Gentle apartment giant
Percy
DemoGreyhound · Male · 4 years
Maleny, QLD · Hinterland Hounds
Rescue dog adoption · matched with care
Find the rescue dog that fits your life.
Most returned adoptions start with a well-meaning mismatch: a working dog in a busy apartment, a nervous dog in a house full of toddlers. Ten honest questions, and we'll show you which rescue dogs genuinely suit your days, and exactly why.
- Free for adopters
- No account needed
- No ads in results, ever
96
Percy & you
Great match
- Happy alone for your 8-hour workdays
- Apartment-tested in foster
- Not safe with cats
6.2%
of adoptions from the Animal Welfare League Queensland were returned in 2023–24. That's 459 animals.
16.2%
of relinquishments trace back to ownership decisions, like a dog whose energy didn't suit the home.
77
published reviews and commentaries on surrender were analysed. Behavioural mismatch and unrealistic expectations were among the most cited causes.
7.4m
dogs now live in Australian homes, and half of all households have one.
How it works
Less scrolling past cute faces. More finding the right one.
- 01
Tell us about your real week
Activity, home, kids, other pets, hours alone, budget. Ten questions, about two minutes.
Lightly activeApartmentNo kids~8h alone - 02
See every dog, scored and explained
Each dog gets a score out of 100 and plain-English reasons. Safety clashes are flagged, never hidden.
84Energy levels line up
Needs a midday walk
- 03
Enquire with your match attached
The rescue sees your answers and score, so the first conversation starts with the right questions.
“We walk on the beach every morning and Biscuit looks like he'd love it…” Match 94 · sent to Coastline Canine Rescue
Looking for homes right now
Say hello to a few of them
Cuddly lap dog, friends with everyone
Olive
DemoCavalier King Charles x Poodle · Female · 5 years
Robina, QLD · Coastline Canine Rescue
Loyal heeler, ready for adventures
Hazel
DemoAustralian Cattle Dog · Female · 4 years
Lismore, NSW · Riverbend Dog Rescue
Senior sweetheart, wiggly bum included
Mabel
DemoStaffordshire Bull Terrier · Female · Senior, 9 years
Ballina, NSW · Riverbend Dog Rescue
Listings marked Demo are illustrative while we onboard our first pilot rescues.
What we learned from testing
A score on its own isn't enough. So we show our working.
When we tested our first prototype with people looking to adopt, they valued the explanation exactly as much as the number. So every match shows which parts of your life fit the dog, which need a plan, and which are a genuine safety concern.
- 86%
- of testers felt “far more confident” choosing a dog with a match score
- 86%
- rated the lifestyle quiz “very easy” to complete
Prototype study, 2025: 7 prospective adopters and 5 rescue volunteers. Small, early, and honest about it.
Why Maple scored 62
62
Right level of handling for you
You've trained dogs before. Maple needs a confident owner.
Your big yard suits her
Maple really needs space to burn off energy between walks.
Maple needs more exercise than you described
She's an athlete and you're moderately active. Bored collies invent jobs.
Time alone could be hard
Maple copes with about 2 hours. Your days look closer to 6.
Honest, not discouraging
The other thing adopters asked for
What will they actually cost?
Cost was the number one piece of missing information in our testing. Every dog on Pawsitive Match comes with an itemised yearly estimate based on their size, age and coat, so love and budget can both say yes.
Read the cost guideExample · Percy, 32kg greyhound
- Food$1,520
- Routine vet care$290
- Parasite prevention$410
- Council registration$65
- Grooming$90
- Toys, treats and bedding$280
About $221 a month$2,655/yr
Plus optional pet insurance from about $780/yr. Estimates only.
For rescue groups
Fewer mismatched enquiries. More homes that stick.
List your dogs free with a guided behaviour profile. Every enquiry arrives with the adopter's lifestyle answers and match score, so your volunteers spend their time on people who are already a fit.
- 80%
- of rescue volunteers we tested with rated the profile builder “much faster” than their current process
- 15–20 hrs
- a week of volunteer time they estimated a 10% drop in returns would free up
Is Pawsitive Match free?+
Yes, always, for adopters. We'll never charge you to take the quiz, browse or enquire, and we'll never put ads or sponsored dogs in your match results.
Do I need to make an account?+
No. Your answers live in the link to your results, so you can bookmark or share them. Your shortlist is saved on your own device.
Who decides whether I can adopt?+
The rescue group, always. We help you find dogs that suit your life and send the rescue a better-informed enquiry. Their usual meet-and-greet, home check and trial still apply.
Where do the behaviour ratings come from?+
From the rescue and foster carers who live with each dog day to day. They rate energy, experience needed, time alone, kids, cats and other dogs using the same guided form, so every profile is comparable.
What if my top match isn't available any more?+
Adopted dogs disappear from results straight away. Take the quiz again any time. New dogs are listed every week, and your answers are saved in the link.
Somewhere out there is a dog who fits your life like they were made for it.
Find them