Being acknowledged as an innovator by industry professionals has given adoption app Only Rescues a massive boost as it continues its quest to find forever homes for discarded pets.

Only Rescues was named the winner of the Pet Industry Federation Innovation Award 2026 at this year's Business of Pets Conference.

Founder Tara Hamdi said: “Winning the award means the world to me and to everyone who believes rescue should be the first choice, not the last resort.

“The standard of finalists this year was exceptional, the talent and creativity in that room was genuinely inspiring, and to come out on top makes this even more special.

“Only Rescues exists to make adoption as easy, modern and accessible as buying, and being recognised for that by the pet industry gives us real momentum. This is for every rescue dog and cat still waiting for their forever home.”

Tara and husband Igor launched Only Rescues in 2022 when their beloved rescue dog, Max, sadly passed away suddenly aged just eight.

Max was found on the streets of Serbia at just six months old and handed into a kill shelter. He was rescued by a fantastic charity and became part of their family in 2017.

Through Max, Tara got a real view of what rescue looks like behind the scenes: rescue organisations are constantly under pressure, relying on the goodwill of volunteers and donations, with animals needing urgent help every day. And for adopters, even the good people who genuinely want to do the right thing can struggle to know where to start or get stuck in a process that can feel confusing and inconsistent.

Tara felt the best way to honour Max was to help other dogs like him get the same opportunity. That’s when she created Only Rescues – an app that matches rescue dogs and cats with people looking to adopt, using a fun, dating-app-style swiping experience.

It was created to make rescue adoption simpler and to support rescue organisations by helping connect the right animals with the right homes, while also completing some of the pre-qualifying steps before the formal application process even begins.

Since its creation, Only Rescues has helped hundreds of rescue dogs and cats find their forever homes.

“At any one time there are tens of thousands of dogs and cats in the UK waiting in rescue centres for a home,” said Tara. “We built Only Rescues to make it easier for the right people to find them. Every pet deserves the chance to be seen, loved and adopted.”

For more information visit www.onlyrescues.com