We continue to see an increase in unwanted kittens being relinquished to shelters, which highlights a continuing need for education when it comes to desexing,” Ennis said. “The Impact Report also shows that too many people are having to make the heartbreaking decision between secure housing and their much-loved companion.”

Aged care remains another area of concern. CANA’s Aged Care Survey (2023) found that while most people agree that pets reduce loneliness and improve health, only 18 per cent of aged care facilities allow residents to keep a pet.

CANA’s advocacy has contributed to increased pet-friendly policies, including greater workplace acceptance, the inclusion of pet support in federal home care packages, and efforts to bridge the gap between landlords and tenants regarding pet-friendly rentals.

“Our goal is to keep people and pets together—not only to reduce surrenders and euthanasia but also to support the mental health and wellbeing of pet owners,” Ennis said.

Looking ahead, CANA remains focused on education and advocacy.

“None of this would be possible without the generosity of our donors, supporters and workplace giving partners,” Ennis said. “Their support empowers CANA to educate and advocate more effectively each year.”

With ongoing challenges in animal welfare, CANA aims to make 2025 another year of impact.

“With a shared vision of a world where every pet has a loving home, we are committed to making 2025 another year of meaningful impact and connection,” Ennis said. “We invite everyone to join us in supporting our mission to strengthen the human-animal bond and keep people and pets together.”

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