The lives of several dogs and cats are in jeopardy tonight as an eastern Iowa animal shelter fights to keep its doors open.

CBS2s Robert Price reports from Tipton on the last minute attempt to save them.

Here in Tipton, at the shelter they call "Friends of the Animals", all the dogs and cats already have names.

"We get very attached to them," says long-time volunteer Lisa Jensen.

"They are like our babies, and we want the best for our babies," says shelter secretary Roberta Thomas.

There's Goldy, who's been here more than a year.

And Libby the beagle mix.

She just got here this summer.

Cuddles and Sara are barely two months old.

And yet all the animals at this no-kill shelter could soon be put down.

"Could you imagine this kitten being euthanized?"

The shelter says sadly it's a very real possibilty.

"It's never been as bad as it is now," says Jensen.

It costs about $3,000 a month to run the shelter.

But as a nonprofit, they don't get any money from the state or county.

Instead the shelter relies almost exclusively on private donations.

And recently, that's become a problem.

"Nobody has any money to help out," Jensen says.

Now they say they only have enough money to stay open for one more month.

If nothing changes, Cedar County's only animal shelter will close, and all these dogs and cats will be turned over to the state.

"Most of the shelters and the pounds in the state of Iowa are full, so there would be no place for the animals to go," says Thomas. "So they would probably be euthanized."

While the shelter says the biggest help will come from donations and volunteers, a sure-fire way to save these dogs is to adopt them. All cost $50 to $90, all are current on their shots, and all have been spayed or neutered.

"We really want to give them a chance and find a very good home for them," says Thomas.

"When you have a nice animal that would make a good family pet, then it would be a shame to have the animal euthanized," says Jensen.

http://www.foa.thinkhost.com/Tipton Animal Shelter's Future Unclear