UPAWS recieves MDARD Grant

GWINN — The Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter is one of 23 recipients of a 2020 Animal Welfare Fund grant.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development – or MDARD – announced the shelter will receive $4,584. This will support the spaying and neutering of shelter dogs and cats to help them be more adoptable. Grants also help support many anti-cruelty and proper care programs and training around the state.

UPAWS is involved with a program that brings veterinarians from around the area to come and volunteer at the shelter, which will now have a chance for them to do more when it comes to testing and small surgeries.

“We have a volunteer Vets for Homeless Pets Program where our local veterinarians come into UPAWS on a rotation basis,” explained Ann Brownell, Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator for UPAWS. “They check our animals and do health checks, and this way they might be able to do a step further and do spays and neuters or different kind of tests such as blood work or other tests that animals need.”

Registered shelters also can receive assistance through the grant program for the un-recovered costs of care for animals involved in legal investigations.