Financial struggles have forced the St. Charles Humane Society to drop plans for a new shelter and focus on an appeal for donations and volunteers so they can continue to operate.

The organization has cut its staff  from 15 to 7 and cut back its hours. But officials tell the St. Louis Post-Dispatch without more donations and volunteers in the next several months, the shelter is at risk of closing. Its monthly operational expenses are $10,000 to $20,000, depending on veterinarian costs.  The group had gotten a permit in 2007 and hoped to raise $700,000 to build a 5,100-square-foot facility at its current location at 1099 Pralle Lane. But donations for that project dropped off at the end of last year, and they ares now focused on raising money for day-to-day operations. The group is a nonprofit organization and receives no local, state or federal funding.  Officials told the newspaper that they are unsure when and if they will be able to resume plans for a new shelter.