We are planning to send out a regular monthly newsletter to all our supporters in the community. This is our first newsletter for the year. Please feel free to forward it on to any people might be interested. You can sign up to receive the newsletter at our website.

News update from our President, Michael Kerr

What’s happening with finding a new location for the refuge?

The Homeless Animal Society is still homeless. The land at Yule Point is currently still not available as the purchase by council was rejected by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines as they believe it needs to be used for conservation purposes. Our council has lodged an appeal against this decision with documentation and evidence to dispute many of the concerns they had. The Mayor has personally discussed the issue with Minister Lynham and the State Government officials and is still hopeful that it may occur or an alternative site for the refuge within the shire can be found.

Petition

A big thank you to everyone who helped with the petition. In total over 1300 names were collected. The Mayor delivered the petition directly to Minister Lynham and included a copy in the council response to the department.

Paws and Claws is still operating BUT we are using a different model

Paws and Claws is currently operating as a virtual shelter, dependant on the goodwill of the community to volunteer as foster parents until the animals can be adopted. This enables the animals to interact within families and receive basic training, which makes them more adoptable.

The website provides up to date profiles and stories on the dogs and cats currently available for adoption. Kyle Cordwell continues to be employed to manage our operations for on a part time capacity. The phone numbers are still the same but they are not monitored all the time. So if you ring, please leave a message and Kyle will get back to you in due course. Phone 07 4098 5721 Otherwise you can send a message via the website.

Paws and Claws now operates two Facebook pages for communication with the local community and one is a closed group specifically for foster carers. If you are interested in becoming a foster carer, read the section further down the newsletter.

New website

There have been some changes to the website. We now have a new website and the online content can be updated daily. This means that Kyle will now be responsible for updating adoption information and will be able to do this as required.

Many thanks to Ric who has generously donated his time for the last 10 years to manage our website at www.pawsandclaws.org.au .

Plans for a shopfront

We are currently investigating the possibility of a shopfront presence, for selling Paws and Claws merchandise, second-hand books, providing an office space for Kyle and a dog washing facility. If you are interested in helping with this project, by donating time, money or an empty shop please email michael.kerr@pawsandclaws.org.au

Fundraising News

Ann Ireland is our wonderful and dynamic fundraising co-ordinator. There are quite a few ideas for fundraising for 2017 and volunteers are needed to help, so please send Ann an email if you would like to be involved ann.blingitonpets@gmail.com

Port Douglas Markets Sausage Sizzles are booked for the following Sundays and need helpers:

16th April

14th May

28th May

2nd July

9th July

13th August

3rd September

24th September

1st October

Christmas Raffle Results

The raffle held during January raised just over $3000. Thank you to our sponsors who provided prizes and congratulations to the winners:

Jane McNeil, Caroline Jackson, Cole Booth, Anne(from PD Market),Ian McDermott, Sheryn Blumstone, Natalie Berzinski, Lorraine                     

And a Big Thank You to our Christmas Raffle Sponsors

Sheraton Mirage Resort

QT Resort & Spa

Pickled in Port

Coffee Worx

With Sugar

Life Pharmacy

Sea Bean Tapas Bar

Rattle & Hum

The Iron Bar

Donations

Thank you very much for your kind donations which are extremely generous and very much appreciated. The funds will be used to assist in our de-sexing program to assist in lowering the continuing unwanted breeding we have in this country and vaccinating animals to help in their long term health.

Mossman Bowls Club - Charity Bowls Competition - $446

Mr Grayman

Angela Reghenzani - $1,000

Update from Kyle Cordwell at the frontline

January saw the arrival of three new additions to the paws and claws family: Pepper a 3 month old kitten who settled into life in foster care really well; denzil a 3 month old staffy x who was a little shy at first and his brother dodger a staffy x who had no trouble settling into a foster home after a stay at the pound.

With a slow start to the year for adoptions we have seen four adoptions in the last month. Little Johnny the Jack Russell, Misty the cat, Dodger and Denzil. We hope they enjoy life in their new loving furever homes.

Dogs available for adoption - February

Sophie - Shepherd x | 6months | great with kids and other pets

Jedda - Catahoula x | great with dogs and kids| 1 year old

Sasha - Shepherd x | 6 months old | great with kids and other pets

Smudge - Dalmation | not good with other dogs, but lovely on her own

Rosie - Cattle X female | 2 years old | great with other dogs| needs time to build trust

Misty - Cattle X female | 4.5 years | great with kids | not so good with poultry

Pepper - Cattle x female | 5 years old | great with other pets

Benji - Tan and white male | 12 months old | good with kids and other dogs

Cats for adoption - February

Drake - 8 months old pure grey | very shy, will take time to settle into new environment

Captain - 2 year old tabby

Ruby Rose - pure white

Pepper - tabby

The past 5 months have not been easy for all involved with paws and claws, starting with the very hard and sad task of closing the paws and claws shelter at Lot 1 Captain Cook Hwy in Craiglie and finding temporary and forever homes for the remaining animals that called Paws and Claws home. Without a refuge to house the animals, we called on members of the public to foster the remaining animals, and new animals coming into the organisation. We have been extremely lucky to find the foster carers we currently have. However we are always in need of new foster carers for short and long term.

At this current time paws and claws has three cats and 9 dogs in care and everyday we are getting numerous phone calls to take in more animals.

Think about becoming a foster carer

Paws and Claws is always on the lookout for new foster parents, as abandoned dogs and cats continue to arrive in the local council pounds, and face a short term life followed by a death sentence. Paws and Claws will provide support to the foster carer, and cover food and vet expenses. If you are interested you need to have an enclosed yard with a fence, large enough to for a dog, and be willing to welcome prospective adoptive families to meet your foster dog or cat.

Membership

Thanks to past members, Paws and Claws has been able to protect and rehome abandoned animals in the Douglas Shire, for the past 25 years. The year ahead will be a remarkable year of achievement, as we continue to manage and co-ordinate the protection of animals in the region, using a foster care model based in the community, until the new refuge is built.

Paws and Claws are creating a new member card to obtain member discounts for a variety of goods and services provided by our sponsors. To find out what discounts are available to our members watch for announcements in our monthly newsletter. Of course, your membership contribution not only provides you with tangible benefits, but more importantly, you know that you are helping to provide a second chance to abandoned animals in the local area.

That’s why this is a reminder to please renew your Paws and Claws membership today. You can now renew online at www.pawsandclaws.org.au/become-a-member/ with a choice of payment options: credit, paypal, or direct debit.

Welcome to new members who have joined in February and Old Friends who have renewed this month:

Emily Wilson

Jenny McDowall

Kent Fordham

I am the bridge

Between what was and what can be

I am the pathway to a new life.

I am made of mush,

Because my heart melted when I saw you,

Matted and sore, limping, depressed, lonely, unwanted, afraid to love.

For one little time you are mine.

I will feed you with my own hand

I will love you with my whole heart

I will make you whole.

I am made of steel, because when the time comes,

When you are well and sleek,

When your eyes shine,

And your tail wags with joy

Then comes the hard part.

I will let you go not without a tear,

But without a regret.

For you are safe forever

A new dog needs me now

If you have stuff for the newsletter, send an email to newsletter@pawsandclaws.org