ESCANABA — Local animal shelters are looking to the community for help with food and other supplies.

At the Delta Animal Shelter, the winter months are typically slow, meaning the shelter has less animals in-house, but this year, the kennels have stayed full.

“That hasn’t really happened this year; we’ve stayed busy and stayed full. So, all of our dog kennels are full, and all of our cat kennels are full. We have a waitlist for people that are needing to surrender their dogs. That’s pretty long. And we also are scheduling people to surrender cats; pretty much we get calls every day to schedule surrenders,” said Delta Shelter Operation Coordinator Vonnie Bruce.

She added that the shelter houses 41 dogs and puppies but only has 26 kennels.

“We’re pretty full,” she said.

The shelter has a vet visit soon, so Bruce hopes to re-home the puppies and dogs soon.

Because of the unexpected busy season, the shelter is using up supplies quickly to care for the current animals.

Bruce said canned dog food is needed right now as the shelter uses it for the puppies, administering medicine, and enticing dogs that are struggling to eat dry food.

The shelter currently has three litters of kittens and another pregnant cat, so canned wet food for kittens is a must.

Delta also needs other basics such as scoopable unscented cat litter, cat food, and other items.

“The scoopable cat litter; we go through a lot of that. Purina Cat Chow and Purina Kitten Chow are the foods that we feed the cats, like the hard food, so we go through that really fast,” Bruce explained.

She added that if an individual has an open bag of food or litter, the shelter can use it, too, as long as it is in its original packaging or container.

Toys and treats are also great donations.

A shelter requires a lot of cleaning, especially considering the number of animals at Delta, so cleaning supplies such as Lysol and bleach are welcome donations. Those looking to donate don’t even have to hit the stores, as some of the items the shelter needs are probably in a closet or a drawer at home.

“People don’t usually think of it, but we can use used blankets, sheets, pillow case, pretty much any type of linen item, except we just can’t use pillows, just because (some of) the dogs will tear them up,” Bruce explained.

If you cannot help with supplies or monetary donations, the shelter accepts returnables such as cans and bottles.

“A lot of times, people will save them (returnables) up, and it’s like such a hassle to go actually do it, and it’s a great way to donate to us too. And we have volunteers that will come and pick them up, go return them, and then bring the money right here to the shelter,” Bruce explained.

In Manistique, Eva Burrell Animal Shelter Director Patricia said the shelter is also on a waiting list for dogs, but the community is already stepping up to the challenge.

“December is a wonderful time of year, and people are normally extremely sensitive to the needs of shelters, rescues, and animals in general. We are so fortunate in December,” Patricia said.

However, the shelter is still seeking assistance from the community, as it needs cat litter, paper towels, Purina Complete cat food, Bully Sticks, Diamond Lamb, and other rice-based dog food.

Patricia also asks residents looking to adopt to do their homework before committing.

“Not just looked at an adorable picture but truly have thought it through and are ready to make a life commitment to the animal,” she said.

She added that spaying and neutering animals is vital and can help shelters with overpopulation.

Patricia also asks the community to consider fostering, as almost every shelter is full beyond capacity.

Each shelter welcomes donations, no matter how small, as every bit helps their mission.

To donate to Delta, you can visit the shelter located at 6975 County 426 M.5 Road in Escanaba Monday through Friday from 12 to 4 p.m. It is also open on the first and third Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you’re donating supplies after hours, there’s a bin right outside the front door where volunteers will pick it up the next day. For monetary donations after hours, visit deltaanimal.org and click the donate button in the top right corner, where donations can be sent directly to the shelter via PayPal.

Donations for Eva Burrel can visit the shelter located at 6091W US Highway 2, in Manistique, on Wednesdays from 12:30 to 6 p.m. and from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Tuesdays.

“During hours, we are equipped to take credit cards over the phone and provide you with an instant receipt,” Patricia said.

She added that checks are still the best way to donate and can be sent to the shelter’s address.

Both Bruce and Patricia are grateful to the communities that support them year-round.

“We have a really great community, especially around Christmas time. If we put a call out for anything, we get it, you know, so we’re very lucky in that aspect,” Bruce said.

She added that she and her staff are there to help the community and want individuals to reach out if they have questions or concerns regarding pets.

“If you ever need anything or you’re ever looking for support when it comes to stuff with your pets, just call or reach out, and we’ll help as best we can,” she said.