MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- A Clay County shelter is out of money and running low on food, so the people who care for the animals are asking the public to help keep the dogs and cats from going hungry.

The Safe Animal Shelter in Middleburg told Channel 4 it is running out of food for the 50 animals that currently live there.

The shelter, a no-kill facility, relies solely on donations for everything from cooling fans to cleaning supplies and -- like so many other organizations -- is suffering due to the down economy.

The shelter is worried they might have to start begging for food.

"Our furry friends at the safe animal shelter are crying out for help," volunteer Lara Hudson said. "It's been about three or four years since we've been down this low."

Most of the dogs at the shelter require two to four cups of chow twice every day, so they good through a lot of food. Hudson said they are down to a two-week supply.

"It's nerve-wrecking on a weekly basis when you come in and you don't know for sure if you're going to have enough food on the shelves or not," Hudson said.

Having already been either abused or abandoned, Hudson said her biggest fear is the added stress of hunger on the dogs.

"They're in with a lot of other animals that are barking and meowing. They don't get as much privacy as they need, so we try to make sure they eat plenty of food to keep their immune system functional," Hudson said.

Anyone wishing to help the shelter can contact them at http://www.safeanimalshelter.com/ or 904-276-7233.