Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter

Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter No-Kill Animal Shelter
www.upaws.org
906-475-6661 We receive no funding from the County or any National animals organizations. We need your support! Thank You.

The Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter is an award winning, No-Kill 501c nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to taking care of the homeless, unwanted, abandoned and abused domestic animals. UPAWS works very hard to save homeless domestic animals lives and give them every chance at finding new loving homes. However we can't do it without you! Your support will go right to work making a

positive difference in the lives of homeless domestic animals in our care. There are things that you can do to make a difference in a homeless pets life. Call us at 475-6661 for more information or on how you can help!

๐Ÿพ One week into the contest and weโ€™re already seeing some adorable entries!These pets have tossed their collars into the...
06/08/2026

๐Ÿพ One week into the contest and weโ€™re already seeing some adorable entries!

These pets have tossed their collars into the ring for the 2027 UPAWS Pet Photo Calendar Contest.

Think your pet should be featured alongside them? Enter today! Entries are open through June 30.

๐Ÿ“ธ www.gogophotocontest.com/upaws2027

Every entry helps support the animals at UPAWS, and photos that receive at least 5 votes are guaranteed to appear in the calendar.

06/07/2026

๐Ÿพ Behind the Scenes with Cheech ๐Ÿพ

While our temporary closure continues, our dogs are still enjoying daily enrichment, training, exercise, and one-on-one attention from staff.

Cheech spent some one-on-one time with Julie, practicing his skills and showing off what a smart boy he is! โค๏ธ

๐Ÿพ Letโ€™s hear it for Cheech! Drop him some love in the comments below ๐Ÿ‘‡

06/05/2026

Even with the shelter temporarily closed to the public, the kittens havenโ€™t gotten the memo. ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ’•

These little ones are busy doing what kittens do bestโ€ฆ playing, exploring, and keeping us entertained while we continue caring for the animals behind the scenes.

We may be closed to visitors right now, but the daily routine of feeding, cleaning, cuddling, and kitten shenanigans continues.

Weโ€™ll keep sharing updates from inside the shelter while we work through this temporary closure. Thank you for your patience and support!

๐Ÿ“บ Calendar Contest & Shelter Update ๐ŸพThank you to WZMQ 19 for helping us spread the word about the UPAWS 2027 Pet Photo ...
06/05/2026

๐Ÿ“บ Calendar Contest & Shelter Update ๐Ÿพ

Thank you to WZMQ 19 for helping us spread the word about the UPAWS 2027 Pet Photo Calendar Contest!

I recently had the opportunity to talk with WZMQ 19 about this yearโ€™s contest, as well as provide an update on our recent parvo situation and the steps UPAWS has taken to protect the animals in our care.

Entries for the 2027 Pet Photo Calendar Contest are open now through June 30. Whether youโ€™re entering your pet, reserving a special calendar day, honoring a beloved pet with a Rainbow Bridge Memorial, or supporting us as a Business Sponsor, every dollar raised helps the homeless animals at UPAWS.

Check out the interview below and learn more!

Contest link: gogophotocontest.com/upaws2027

Fresh air, sunshine, and a little adventure! โ˜€๏ธ๐ŸพRemember Elizabeth and Taylor? These former UPAWS kitties are now known ...
06/04/2026

Fresh air, sunshine, and a little adventure! โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿพ

Remember Elizabeth and Taylor? These former UPAWS kitties are now known as Bo (formerly Taylor) and Peep (formerly Elizabeth), and they appear to be enjoying some outdoor enrichment in their cat stroller!

Not every cat enjoys the great outdoors, but for some feline friends, a safe stroll can be a wonderful way to explore new sights, sounds, and smells while staying protected.

Enrichment doesnโ€™t have to be complicated. Window watching, puzzle feeders, cardboard boxes, cat trees, supervised outdoor time, and even a stroller ride can help keep curious minds active and engaged.

Bo and Peep certainly seem to be enjoying their outing! โค๏ธ

What do you do for enrichment with your cats? Share a photo in the comments ๐Ÿ‘‡and show us how your feline friends stay happy, active, and entertained! ๐Ÿฑ

๐Ÿพ Local Business Owners โ€” Weโ€™d Love Your Support! ๐ŸพOur 2027 UPAWS Pet Photo Calendar Contest is underway, and weโ€™re look...
06/03/2026

๐Ÿพ Local Business Owners โ€” Weโ€™d Love Your Support! ๐Ÿพ

Our 2027 UPAWS Pet Photo Calendar Contest is underway, and weโ€™re looking for local businesses to join us as Business Sponsors!

For just $50, your business logo and website link will be featured on our contest website while helping support the animals at UPAWS.

Itโ€™s an easy and affordable way to show your support for homeless pets while connecting with fellow animal lovers throughout our community.

Every sponsorship helps provide care, comfort, and second chances for the animals who count on us.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Weโ€™d love to have you join us!

Links to learn more, become a sponsor, or browse the adorable contest entries are in the comments below. ๐Ÿพโค๏ธ

06/02/2026

๐Ÿพ A little behind-the-scenes fun with Boomer today. โค๏ธ

No matter what the day brings, taking time for enrichment, training, and one-on-one attention is an important part of caring for the animals at UPAWS.

Today, Julie spent some time working with Boomer on his โ€œsit,โ€ โ€œspeak,โ€ and โ€œquietโ€ skillsโ€”and he was more than happy to show off for treats!

Drop Boomer a โค๏ธ in the comments and let him know heโ€™s a good boy ๐Ÿพ

๐Ÿ“ธ Show Us Your Pets! ๐ŸพThe 2027 UPAWS Pet Photo Calendar Contest is underway!For just $10, your pet can be entered for a ...
05/31/2026

๐Ÿ“ธ Show Us Your Pets! ๐Ÿพ

The 2027 UPAWS Pet Photo Calendar Contest is underway!

For just $10, your pet can be entered for a chance to be featured in next yearโ€™s calendar.

Dogs, cats, rabbits, reptiles, birds, horses โ€” we want to see them all!

๐Ÿ“… Entries open through June 30
๐Ÿ—ณ Voting begins July 1
โค๏ธ Rainbow Bridge Memorials available
๐Ÿ“ธ Reserve-a-Day options available

Best of all, every entry helps support the animals in UPAWSโ€™ care. โค๏ธ

Enter today:
www.gogophotocontest.com/upaws2027

After all, every pet deserves their moment to shine โœจ๐Ÿพ

๐Ÿพ Looking for a new best friend? ๐ŸพThese pets are currently available through our Home2Home program.๐—ฃ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ: ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ป...
05/30/2026

๐Ÿพ Looking for a new best friend? ๐Ÿพ

These pets are currently available through our Home2Home program.

๐—ฃ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ: ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ง ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—จ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ช๐—ฆ. They remain in their current homes while their owners work to find the right new family.

Home2Home helps connect pets directly with adopters while reducing stress on the animals and helping keep pets out of the shelter whenever possible.

To learn more and view available pets, visit:
https://upaws.org/home-2-home/

๐—ก๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฎ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐˜? You can learn more about the Home2Home program and see if it may be a good fit for your situation by visiting the link in the comments below ๐Ÿ‘‡

Please share โ€” you never know who may be looking for their perfect companion. โค๏ธ

๐Ÿ“ข UPAWS COMMUNITY UPDATE - MAY 29,  2026 Out of an abundance of caution and in the best interest of all the animals in o...
05/29/2026

๐Ÿ“ข UPAWS COMMUNITY UPDATE - MAY 29, 2026

Out of an abundance of caution and in the best interest of all the animals in our care, UPAWS is temporarily closing completely to the public effective May 29th.

Essential staff are on site dedicated to the care of our animals and maintaining our facility. All of our focus is on the wellbeing of every animal under our roof.

Effective immediately and until further notice:

๐Ÿพ All animal services suspended โ€” adoptions, surrenders, strays, meet and greets โ€” all species
๐Ÿพ Building closed to the public โ€” no public access at this time
๐Ÿพ UPAWS dog park closed

We are closed for a minimum of two weeks. UPAWS will continue to provide updates on our timeline as the situation develops.

Comments are turned off on this post as we are not able to address individual questions through social media. Please reach out to us directly and we will be happy to help.

๐Ÿ“ง [email protected]
๐Ÿ“ž 475-6661

Thank you for your continued love and support of UPAWS. ๐Ÿพ

Address

815 South State Highway M553
Gwinn, MI
49841

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12pm - 4pm
Wednesday 12pm - 4pm
Thursday 12pm - 4pm
Friday 12pm - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+19064756661

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter:

Share

Category