DOVER, DE- After a tough winter season, a new community project is working to protect stray animals in Dover throughout the year.
The initiative — supported by 2nd District Dover Councilman Brian Lewis — repurposes storage containers into makeshift shelters for abandoned cats and other animals.
Each container is modified with an entrance hole and filled with blankets and food to provide warmth and comfort.
The shelters have been placed in the Stoney Creek development in Dover, an area known for its growing stray animal population.
Lewis says stray cat colonies are becoming increasingly common in the area, and he wanted to find a way to help animals that have nowhere else to go.
With spring and summer approaching, organizers say these shelters — nicknamed "huts" — will also provide shade, along with food and water, to help animals survive the hotter months.
Local advocates stress the importance of this effort, as area animal shelters are overwhelmed and unable to take in more animals.
Organizers hope these makeshift shelters will offer vulnerable animals a safe place to stay, no matter the season.