A litter of puppies arrived at a U.P. animal shelter looking for a second chance. Instead, they brought one of the deadliest illnesses a dog can face.
And now the staff at UPAWS are in the fight of their lives to save them.
The UPAWS Parvovirus Outbreak Just Forced a Full Shutdown
This is heartbreaking. As of Friday afternoon, the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter in Sands Township has closed its doors to the public for at least two weeks — effective immediately.
The reason? A parvovirus outbreak. The Facebook post announcing the closure went up just after 1:30 p.m. on Friday, and the shelter says it’ll be closed for a minimum of two weeks.
For a no-kill shelter that lives and breathes for these animals, shutting down is the last thing they ever want to do.
It Started With One Rescued Litter
Here’s how it happened — and it’s nobody’s fault.
A litter of puppies arrived at the shelter as part of a transfer intake from outside the local area. UPAWS had no idea the puppies were ill when they were admitted.
Then staff noticed something was wrong. When the animals appeared clinically ill, the team immediately began isolation precautions — and on Sunday, the puppies tested positive for parvovirus.
These people did everything right. And they’re still the ones carrying the weight.
Why Parvo Is Every Dog Lover’s Nightmare
If you’ve never dealt with it, here’s why this is so scary.
Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious illness that attacks the white blood cells and gastrointestinal tract of dogs. It can be fatal — especially in young puppies and unvaccinated dogs.
This isn’t a sniffle. For a tiny puppy, parvo is a life-or-death battle measured in hours.
The Staff Aren’t Giving Up — Not for a Second
This is the part that’ll get you.
While the doors are locked to the public, essential staff are still on site around the clock, caring for the animals and keeping the facility running.
The litter exposed to parvovirus is receiving near-constant care from the UPAWS team. In their own words, “The last few days have been difficult and emotional for our staff, but we remain focused on giving these animals the care and support they need.”
Difficult and emotional. You can feel the exhaustion in those words — and the love.
What They’ve Shut Down to Protect Every Other Animal
To stop this from spreading, UPAWS hasn’t done this halfway.
Until further notice, there are no animal services of any species — no adoptions, surrenders, strays, or meet-and-greets. The building and the UPAWS dog park are completely closed to the public.
The good news buried in all this? UPAWS says they feel confident the outbreak is contained within this one litter and hasn’t spread to the general shelter population.
Here’s How You Can Actually Help Right Now
You don’t have to feel helpless reading this. There’s something real you can do.
The shelter says there’s one way the public can help right now: donations. Any proceeds will go straight toward extra staffing, supplies for intensive treatment, and the other needs that come with round-the-clock care.
Every dollar goes directly to keeping these puppies alive. That’s it.
Yoopers Show Up — Let’s Show Up for Them
This is what makes the U.P. different. When the chips are down, this community circles the wagons.
A small shelter staffed by your neighbors is pouring everything they have into saving a litter of puppies that aren’t even from around here. They didn’t have to take them in. They did anyway.
Now it’s our turn to have their backs.
To donate or get the latest updates, visit UPAWS directly at upaws.org or follow their Facebook page. For more U.P. community stories, check out our Community section on Yooper Hub.
Read the original report from TV6 here.
Have you ever adopted a furry friend from UPAWS? Share their name below and let’s flood the comments with some love for this shelter. 👇
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