Pam Moore is already having trouble securing vegetables for the Shepherd House pantry in Jim Thorpe.

Moore, a pantry representative, said she has the funds to buy them, and the pantry is stocked with other foods. But nearby stores are being careful about what they give out because of the pandemic.

“It’s just the availability of things,” Moore said.

Another issue Moore said she’s running up against is gathering supplies to help feed the pantry clients’ dogs and cats. A volunteer used to donate pet food to the Jim Thorpe pantry, but the supply stopped about two months ago. Moore said the last of the food was given out in March.

That became an issue ahead of its April distribution. So, Moore reached out to a local animal advocate: Denise Sebelin, vice president of Carbon County Friends of Animals.

Sebelin helped find resources for the pantry, and the night before its April distribution, Moore said it had a “kitchen full” of cat food, dog food and litter.

“The help has just been wonderful,” Moore said.

Last month, Shepherd House in Jim Thorpe also saw a jump in clients. Moore estimated it usually serves about 70; on April 11, it saw almost 200 in the area school district come out.

Stories of pets finding new homes have proved an unlikely silver lining in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. But for some local shelters - like CCFOA, who temporarily halted adoptions due to COVID-19 - the epidemic has caused a strain.

Dana Dunbar, who manages the Carbon County Friends of Animals Shelter in Jim Thorpe, told Times News in early April that the rescue was short of essentials. It had to cancel some regular fundraisers, and donations were low.

Adoptions were suspended when the state was shut down. Around that time, CCFOA had more than 200 cats in its care.

Palmerton Cat Project posted on its Facebook page Sunday that kitten season is in “full swing.” But rescuers’ trap, neuter, release efforts have been limited because of coronavirus, the organization’s president, Barb Greenzweig, said.

“There’s a number of things affecting how we operate,” Greenzweig said. “It’s been a challenge.”

Some of Palmerton Cat Project colony caretakers are elderly, staying inside because of the COVID-19 threat. Donations are down.

“They’re critically important to us,” Greenzweig said of the supplies and funds usually given by patrons. “We rely very heavily on the support of our community, and even good folks outside of our community who see the work that we do.”

If you want to help out local pet owners and shelters in need, food and litter can be ordered through the online pet store Chewy and sent to Deezines Flowers & Gifts at 900 Walnut Ave. in Jim Thorpe, Sebelin’s flower shop.

Donations can also be sent to CCFOA.

Palmerton Cat Project is accepting monetary help through its PayPal, which can be accessed through this link: PayPal.me/palmertoncatproject.

Greenzweig asks if you decide to order supplies for local rescues through Amazon, choose Amazon Smile instead. That way, a small percentage of your purchase can go toward a local rescue of your choosing, such as Palmerton Cat Project.