Celebrating 75 years of caring for Tasmanian dogs
Honouring our founder, Miss Joan Gladys Rawson B.E.M, and the vision that changed everything
Today marks an extraordinary milestone for Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania — 75 years of caring for the dogs who needed us most. Three-quarters of a century of kindness, community spirit, and unwavering dedication to dogs across our island.
And it all began with one woman.
When English-born Gladys Rawson arrived in Tasmania in 1948, she was struck by the number of stray, neglected and unwanted dogs she encountered — in towns, rural communities, and everywhere in between.
She saw suffering. She saw fear. She saw dogs who had no one.
And she decided to step forward.
Inspired by the UK’s National Canine Defence League, Miss Rawson gathered supporters, formed committees, rallied councils, and sparked a movement that would change the future for generations of Tasmanian dogs.
On 15 November 1950, the organisation that would become Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania was officially founded — the moment Tasmania’s dogs finally had a champion dedicated solely to their welfare.
The early days weren’t glamorous. They weren’t easy. But they were full of heart.
Miss Rawson and two friends collected old Austin car frames and turned them into makeshift kennels. They mixed concrete by hand. They borrowed tiny pockets of land from generous locals. They fundraised relentlessly. Every obstacle was met with persistence.
By 1955, a small but functional Home was up and running in Derwent Park — the first real shelter for dogs in Tasmania.
Throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the organisation expanded across the state:
Launceston Dogs’ Home opened in 1967
Devonport Dogs’ Home followed in 1969
Burnie Dogs’ Home opened its doors in 1981
Bit by bit, town by town, Miss Rawson and her volunteers built a safety net for dogs who had nowhere else to go.
In 1985, the organisation formally adopted the trading name Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania, reflecting the statewide service that was now firmly established.
By 1991, the Hobart Home had moved to a new site at Scotts Road, Risdon Vale — the Home many Tasmanians know today.
From those improvised kennels in South Hobart to four purpose-built Homes across Tasmania, our founder’s vision has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of dogs. Every wagging tail, every reunion with a lost family, every adoption, every life saved carries a piece of her legacy.
And today, 75 years on, her spirit remains at the heart of everything we do — in every shelter, every yard, every car ride home, every quiet moment spent comforting a frightened dog.
Miss Rawson believed that every dog deserved safety, compassion and a second chance. That belief still drives our work today.
