Animal shelter still in need of food donations to keep up with capacity

May 5—The St. Joseph Animal Shelter turned to the community for help last week as its food supply dwindled. Thanks to social media, donations rolled in, but with kennels almost at capacity, the supply won't necessarily last.

Stacey Kropf, animal care specialist with the shelter, said they've been able to bounce back from the food shortage, but they're always in need.

"Obviously, we're always in need of food just because we have a kennel full of dogs and then when we do get at capacity with cats," said Kropf.

The shelter can't put an exact timeline on how long the food will last at the shelter, as it depends on the kennel capacity, but with a full kennel, supplies go quickly.

"We've been consistently full for the last year and a half or so. So it just kind of depends how much we have to feed," she said.

When it comes to donating food or supplies, Kropf suggests visiting the shelter's Amazon wishlist. However, any donation is appreciated.

"People typically will ask, you know, 'What's your preferred brand for anything?' And we're not super picky," Kropf said. "We'll take whatever the public or an individual can afford or what they want to bring to us."

As long as the food is sealed in the bag and can be identified as dog food or cat food, they'll take it.

Currently, the shelter is down to six kennels for dogs. As far as cats, they still have open space.

If you're looking to adopt a furry friend, Kropf advises utilizing the shelter versus a breeder or social media.

"It's a lot easier to adopt an animal from a shelter just because when you go through a breeder or some other source like that, you're stuck with those medical bills," Kropf said. "You'll have to pay out of pocket (for medical and other expenses) and that doesn't include whatever their adoption is."

At the St. Joseph Animal Shelter, all veterinarian work is included with prices ranging from $87.50 to $177.50. Adoptable pets can be found online at the Friends of the Animal Shelter Facebook page or website at https://petforu.com/.

News-Press NOW also features an adoptable shelter pet every Tuesday in our weekly Pet Pals segment.