(WSIL) -- It's not just your favorite restaurant struggling to meet demand. Animal rescues are also feeling the labor shortage.
"We're just really I think begging for help."
Amy James is a Volunteer Coordinator who wears many hats at Perry County Humane Society. She says they are seriously struggling to find enough staff to stay open.
"You know, because volunteers make up the most of our hands on people, but staff wise we can't even get people in an actual paid position to come do the work, to actually make money."
While they are also short on volunteers, she says the non-profit shelter can't afford to pay much for paid positions that she says are fairly labor intensive.
"So we're limited pocketbook wise what we can offer, so we are at minimum wage."
Wright Way Rescue Director of Development, Siri LeBaron, tells News 3 they know the struggle, and the problem is more than just staffing.
"The lack of medical resources was really intense for a few months. We couldn't get gloves, we couldn't get anything that overlapped with human care."
Worried about supplies, care providers had to prioritize services.
"Many vet clinics decided to close all together or slow down immensely and to save their supplies for emergency surgeries, not the elective surgeries of spays and neuters, so we knew we were going to see a huge wave of puppies and kittens this season."
More rescues and less rescuers -- It's somewhat of a perfect storm with real consequences. Meet Sheena, a rescued mother who was supposed to be sent to Wright Way Rescue's adoption center in Chicago, but can't now due to staffing issues.
"So many businesses, so many organizations are feeling the exact same pressure and I'm sure it's multi faceted, but it does seem that people just right now, they don't feel safe to come to work, or they are more comfortable in another situation, and the workforce has really dried up," says LeBaron.
"If we can't find the hands and the people to do this work, what are we - we're going to have to close, and then what do we do with the animals? Where do they go?" says James.
The Perry County Humane Society says they are desperate for help and have both paid and volunteer options available. If you are interested in helping out .
