FAQs

PetRescue’s Best Friends' Walk is a month-long (September 1-30) peer-to-peer fundraiser.

It’s a flexible challenge where you choose a distance to walk, run, roll, or even swim (keeping your best friend’s comfort in mind!), all to raise money to help homeless pets find their very own best friend through PetRescue’s adoption platform.

Whether your bestie is a dog, cat, bird, horse, lizard, or human, join the fun and raise funds to find a home for every pet that needs one.

Click here to read more about how it works!

September! That’s Sunday, 1 September, to Monday, 30 September. Depending on the distance you've set as your challenge, you can set a goal to walk every day, once a week or do it all in one go! Just keep your furry in mind. 

You can walk anywhere you and your best friend would like to—whether around your neighbourhood, on a bushwalk, at the beach or in a park. Remember to keep safe and watch out for other best friends on a mission to help pets find love.

That’s up to you! We’ve suggested 50km or 80km (total, over the month of September), but you can choose any distance that will challenge you.

Maybe it’s 5km a day for 10 days to reach a 50km goal or 1km a day for the entire month to reach 30km or even 5km every weekday to walk 100km!

Just make sure it’s suitable for your furry best friends abilities, too. 

If your bestie is a homebody, the best part of this fundraiser is that you can choose the way you move, like an obstacle course in your backyard or a scavenger hunt inside your home.

PetRescue’s Best Friends' Walk is a flexible fitness and fundraising challenge designed to get you moving while supporting a great cause! Here's how you can participate:

Register:

Sign up for free! It's easy to participate solo but feel free to form a team to get your friends, family, and colleagues to join you.

Choose Your Challenge:

Choose how far you and your BFF will walk during September. It could be 30km, 50km, 80km or even further! Every step you take helps homeless pets find love.

• Feeling adventurous? Walk, run, swim, roam, roll, or even dance your way to your chosen goal.
• Focus on fun! Pick a challenge that’ll be enjoyable and achievable for you and your best friend, whether you commit to a brisk walk around the block or an energetic jog in the park each day during September to reach your goal.

Fundraise:

Share your fundraising goal and get everyone you know to dig deep and sponsor you. Funds raised will go toward finding a home for every pet that needs one throught PetRescue's adoption platform and assistance programs!

Walk:

Pick the path that suits you and your best friend best – then stroll, roll, ride, or roam during September to reach your distance goal.

If your pet bestie is joining the fun, keep these things in mind:

• Consider their fitness level and age. Choose a total distance that you can break down into smaller distances that are comfortable for them to walk each day over the month of September.
• What if your furry friend doesn’t like walks? No worries! Instead, create a fun obstacle course or treasure hunt at home for them to enjoy, go on a sniffari or commit to learning some new tricks. 

Remember:

The key is to get active, spend time with your BFF, raise awareness for a good cause, and have some fun!

Wow, that’s the pawsitive spirit we love to see! All of your kilometres will be reset to zero on 1 September, so we can all start our challenges together!

Your profile page includes your personal distance tally so you can track your distance towards your target. This is a great way to keep your friends updated on your workouts!

If you track your workouts with Fitbit, Strava, or Garmin your distances will automatically add to your tally.

Follow these steps to track your KMs automatically:

1. Download the Fitbit, Strava, Garmin app and set up your account

2. Log in to your Best Friends' Walk account.

3. Under the heading Connect your preferred Fitness app, click your chosen app.

4. Follow the prompts to connect your account

5. When you next work out, select start your workout in the app on your phone. Once you end your workout, save your workout and your distance will be published to the tally on your page the following day.

If you have synced your app already but it is not working, please log in and re-connect it.

• Fitbit: You must start an activity and save it. If no activity is logged, then your cumulative activity will sync at the end of the day. If you are having issues, try syncing through BOTH your Fitbit and the Fitbit app on your smartphone.
  
  
• Strava: You must start your activity, stop your activity and then SAVE your activity.
  
  
• Garmin: You must start your activity, stop your activity and then SAVE your activity.

Your tally will be updated each day with the previous day’s distances.

Manually adding activity

Remember, you can manually add your exercise to the tally in the My Fitness Activity tab within your logged in dashboard. This is a great option if you’re using a pedometer or a different method of tracking your distances.

Follow these steps to manually add your activity:

1. Log in to your account and select My Fitness Activity.

2. Under Add activity, enter the required fields. Depending on the challenge this may be steps, distance and/duration.

3. The logged activity will now appear on your fundraising page!

The website connects with Fitbit, Garmin and Strava. You can search for these apps in the app store and then add them to your smartwatch, to connect this to your fundraising activity.

The Best Friends' Walk is a fantastic way to get active with your pet, but there's a whole bunch of activities you can do with your furry friend that could count toward your kms:

• Obstacle Courses: Test your pet’s physical prowess and mental agility! This is a great bonding experience and provides excellent exercise, especially if your pet finds it difficult to leave the house because of anxiety or other behavioural issues. 
• Dog Frisbee: Calling all fetch fanatics! This classic game is a fun way to burn off energy and practice retrieves. Choose a frisbee size and weight appropriate for your pet, and head to an open field for some frisbee fun. Be sure to supervise play and reward successful catches with praise and treats.
• Swimming: If your pet enjoys the water, swimming is a low-impact, refreshing way to exercise. Doggy pools, lakes, or beaches (where safe and allowed) can be fantastic swimming spots. Always supervise your pet in the water and ensure they have a life jacket if needed.
• Hide and Seek/Treasure Hunt: This isn’t just for human kids! Engage your pet’s natural curiosity with a game of hide and seek. Hide treats or their favourite toy around the house or yard and encourage them to sniff them out. This is a mentally stimulating activity that can be adapted for pets of all abilities.
• Brain Games: Keep those minds sharp! There are a variety of interactive toys and puzzles designed to challenge your pet mentally. These can help prevent boredom, stimulate problem-solving skills, and provide a rewarding activity.

Remember, the key is to choose activities that your pet enjoys and can safely participate in. If a walk is not an option, there's a whole world of fun adventures waiting to be experienced with your furry (or feathery, or scaly) best friend!

No need to dip into your treat stash – joining PetRescue's Best Friends' Walk is free!

As a peer-to-peer fundraiser, it’s all about taking on the challenge and spreading the word to your friends, family, colleagues, sporting teams and social networks to rally them to the cause and sponsor you.  

You can register right up until Sunday 29th September 2024 at 11:59pm AWST.

We recommend registering early to give yourself enough time to rally your supawters and raise funds.

You can keep fundraising after you’ve completed your challenge. Make sure you boop everyone you know and share your goal!

Fundraising will officially close on 10 October, 2024 at 11:59pm AWST.

You sure can! Pop all their names in the pet details section when you register or, you can register yourself as a participant, and then you can create a team to include your whole furry crew. The more the merrier, the more wags (or purrs or chirps) for homeless pets!

Just keep your whole menagerie in mind while you map out your walking route. If you have a sprightly young pet and a senior one, maybe plan shorter walks with plenty of rest breaks or do home activities like scavenger hunts as part of your challenge so everyone can enjoy the adventure.

Yes! You can join the Best Friends' Walk Facebook Group here! It's a fantastic space to connect with fellow pet guardians, keep up to date on all things Best Friends Walk, including treats and prizes, ask any questions you may have and get even more inspired by the heartwarming stories of pets who’ve found love and a new best friend.

One person will have to create the ‘Team’ and invite people to join them.

Or you can make the team public so that others can search for the team when they register themselves.

You'll need to create your team during registration.

Give your team a catchy name and personalise your fundraising page with a description and a fun team photo.

Then, share your team page on social media, email and in any other way possible to spread the word.

If you'd like people to be able to join without sending them a link, you can make your team public. That way they can pop the team name into the 'Find a Friend' search bar at the top of the Best Friends Walk website.

Then, watch and celebrate as your team rallies together to help homeless pets find their best friends!

There are two ways to welcome new members to your team:

1. Send a Team Invitation: Head over to your Team Dashboard – it's like your pack's secret pawty HQ! From there, you can send invites to potential teammates.
   
   
2. Share Your Team Page Link: Share your team’s pawsome page link with anyone you think might want to join the walk. Remember: This only works if you've chosen "Anyone Can Join" when setting up your team.

Yes! Absolutely! What a great way to make new friends (furry or human) along the way.

No worries! Just log in to your Best Friends' Walk account, head to your dashboard, and hit 'My Account.' Then, click 'Reset Password,' and you're good to go.

1. Go to your dashboard.
2. Under your page checklist, click the link - Sponsor Yourself.
3. Donate via your Fundraising Page.

There are a couple of ways to update your page bio and earn a badge!

Option 1:

1. Go to your dashboard
2. Scroll until you get to the quick links
3. Click on edit my page
4. Click the black ‘Edit’ button
5. Once you’ve updated the copy, click the green ‘save changes’ button.

Option 2:

1. Go to your dashboard
2. Next to your cute profile pic, Click ‘view’ next to your page url
3. Click the green pencil icon above ‘I’m fundraising to…’
4. Once you’ve updated the copy, click the green ‘save changes’ button.

We love that you're personalising your page! 

1. Login to Your Page: Click on the "Login" button located at the top right of the page and enter your credentials.
2. Access the Banner Background: Navigate to the bottom left corner of the current banner background image.
3. Upload a New Image: Click on the green camera icon and select and upload your beautiful new cover image.

Thank you for enhancing your fundraising

That’s fantastic you’re interested in adopting a pet! PetRescue and this challenge are all about connecting pets with their human BFFs. Here are two ways to get started:

1. Browse adoptable pets: Head over to the PetRescue website at https://www.petrescue.com.au/. There, you’ll find a searchable database of adoptable pets from rescue organisations and shelters across Australia. You can filter your search by species (dog, cat, etc.), breed, location, and even age or size.
2. Set up pet alerts: Let the perfect pet find you! On the PetRescue website, you can create an account and set up email alerts for pets that match your criteria. This way, whenever a new pet that fits your ideal furry friend description gets listed, you'll be notified right away!

There are some truly tail-waggingly good prizes up for grabs for all our furry (and not-so-furry) friends who join PetRescue's Best Friends' Walk.

Want to sniff out what you could win? Check out all the exciting treats in store, here!

The first 500 people to register for PetRescue’s Best Friends Walk will receive a free bandana for their furry friend!

To be eligible to receive a pet bandana, you must have registered online for PetRescue’s Best Friends' Walk.

Each eligible participant will receive ONE limited edition Best Friends' Walk bandana, 52cm x 52 cm.

The bandana will be sent to the eligible participant by post (to the address entered at the time of registration).

Your bandana should arrive within ten business days of your registration.

Within 72 hours of reaching the $385 fundraising target, you will receive an email with a gift certificate to purchase your limited edition Best Friends' Walk tee and a link to the PetRescue merch shop.

This gives you the freedom to select your size and enter your preferred postage details. Just enter the gift certificate number provided in the email at checkout.

Then, watch for the postman!

Your shirt should arrive within ten business days.

No, this year, Best Friends' Walk tees are only available to pawsome participants who reach the $385 fundraising target. 

Participants who raise $750 will receive one printed A4 hand-painted custom pet portrait (plus a digital version to download) thanks to Tones By Kyra.

Within 72 hours of reaching the $750 fundraising target, you'll receive an email with a gift voucher and all the details about how to order your very special custom pet portrait via https://tonesbykyra.com/.

Yes, you can! You can purchase a custom pet portrait directly from https://tonesbykyra.com/

Funds raised during the Best Friends' Walk go directly to towards PetRescue’s adoption platform and adoption assistance programs.

Find out more about how your fundraising helps here. 

Read more about PetRescue’s work here.

PetRescue is a national for-purpose organisation on a mission to help you discover the joy of adopting a new furry family member. PetRescue.com.au is the go-to place for finding a rescue pet and is Australia's most visited charity website! We're best known for our pet adoption platform and for using technology to drive positive change.

But that’s not all! PetRescue supports rescue organisations, councils, vets nationwide, and pets in need. This includes large-scale food and product donations, a pet transport program, crisis care support, an assisted rehoming program, and more! PetRescue’s tools and digital support to make life easier for rescue admins, helping them manage pet listings, handle adoption inquiries, and fundraise online.

Find out more here.

We’ve created a go-to guide for making the most of your Best Friends Walk FUNdraising journey! Whether you're a seasoned peer-to-peer fundraiser or brand new to the world of fundraising, we've got tips, tricks, and pawsome advice to help you shine. Some basic tips include:

• Set up a personalised fundraising page and share it on social media!
• Ask friends, family, and colleagues to sponsor you.
• Get creative! Host a bake sale, car wash, or dog walking service to raise funds.
• Track your progress and update your fundraising page regularly to keep people engaged.

Head here to see more of our fundraising tips.

There's no limit to the good you can do! Every dollar you raise helps homeless pets find their new best friends. How pawsome would it be to reach your target?

1. Go to your dashboard
2. Scroll down until you get to the quick links.
3. Click on edit my page.
4. Here, you can increase or decrease your fundraising target.

Your Best Friends Walk dashboard will display your fundraising goal and how much you've raised.

You can also see individual donations and track your progress towards your goal.

They sure do! Every donation over $2 gets a tail-wagging tax benefit! Those receipts get sent straight to the email address used when filling in the donation deets. Sometimes they might take a playful detour to the spam folder so if someone thinks they’ve missed out, tell them to give their junk email a quick sniff to see if it’s hiding there!

If you’ve checked your spam and still can’t find a receipt, maybe the dog has buried it in the couch… Please contact us at bestfriends@petrescue.org.au and we’ll fix it right up for you.

Excessive panting, lagging behind, whining, or looking disengaged are all signs your pet needs a break. Prioritise their comfort over completing the entire distance in one go.

Walk during cooler times of the day (early morning or evening). Always carry plenty of water and offer it frequently. Look for shaded paths and avoid walking on hot asphalt. Consider cooling bandanas or vests for your pet.

It's always a good idea to carry a basic pet first-aid kit. For more serious injuries, stop the walk and seek veterinary attention immediately.

This depends on your pet’s current fitness level. If they’re new to walks, start slow and gradually increase the distance each week. For less active pets, consider incorporating indoor playtime or short walks beforehand to build stamina. Please remember to choose a challenge for their ability and if you have questions about their health, it’s best to consult a vet before starting the walk or setting a goal. 

Leash, harness, comfortable walking shoes for you, poop bags, and plenty of water for both you and your pet. Consider a portable water bowl for easy hydration on the go. And if you’re travelling a fair distance with your intrepid friend then a basic first aid kit for you both is recommended.