Gold Coast, QLD
The story behind Pawsitive Match
Why I built this
I've spent time on both sides of the rescue world, volunteering at the Animal Welfare League of Queensland and fostering dogs with local rescue groups on the Gold Coast. I've seen what happens when an adoption goes well. And I've seen what happens when it doesn't.
The pattern that stuck with me wasn't the rare bad actor. It was the well-meaning person who genuinely wanted a dog, fell in love with a face, and took them home full of good intentions. Then reality hit. The dog needed two hours of exercise a day and they had a small apartment. The breed had a strong herding instinct and they had young kids. Nobody told them, and they didn't know to ask.
“These weren't bad matches because the people were bad. They were bad matches because nobody had asked the right questions first.”
So the dog started destroying furniture, or snapping, or shutting down, and a loving adoption turned into a return, a desperate Facebook post or, in the worst cases, a dog left somewhere and never collected. Watching that cycle repeat was hard: the stress on the dog, the guilt on the family, the drain on rescue volunteers who were already stretched. What struck me most was how preventable it felt.
That's the whole idea behind Pawsitive Match. A few honest questions about your life before you pick a dog. Not to gatekeep, because adopters can always use it for free, but to make sure that when you meet your dog, you're already a fit. For both of you.
I tested the first prototype with people looking to adopt and with rescue volunteers. They told me two things: show us why a dog is a match, and tell us what they'll cost. Both are now at the heart of every profile.
I'm still building this, and there's a lot more to come. If you're a rescue group who wants to be involved, or just someone who wants to follow along, I'd love to hear from you.
Luan
- 6.2%
- AWLQ adoption return rate, 2023–24
- 86%
- of prototype testers felt far more confident with a match score
- 15–20h
- volunteer time a week rescues estimate fewer returns could save