We were encouraged to learn that our local animal shelter was again the recipient of some much needed financial support.

As many of you know already, the Upper Peninsula Animal Shelter is in the process of a major capital campaign to raise money for a new shelter building. So far, the Imagine the PAWSibilities has brought in more than $3 million for the $3.7 million needed to build the new facility.

That money will allow UPAWS to retire the dated 40-year-old building that’s currently being used to house its operations and the 1,500 animals that are sheltered there each year.

The push toward securing the needed financing has been outstanding by the community, and a young boy named Will, and his pet bunny named Oreo, recently helped UPAWS secure another $25,000.

A story about how Will adopted Oreo was submitted to a grant competition hosted by the Petco Foundation, and guess what? It won. Now, the community can vote online to help UPAWS get another $25,000 from Petco through the competition’s People’s Choice Award category. To vote, visit www.petcofoundation.org/holiday-wishes/ and vote for Will and Oreo.

If that first $25,000 wasn’t enough good news for UPAWS, more came at the shelter’s annual Cause for Paws gala on Nov. 10. There, Hall Contracting made a $20,000 donation to UPAWS capital campaign, bringing the shelter that much closer to having all the money it needs to build the new facility.

It’s worth highlighting the exceptional work that the tremendous volunteers and employees at UPAWS do every day, and if you want to show the shelter how much you care, go online and vote for it. One click could mean $25,000 for a very deserving organization.