Boost for canines looking for love

WHEN the late Joan Gladys Rawson took up a job with the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association in the 1950s, the number of abandoned dogs across the northern countryside shocked her.

It led to her founding the Tasmanian Canine Defence League and eventually Launceston’s first home for dogs in 1964. The Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania, now approaching its 70th anniversary, would become the state’s largest dog welfare organisation, but it has been 32 years since it last operated a Launceston facility.

That’s changed, with Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania taking over management of the City of Launceston’s dog pound and shelter services. As a result, the organisation has homes in the state’s four largest centres.

Chief executive Michael Sertori said the addition of the Launceston home would likely take the number of dogs sheltered by the Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania to 3500 a year.

“It means we can now move dogs around the state to increase their chances of being adopted,” Mr Sertori said.

“It could be that we know people have been coming in looking for a dog with [certain] characteristics and those characteristics match.”

The Launceston shelter was previously operated by the RSPCA. Dogs’ Homes took over management on February 1 after being awarded a tender, and Launceston mayor Albert van Zetten yesterday held an official opening.

Mr Sertori said the council had made “a significant financial contribution” to upgrade the Launceston shelter.