SANDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZMQ) – A suspected animal neglect case has stretched the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter to its limit, leaving the shelter temporarily unable to accept stray or surrendered dogs. Now, staff are asking the public for both patience… And help.
The unexpected influx of animals has filled every available kennel at U-PAWS. The shelter staff says they were called in to care for 16 large dogs, along with a cat removed from a suspected neglect situation earlier this week.
“Tuesday night, we were alerted by the Michigan State Police to a potential cruelty and neglect case that they were looking to get our opinion on, and we went through the house based on the conditions. We assisted with the troopers pulling the dogs from there,” said UPAWS shelter manager Ryan McLaren.
The case, which the Michigan State Police are handling, stemmed from a domestic violence complaint resulting in the arrest of two adults and the relocation of two children.
The arrival of so many animals in a single day has left the facility operating at full capacity. As a result, U-Paws has suspended intake of stray and owner-surrendered dogs until space becomes available.
“We were pretty close to capacity before this, and now, with the large intake right at the moment, we’re over capacity of what we would normally have,” explained McLaren.
One of the fastest ways the community can help is through adoption. Shelter officials say every dog or cat that finds a forever home creates room for another animal that may soon need care. “So we’re still continuing to do adoptions for everything: cats, small critters, dogs, it’s a great time to adopt, help clear out some space,” said McLaren.
UPAW says it will announce when it can resume accepting dogs and if the bloodhounds become available for adoption. Until then, community support, especially through adoption, will be critical to helping the shelter continue its mission.
