Founded in the 1980s, Paws and Claws is a non-profit, no kill, dog and cat rescue organisation that runs under the auspices of The Homeless Animal Society and Boarding Kennels Incorporated . The organisation rescues and rehomes neglected and homeless dogs and cats in the Douglas Shire Region. The organisation is about to open its new shelter after 16 years of fundraising and still requires assistance to fit it out and continue its work rescuing animals.
06/11/2025
The countdown is on! ⏰ Our litter of pups are now 6 weeks old and will be ready for adoption in just 2 weeks!
We’ve already celebrated George and Albus finding their forever families, 11 more cuties to go! could one of these faces be your next best friend? 🐶
Reach out soon if you’re in the Douglas Shire, as some will be heading to other shelters soon!!
31/10/2025
The boys cause chaos. The girls keep them in line 😼 The sibling squad is ready for their next adventure 🐱💖
Jasper (ginger) , Narla (ginger & white), Milo (grey and white) & Ally (ginger) are all up for adoption and can’t wait to find their forever families! 🏡
If you or someone you know is looking to add some purrs and playtime to your life, send us a message ❤️
23/10/2025
🐾 Dog park day, or should we say Dog swim day!
🐶 Our smart shelter pooches all chose to spend their time swimming at the dog park today and loved it!!
22/10/2025
Say hello to Emmi! This 9-week-old sweetheart has a heart of gold and a big personality to match. She adores humans, loves making friends with other cats, and isn’t afraid to put herself out there 🐾
Think Emmi might be the perfect addition to your family? 💕
Get in touch with the shelter to find out more: message us here, send an email, or give us a call at 0433 630 514.
18/10/2025
18/10/2025
13 x Dane/mastiff x puppies (dna test coming)
Well here they are! All 13 of them 🫣 meet the Harry Potter litter 🧙. Pups turned 4 weeks today and are absolutely thriving . These pups are all looking for their forever homes and are all incredibly gorgeous.
Pups will be ready to go to their new homes from the 20th of November.
If interested please contact the shelter for a pre-adoption form.
Please do not just come by the shelter to see the puppies- only interested potential adopters as it does take up a lot of our time and mumma is quite protective still.
02/10/2025
Introducing Sally 💕
Sally is a gentle 15-year-old sweetheart who has had love all her life but unfortunately her elderly owner has had to go into full time care due to medical reasons. We don’t want this lovely girl to spend her final years in a shelter , she deserves a comfy couch, a warm lap, and someone to love her.
Sally is the easiest companion you could ask for. She’s happy to spend her days relaxing by your side, and the only thing she truly needs is cuddles and affection. If you or someone you know is looking for a calm, older dog to share quiet moments with, Sally is your girl. 🐾
26/09/2025
Meet Kona and her 13 puppies - born early last Saturday morning.
All puppies and mumma are doing amazing - we are supplementing with some bottle feeding to help out mum where possible.
Kona was previously a shelter dog here at Paws and Claws she came to us about a month ago- generally getting the dogs desexed is one of the first things on our agenda - however when Kona came in she was at the end of her heat cycle so we opted to wait for things to settle down before we got her desexed as it is safer. During that period we managed to find Kona her forever home with some amazing owners who also took Kona’s best mate Harry. Kona was scheduled for her desexing a few weeks later. Turns out Kona had come into the shelter already pregnant and was about 2 weeks off giving birth. After talking it over with Kona’s owners we decided it was best for Kona to come back into the shelter to have her pups , where she and her pups can be monitored. And stay with them for 2 months before going back to her owners and we will find the puppies homes.
Kona is Dane/Mastiff X and we have no idea who dad is, however we have done a DNA breed test and we will share those results when they come in.
If interested in adopting one of these gorgeous pups please reach out for a pre adoption questionnaire. Viewing of the pups will be from 4weeks old. Please do not come into the shelter “ can I see the puppies ?” As the answer will be no.
24/09/2025
Over 2 months in the shelter 💔 Still waiting. Still hoping. These pups deserve homes, not kennels. Adopt. Share. Change a life 🐾
Want to know more about any of our pups? 🐾 Send us a message and we’ll get back to you! If you’d like to arrange a visit and meet them in person, just message us here or give us a call — we’d love to hear from you!
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Contact The Business
Send a message to Paws and Claws Refuge and Boarding Centre - Port Douglas:
The committee of the Homeless Animal Society and Boarding Kennels has once again put its future in the hands of the Douglas Shire Council and its local residents. A Development Application currently being assessed by council staff has been lodged which will allow them to convert the previously occupied LOTSA Printing factory Teamsters Drive into a modern indoor animal facility.
The association after 10 years of searching has come to the conclusion that an indoor soundproof building is the only option after numerous failed attempts of constructing an outdoor facility. With the assistance of a planning consultant and a recognised Acoustic Engineer firm they are confident that the facility will not impact any of the nearby industrial businesses.
We appreciate that some may have concerns from the history of the previous refuge, which was literally an old house and some cyclone fencing. This is the extreme opposite, on completion the property will have cost well over the million-dollar mark and will consist of a soundproof housing facility and monitored run areas acoustically designed where limited dogs will be rotated and able to leisure outside during day light hours.
The association entered into a contract of sale for the premises with the condition of a Council Change of Material Use. The new planning scheme allows for public comment on the assessment and they are looking forward to being given the opportunity to answer any concerns locals may have. We are expecting to receive the same types of comments as we have in the past Noise and Smell. We have searched examples of the many indoor facilities that there are now in Australia and have taken the best practices to ensure we can successfully cater for both these issues. Any animal lover knows that dogs bark when they are stimulated, a person walking in or past, or another dog interacting for example. These modern facilities are built to ensure the minimum opportunity for that occurs whilst using the most modern technology to entrap any noise that may be made.
After the failed attempt at Killaloe, Miallo and Yule Point and the inability of council and State Government staff to locate land that would be suitable, the association is hoping that this premise within an industrial estate will be the change in the tide they have been waiting for. We realise its not the perfect answer, the ideal situation would be for dogs to be able to run around and enjoy the sunshine in an open facility, unfortunately that has not happened and does not look like it’s going to happen. So, we as an animal welfare organisation have to do the next best thing, other than that it’s just keep having them euthanised. Every animal facility in the region is full. The longer we do nothing the worst the situation will become. That is for the animals and the environment.
If the Change of Material Use is accepted by Council, the association will be buying the freehold of the premises and will then work with the acoustic engineers and council to renovate the main building to a state of the art facility. Once we have a premise, a design and costings, we can then get further funding to complete construction. At the moment grant funding is limited as we don’t know where we are going, what we are doing or when we are going to do it. With the purchase of the property and building we are confident we can gain the funding required to renovate the facility and be ready for operation within 18 months.
The association is extremely grateful for the support it continues to receive and it is clear that the love for the association and the animals that it has cared for is abundant. The association believes that it is imperative that the supporters of Paws and Claws also put pen to paper during this public comment period and notify your local councillors of the importance, need and want for this facility in Douglas.
The previous Paws and Claws site in Craiglie was an old house with cyclone fencing, not a designed animal facility and had no noise restraints or acoustic designs.
The facility we are creating will be a state of the art acoustically designed soundproof facility within the building that already exists. Total cost of over $1million.
Facility’s such as this are becoming more common in built up areas as populations increase in CBD areas and the demand for boarding rises.
The property will have a 24hr caretaker living on site.
There will be four individual runs divided by solid 2meter fences that will have a maximum of two dogs in each at any time.
The runs will only be used between 9am and 5pm
Bark deterrents such as static collars will be used on persistent noise makers as per the facilities Noise Policy
The facility will offer boarding as well as rescue
The facility will hold a maximum of 18 Boarding dogs and 20 refuge dogs at full capacity.
The facility will operate with paid staff and volunteers
The inside will also be acoustically sound designed
Previously all rescue animals were walked twice daily off site by locals and back packers, we anticipate that this will occur again alleviating the need for excessive use of the runs.
The facility will have 24hr video and audio surveillance
The property will not open half finished. The building must be completed before opening.
Noise reduction methods are non-negotiables and will be conditioned as part of the continuing trade of the facility regardless which committee members are overseeing the facility.
Sound engineers have measured the current noise levels of the area to set as a bench mark
Once open and with occupancy of at least 80% sound testing will be carried out by the acoustical engineers again to ensure the facility is in no way impacting the area. These will be compared to tests completed prior to opening.
Paw and Claws is paying cash for the premises at 6-8 Teamsters, has not accrued debt in the purchase and does still have funds required to commence renovations. Further funding will be needed to complete the build but we anticipate that this will occur within 18months
Many policies and procedures are already being created to ensure that the locals will not be impacted. These include a complaint policy, acceptable Noise Policy, Dog Walking Policy, Animal arrival and departure Policy, it is also in our best interest being a business to also have the best reputation possible
A copy of the application will be found here once it has been processed by council
