ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – While many are giving gifts this time of year, the Delta Animal Shelter is reminding the community to consider giving to its furry friends in need.
“Our whole intake room is full,” she said. “We have overflow in the quarantine room—luckily nobody is sick, so we’re able to use those kennels for healthy cats. All of our outside rooms have a cat in them, we have one room with 11 kittens. Our conference room also has five wire kennels housing cats. I think we have six free-roaming cats at this point in the shelter.”
According to Bruce, intake typically slows down a bit in the winter. However, that hasn’t been the case so far this year.
“Within the last year, we’ve been full consistently all the time,” said Bruce. “Usually, kitten season is in spring. I don’t know if it’s just because we had such a mild winter last year or what’s going on, but we have two pregnant cats and one cat just gave birth to six kittens. It’s just kind of neverending this year.”
With so many animals to provide for—including those sent to foster homes—the shelter is running low on supplies. Earlier this week, the Shelter shared on its Facebook page that it was down to one jug of cat litter.
“We’re completely run off donations, grants, and fundraising, so everything is donated,” Bruce said. “If we get to the point where we have none and we need it, we’ll go purchase some, but it’s nice to not have to do that so we can save that money for medical, keeping the lights on, all the other fun things that we spend money on here.”
Shelter staff maintain an Amazon Wish List of needed items. While supporters can purchase items through the Wish List, they are encouraged to shop locally if possible.
“Definitely scoopable cat litter,” Bruce listed as the greatest need. “The cats usually prefer stuff that’s not super scented. Then we can always use cat wet food, kitten wet food. We’re low on the paté for adult cats and paté for kittens as well.”
The Shelter thanks the public for its generosity, which helps keep the animals inside warm, safe, and fed.
“We have such a good community, so we really see an uptick in donations during the holidays,” said Bruce. “We’re your local shelter. We’re the only shelter in Delta County, and it’s a pretty big county. We usually take in over 1,000 animals a year, so we definitely appreciate it.”
Click here to view the Delta Animal Shelter’s full Amazon Wish List.
Most pet adoption fees are discounted through Tuesday, December 17, thanks to the Bissell Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters Holiday Hope Event. To see available animals, visit the Delta Animal Shelter website or Facebook page.
