New shelter manager at UPAWS

NEGAUNEE TWP. — The Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter has a new face helping to run the place. Ryan Poupore is the shelter manager and has been on the job for a couple of weeks.

Poupore comes to UPAWS from NMU, where he holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration. Poupore says the shelter manager position at UPAWs interested him because he’s an animal lover himself, the proud owner of cats and dogs.

The relationship the shelter has with the community was also a big factor in his decision to take the job.

“A lot of the things we ask for the community comes out and does a really good job in helping us out. It would make our job extremely hard if we didn’t get all of the support we do from the community,” said Poupore. “We’ve been so fortunate to have a great partnership with this community and they do a lot for us.”

Paupore is from the U.P. He graduated from Negaunee.

When asked what his plans are for the shelter, Poupore said he wants to maintain the great job the staff has done over the years to make the shelter what it is today. Over 600 hundred animals have already been adopted from UPAWS this year.