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Nearly 50,000 Australians visiting www.PetRescue.com.au over the 4-5 October weekend got a shock: every single pet photo had vanished. In their place? A close-up of a pet’s nose and a provocative question: "Who nose where you might find love…"
Welcome to 'Love Knows No Type' - PetRescue's boldest campaign yet, designed to challenge cat lovers to look past appearance and focus on personality when finding the perfect feline match.
The Great Photo Disappearance
For 60 hours during the 2025 Mars Global Adoption Weekend, PetRescue temporarily removed photos and appearance-identifying filters like size, age, and even coat length from thousands of pet profiles. The inconvenience was deliberate, interrupting visitors and forcing them to read bios, learn about personalities, and consider pets they might normally scroll past based on looks alone.
The chosen symbol was the humble snoot—a unique biometric identifier, as individual as a fingerprint for cats and dogs. PetRescue asked: If every pet's nose is one-of-a-kind, why do we judge them all by the same superficial standards?
The Great Photo Disappearance
For 60 hours during the 2025 Mars Global Adoption Weekend, PetRescue temporarily removed photos and appearance-identifying filters like size, age, and even coat length from thousands of pet profiles. The inconvenience was deliberate, interrupting visitors and forcing them to read bios, learn about personalities, and consider pets they might normally scroll past based on looks alone.
The chosen symbol was the humble snoot—a unique biometric identifier, as individual as a fingerprint for cats and dogs. PetRescue asked: If every pet's nose is one-of-a-kind, why do we judge them all by the same superficial standards?
The reaction was immediate, visceral, and exactly what PetRescue hoped for.
The Backlash That Went Nose-First
The complaints rolled in: "I don't like this site at all now. I can't pick small, medium or large cats to look at," wrote one frustrated visitor. PetRescue's team responded with empathy, explaining that the campaign challenged the notion that a true companion comes in the package we pictured.
What happened next was remarkable: initial sceptics became champions.
"Omg, I am so sorry... I am so glad the launch was very successful and that you have brought hope for these beautiful cats' lives," wrote one supporter after the explanation. This evolution, from frustration to support, proved that awareness sometimes requires discomfort first.
The Numbers Tell a Love Story
The disruptive weekend paid off with real-world results.
- 464 pets secured an adoption commitment on the PetRescue platform, representing a match rate 24% higher than the 2024 daily average.
- The campaign drove incredible awareness, attracting 46,422 users over the two days—a staggering 173% increase over the 2024 daily average.
- Most tellingly, the weekend proved the power of personality. By removing visual filters, every pet on the site—regardless of age, size, or coat pattern—was given an equal chance to be seen.
- Average engagement time also jumped significantly (to 6 minutes 20 seconds on desktop), suggesting visitors were taking time to truly read the profiles, not just scroll through photos.
"This campaign forced people to focus on the pets themselves—their unique personalities—taking visual identifiers out of the equation".
— PetRescue’s Managing Director and CEO, Patima Tantiprasut
"We proved that when adopters look beyond appearance, a future where every pet is safe, respected, and loved is truly possible. Sometimes, that requires bold, audacious actions to stir the conversation and create real change.”
The campaign sparked debate, confusion, and frustration, but most importantly, it sparked action: 464 adoptions and a tangible shift in how people approached their search for a companion.
The challenge to potential adopters remains: next time you're browsing, try reading the bio of a cat you'd normally skip past. Research keeps confirming: Love really does know no type. Sometimes it just needs a chance to prove it.
Love doesn't use filters. Neither should you. Start your search today at
https://www.petrescue.com.au/
Campaign Quick Facts
- Campaign duration: 60 hours (4-5 October 2025)
- Campaign weekend users: 46,422 (173% increase over 2024 daily average)
- Pets adopted: 464 (+24% increase vs 2024 daily average)
- Key message: Research shows visual characteristics like coat pattern and size don't predict pet behaviour—personality and compatibility matter most.
Fun Fact: Like human fingerprints, every cat’s and dog's nose has a unique pattern of ridges and creases that can serve as a biometric identifier. These "snootprints" are as individual as the personalities behind them.
About PetRescue
PetRescue is Australia's leading pet adoption charity, providing the nation's largest and most successful pet adoption platform. Working with hundreds of rescue groups, shelters, and councils across Australia, PetRescue connects thousands of rescue pets with loving homes every month. Their mission: create a future where every pet is safe, respected and loved.
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