PLAY9 is proud to announce its sponsorship of the inaugural Rescue Pet Awards 2026, a new event celebrating the rescue pets, shelters, volunteers and organisations making a difference in animal welfare across the UK.
The awards will take place on Tuesday 24 November 2026 at the Andaz London Liverpool Street, by Hyatt. They are organised by Only Rescues, the multi award-winning rescue pet adoption platform. As a sponsor, PLAY9 will support the Best Rescue Transport Champion category and help raise awareness of rescue pet welfare and adoption.
Why rescue transport matters
Finding an animal a home is only half the story. Getting them there safely is just as important, and that work often falls to the volunteers and organisations who drive animals from shelters, foster homes or even overseas to the families waiting for them.
Lee Bridges, Founder of PLAY9, said: “We love everything Only Rescues does and feel really honoured to be sponsoring this award. Rescue is about more than finding animals a home; it’s about making sure they get there safely, too. The people behind rescue transport are often the unsung heroes who go the extra mile (and mile after mile!) to get animals from shelters, foster homes or even overseas to the families waiting for them. The Best Rescue Transport Champion category celebrates the incredible difference these organisations make, and every nominee is a truly deserving contender. They’re all going places for animal rescue!”
An evening of recognition
The ceremony will bring together animal welfare advocates, rescue organisations, pet industry leaders, influencers and supporters for an evening of recognition and celebration in London. The awards span categories including Rescue Dog of the Year, Rescue Cat of the Year, Foster Carer of the Year and UK Shelter of the Year.
Tara Hamdi, Founder of Only Rescues, said: “We’re delighted to welcome PLAY9 as a sponsor of the Rescue Pet Awards 2026. Partnerships like this help us celebrate the rescue community while continuing our mission to help more rescue pets find loving forever homes.”
The awards are part of Only Rescues’ wider mission to modernise and improve rescue pet adoption through technology, awareness and collaboration.
About Only Rescues
Only Rescues is a free app transforming the way rescue dogs and cats find loving homes. It connects over 200 rescue organisations with potential adopters through a matchmaking-style experience. Users complete a short lifestyle profile and are matched with compatible rescue pets from partner shelters, removing the need to search multiple websites or complete repeated applications.
By bringing everything into one platform, Only Rescues helps reduce pressure on rescue organisations while increasing visibility for animals in need of homes. It also helps shelter staff and volunteers spend more time on animal welfare rather than administration. With over 20,000 downloads and a growing national network of rescue partners, the platform is already supporting more successful matches between people and pets across the UK.
Find out more
To learn more about the Rescue Pet Awards 2026, or to buy tickets, visit www.therescuepetawards.com.
Media contacts
PLAY9: Lee Bridges, [email protected]
Only Rescues: Tara Hamdi, [email protected]
