Meet the poster pups for Delco sheltering dysfunction

Is there anything cuter than a bundle of rescued puppies in a wooden crate surrounded by caretakers and Christmas decorations?

Nope.

They're named after Santa's reindeer no less. Cuteness.

That's why we'd like to fast forward, as Charles Dickens did,  to Christmas Future. Well not even that far ahead, how about Jan 1, two and a half weeks from now?

That's when the Delaware County SPCA will close its doors to strays. The shelter's board voted last year to become a no-kill facility, so they will pick and choose the dogs and cats they take in.

So I asked Delco SPCA spokeswoman Justina Calgiano: What would happen to these shepherd/Lab mix puppies found by Good Samaritans by the side of Rte 291 in Chester, on Jan. 2?

She told me they be taken to a facility contracted by the local municipality to provide animal control.

Only, wait, the city of Chester has no animal control contract yet and it's Dec. 13.

We hear a handful of municipalities are making arrangements with vet clinics to house strays and the Chester County SPCA is stepping up to help, but for the bulk of Delaware County towns and boroughs, nada.

We hope these seven abandoned puppies find happy homes by Christmas. We just wonder what will happen to the wandering dogs of Delaware County on New Year's Day.