"Doggie Party” to benefit the Berkshire Humane Society

May 14, 2008 Pittsfield, MA … A “Doggie Party” will be held Sunday May 18th from 10am 2pm at Knesset Israel Synagogue, 16 Colt Road, Pittsfield to benefit the Berkshire Humane Society. There will be games for all and prizes awarded. Donations for the animal shelter are gratefully accepted. A representative of the Berkshire Humane Society will be on hand with information about the various programs at BHS supported by community efforts like this. Come with or without a dog and help benefit our homeless furry friends at the Berkshire Humane Society. For more information call Raphaela Kramer at 413-499-7767.

Gala Dinner Event at Village Inn in Lenox
to Benefit Berkshire Humane Society Programs

April 11, 2008 Pittsfield, MA …The Village Inn in Lenox will host a gala dinner to benefit the Berkshire Humane Society’s Ken Freeberg Fund for Special Needs Animals and SafePet, a cooperative program with Pittsfield’s Elizabeth Freeman Center. The event will take place on Sunday, April 27th 5 to 9 p.m. Guests will enjoy an open bar and sumptuous passed hors d’oeuvres; select a gourmet beef, chicken, fish, or vegetarian entrée; choose one of several wines presented by the sommelier; and delight in a selection of the chef’s specialty desserts.

The cost of the evening is $100 per person. This includes open bar, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, wine, tax, and gratuities. Billy and Pat Soto, owners of the Village Inn, are very generously donating all proceeds from the event to the shelter’s Ken Freeberg Fund and SafePet.

The Ken Freeberg Fund, named in memory of a longtime friend of the shelter, helps pay some or all of the costs of caring for animals who come to the shelter with extraordinary medical needs. SafePet is a program that helps women in crisis situations by placing their pets in temporary foster homes. Many women are reluctant to leave their abuser for fear that the pet they leave behind will also be abused. By placing the animal in a safe foster home, BHS removes that obstacle. This program has enabled many women to take a needed first step toward a new life.

Reservations for the evening are limited and must be made in advance. For reservations or further information, call the shelter at 413/447-7878, Extension 31 or 413/229-8579.

Capital News 9 Covers BHS Food Bank Plight

April 3, 2008, Pittsfield, MA Capital 9 News reporter Ryan Burgess visited the BHS shelter recently to cover the plight of our seriously depleted food bank.

You can read Ryan's news story by clicking here.

While you are on the Capital 9 News website, don't forget to click on the video that accompanies the article (in the right-hand column next to the article).

Hill’s Pet Nutrition presents the 6th Annual Humane Race
To Benefit the Berkshire Humane Society

March 28, 2008, Williamstown, MA…Run or walk, with or without your dog at the Humane Race and Dog Jog presented by Hill’s Pet Nutrition while benefitting the Berkshire Humane Society. The 6th Annual race will take place on Sunday, May 4th, at Mt. Greylock Regional High School, 1781 Cold Spring Road (Route 7) in Williamstown, MA. Hill’s 6th Annual Humane Race offers both a 5K-trail run as well as a 1-mile fun run for kids 12 and under. Dogs are invited to participate with their owners in either distance category, but we suggest visiting the website, www.HumaneRace.org for “dog Jog” safety rules. Race day check-in and registration is from 8:00 – 9:30 A.M., the 1 mile fun run begins at 9:30am and the 5K starts at 10:00am. Hill’s 6th Annual Humane Race will also feature music by “D.J. Feel the Love”, Mark Santella, dog agility demonstrations by Sugar Bush Farm of Stephentown, NY featuring BHS alumni “Ziggy” and his owner BHS staff member Cheryl Truskowski. Also scheduled is a special visit from K-9 Officer Michael Ziemba and his famous bloodhound, “Blue”, as well as great prizes, refreshments and more!

Registration and pledge forms are available on their website, www.HumaneRace.org, or you can register on-line at www.active.com. Forms are also available at the Berkshire Humane Society in Pittsfield, Greylock Animal Hospital in North Adams, the Mountain Goat and theBrowns in Williamstown and The Arcadian Shop in Lenox. Fees are $20 to pre-register, and $25 to register on race day for the 5K, $5 to pre-register, and $10 on race day for the 1 mile Fun Run for Kids 12 and Under. The first 100 people to register for the 5K receive a Humane Race T-shirt, every 1-mile fun run participant will receive a small race keepsake, and all dogs will receive a doggie bandana. Prizes/medals will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in each 5K-age category.

This year, Hill’s Humane Race is also asking participants to raise additional funds through pledges to help support The Berkshire Humane Society. Pledge sheets are also available on the Humane Race website. Prizes will be awarded to the top pledge earner in both the “20 and Under”, and “21 and Over” categories.

All proceeds from the 6th Annual Humane Race go to support the Berkshire Humane Society and its many vital programs such as a pet food bank for economically distressed pet owners, free educational visits for local school children, and with the Elizabeth Freeman Center, to provide foster care for the pets of women in crisis. The Berkshire Humane Society is open Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm, Thursday evenings 5-8pm, and Sundays 1-4pm. The phone number is 413-447-7878. For more information or to become a member, please Click here.

The 6th Annual Humane Race and Dog Jog is generously sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Greylock Animal Hospital, theBrowns, The North Adams Transcript, The Advocate Weekly and iBerkshires.com. For more information, please contact Race Director, Alix Cabral at info@humanerace.org
or call (413)441-3677, or visit our website, www.HumaneRace.org.

Micro-chipping and Rabies Clinic to be held April 12TH

March 27, 2008, The Berkshire Humane Society is holding a Micro-chipping and Rabies Clinic for both cats and dogs on Saturday April 12th from 10am until 12pm at the Shelter located on 214 Barker Road in Pittsfield. The cost will be $25 for the micro-chipping which includes registration. Pre-registration forms are available for the Microchip and may be picked up during the shelters hours of operation. The rabies vaccines will be $10, to receive a 3-year vaccine; you will need to bring proof of a previous rabies vaccine. The staff asks that all dogs be on a leash, no flexi-leashes will be allowed. Special arrangements can be made for non-dog-friendly pets. All cats must be in carriers, no exceptions please.

The Berkshire Humane Society has been micro-chipping dogs and cats as part of the adoption process for two years. The Home Again Micro-chip is a small sterile transponder that contains a unique code capable of being read by a scanner and is no bigger than a grain of rice. The registration for the chip is entered into a database that has a 24/7-recovery service. Each pet will also receive a yellow tag, which alerts individuals that the pet has been micro-chipped. The Home Again recovery system has over 7,000 pet recoveries every month.

The City of Pittsfield will be issuing 2008 licenses during the event, to owners of all canines living in Pittsfield. The cost for a spayed or neutered canine is $8 (owners must provide proof of a spay or neuter procedure), and the cost for an intact canine is $20. Massachusetts state law requires that all owners of canines and felines over 12 weeks of age, receive a rabies vaccine for their pet and all cities and towns require that canines be properly vaccinated against rabies, before a dog license can be issued.

For more information please call the Berkshire Humane Society at (413) 447-7878. Business hours are Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm, Thursday evenings 5-8pm, and Sundays 1-4pm.

Berkshire Humane Society Requesting Donations
to Re-stock the Community Pet-food Bank

March 13, 2008, The Berkshire Humane Society is making a plea for donations, especially dry dog and cat food, to help replenish the Community Pet-food bank at the shelter. “Winter can be a difficult time of the year for many Berkshire County families and their pets”, says Karen Karlberg Community Outreach Coordinator at the Berkshire Humane Society. “With increases in gas and heating oil, families find it hard to make ends meet and still be able to feed their beloved pets. Our pet-food bank has been a welcomed resource for over one hundred and twenty five pet owners’ a year since it began in 1992”, added Karlberg.

“The BHS staff is usually able to give a 30-day supply of food to a needy pet owner when they come to the shelter on Barker Road. But supplies and donations have dwindled in the past month and that’s why we need to ask the community to help us restock the shelves”, said Karlberg. John Perreault, Executive Director of the Berkshire Humane Society added, “Having this resource of pet food available for the public is very important because if we can help keep a pet in its home by supplying the owner with pet food, then that means we will have an open kennel available when an animal has to be surrender to BHS.”

The Community Pet-Food Bank relies on donations from visiting scout troops, youth groups, area school children and even local supermarkets that have food drives during the year. Sealed bags of dry cat and dog food or canned food, rabbit and small animal feed, and even treats like dog biscuits can be dropped off at the shelter during hours of operation ; Sunday 1-4pm, Tues – Sat 10-4pm and Thursday 5-8pm. All donations are greatly appreciated by both the staff and the pet-food recipients.

WEBSITE HITS 1 MILLION PAGES VIEWED

January 30, 2008, The Berkshire Humane Society (BHS) announced today that their web site (www.BerkshireHumane.org) has now served over one million page views since tracking began in October 2003. “We are very gratified that this resource has helped so many people in the Berkshires and beyond to learn about the Berkshire Humane Society, our new shelter, the services and programs that we provide, and especially, the wonderful animals that we have available for adoption,” said John Perreault, BHS shelter manager.

The web site is currently serving between 8,000 and 10,000 visitors per month and an average of 25,000 page views per month (meaning that most visitors are looking at two or three pages per visit). “Our most popular page, other than the Home Page, is the page showing the dogs that we have available for adoption,” said Cheryl Truskowski, manager of Feline Operations at the BHS shelter. “Surprisingly, at least to me, the page showing available cats is only visited one third as often as the dog page,” she said. “We hope that more people interested in cats will visit the web site, as we always have many more cats in the shelter than dogs.”

In addition to showing the cats and dogs available for adoption, the web site features a page specializing in small animals, which include rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, gerbils, birds, reptiles, and many other species of pets. “The web site is also just an invaluable way for us to keep in touch with everyone in the Berkshires and beyond who care about the important work that we do here,” Perreault added. “We send out a paper newsletter every quarter, listing shelter news and events, but the web site is always on, always available, 24/7 to tell you what we’re up to, give you information about our animals, our Family Dog School, upcoming events, raffles, auctions, and everything else that we do.”

“One thing that’s extremely important in everything we do is watching our costs,” said Steve Pavlosky, BHS Trustee. “We are very proud of the fact that the Berkshire Humane Society has been rated a four-star charity by CharityNavigator.org, the leading charity reviewer on the web. We’ve maintained our four-star rating for four years in a row, a feat that only four percent of charities manage to do. And if you search for humane societies on Charity Navigator, you’ll find that our ranking puts us in the top 10 of all the humane societies they’ve looked at,” Pavlosky said.

“And a big reason for that is our focus on spending our money on our mission—caring for and placing the animals. Our web hosting service, design services, and maintenance are all donated to us and animal page updates are performed by our staff,” he continued, “so our web site is effectively free to run, which means it is an extremely cost-effective tool in our communications arsenal.”

But the BHS is not standing still. Perreault says, “I’ve got some big ideas for new things that I want to add to the web site. We're going to keep improving it, keep making it better. It’s a critical part of our operation and we know that we need to dedicate ourselves to constantly upgrading it.”

LEARN ABOUT PETS IN THE CLASSROOM
Next Session April 21st - 25th

The Berkshire Humane Society will conduct a week long children’s program called “Learn About Pets in the Classroom” during upcoming school vacations. The new program is designed for kids that just can’t learn enough about animals, and it gives parents an option of sending their child to a classroom learning environment during school vacations.

“Each day we will have a different subject in the world of animals: including household pets, wildlife, and exotic animals from around the globe,” says Karen Karlberg, Community Outreach Coordinator at BHS. The program will include interacting with pets while in the classroom, a variety of Arts & Crafts projects, discussing current animal related topics and events and learn about ways that kids can help animals on their own or as a group. “Furry visitors” will be brought into the classroom whenever possible, so please consider your child's allergies when sending them.

Participants will need to bring a lunch and beverages; we also recommend wearing clothes suitable for playing with animals and arts and crafts projects. BHS will be unable to accommodate early drop-offs or late-pickups for this program. Parents are advised that no students will be allowed in the shelter areas without an adult before and after the class begins. The Learn about Pets in the classroom program is open to students in grades 4 through 6. The next session will run April 21st — 25th, Monday through Friday 10am until 2pm. Children can come for just one day or for all five days; class size is limited to the first 10 children who have paid the $20 per day fee in full. You can download the Registration form (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) For more information please call Karen Karlberg, Community Outreach Coordinator at 413-447-7878 Ext. 29 or email her at bhskaren@berkshire.rr.com.

VOLUNTEER KENNEL CLEANERS ARE NEEDED

We need looking for dependable and caring adults who don’t mind hard work with lots of licks in return as a reward. Early morning Kennel cleaners are very important to ensure the health and comfort of the dogs. The tasks start at 8am and include giving the dogs their first morning walk, washing & drying of kennel floors, walls & drains. It also means helping the staff change the bedding, the water and washing food dishes. All we require is that volunteers be at least 16yrs old to work with the animals directly.

Please call the shelter at 413-447-7878 for an application or come to the shelter at 214 Barker Road in Pittsfield, during our hours of operation: Tuesday – Sat 10am - 4pm, Sunday 1-4pm and Thursday Evenings 5-8pm. Or download and print a copy of the Volunteer Application (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

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Volunteering at the Berkshire Humane Society

Help us start a new year of “helping animals and people” by volunteering at BHS. We have opportunities for dog walkers, cat-care givers, front desk reception help, grounds maintenance, fundraising events and mailings volunteers. If you would like to give back to our community, please consider donating your time to our homeless pets.

You need to be 16 years old to volunteer, Parents with children ages 12-14 can volunteer and their children may be able to accompany them. We will be glad to train you; the staff just asks that you can commit to the same hours every week on a regular schedule. For an application, stop by the shelter Tuesday – Saturday 10-4pm, Sunday 1-4pm and Thursday evenings 5-8pm or follow this link and download the Volunteer Application (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

The Berkshire Humane Society is an open admission shelter, providing refuge for homeless animals in Berkshire County, free educational programs for local school children, a pet-food bank for economically distressed pet owners, and assistance for The Elizabeth Freeman Center in providing women with a safe haven for their pets during crisis. BHS receives no public funding and relies on memberships and donations to continue to help Animals and People.

The shelter is open Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm, Thursday evenings 5-8pm, and Sundays 1-4pm. The shelter closes at noon on the last Wednesday of each month. The phone number is 413-447-7878.

NEW DONATION BOX DEBUTS IN BHS LOBBY!

Thanks to Marc Kellogg of Richmond, there is a new donation box in the shelter lobby. He recently gave BHS the new box to replace the last one after it was stolen during a break-in at the new facility on Barker Road in Pittsfield.

Marc enjoys woodworking as a hobby and graciously donated his time and materials for the handsome wooden, handcrafted box.

The BHS staff, and all the homeless animals at the shelter, appreciate his kind gesture.

At left is a photo of Marc donating the "First Dollar"!

New Online Donation Button

As part of our renewed 2005-2006 Membership Drive, BHS has partnered with Groundspring.org, a firm providing web services to non-profits, to enable online donations. You will notice the "Donate Now" button on every page of the website, just above the menu.

Clicking on the Donate Now button allows BHS supporters to quickly and easily make donations via Groundspring.org's secure website using a credit card. You can even set up recurring donations which will automatically be billed to your credit card. So, for example, someone who never seems to be able to come up with $100 to donate might instead set up a recurring donation of $10 per month. Painless for you, very valuable for the BHS and all of the homeless animals that depend upon us.

Why not give the Donate Now button a try right now? You'll be glad you did!

BHS Helping Victims of Hurricane Katrina

The Berkshire Humane Society is anticipating the arrival of displaced animals from Hurricane Katrina. We are asking the public’s help as Foster Homes for these pets.

We do have a Foster Home program in place, but it can not handle the expected increase from these homeless animals into our shelter.

If you are able to temporarily house these Four-Pawed Hurricane Victims, please call Karen the Community Outreach Coordinator at 413-447-7878 ext 29 to request a Foster Home application and arrange a site-visit.

Click here for more information about our Foster Care program.

Click here for a downloadable Foster Care Application. Please print the form out of your computer, fill it in, and fax it to Karen Karlberg at 413-443-3347. You may also email Karen at bhskaren@berkshire.rr.com with further questions.

Photo: AP/Dave Martin


Wonderful Response Thanks to everyone who responded to our request for supplies for the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina. We were able to gather and send an enormous amount of food and other supplies by truck to the afflicted area. Also, we have been very gratified to receive offers for Foster Homes from as far away as Albany, NY. More help is still needed, so keep those Foster Home offers coming! Thank-you.



   

   

 

Bark in the Park

May 4, 2005

Bark in the Park Pledge Forms Now Available at Berkshire Humane Society

Pittsfield, MA. The Berkshire Humane Society will hold its annual "Bark in the Park" dog walk and fun match to benefit the shelter's homeless animals on Sunday, May 22 at the Pittsfield Common on First Street, Pittsfield. The Pledge forms for the upcoming Bark in the Park event are available at the shelter during hours of operation, area veterinary hospitals, Pretty Paws on Elm Street in Pittsfield, Petco, Dunkin Doggies on West Housatonic Street, The Greylock Federal Credit Union on West Street and other area businesses. This annual event is a major fundraiser for the Berkshire Humane Society, with last year's participants raising over $15,000. The event will cover an easy 1.5 mile course in downtown Pittsfield, with a variety of activities including ongoing Obedience Fun matches, ongoing Canine Good Citizen testing, vendors and food will be for sale. There will be prizes for the individual and team who collect the most in pledges, with donations being tax deductible or eligible for matching gifts. All walkers will receive great items depending on the dollar amount raised. Walkers collecting $150 or more will receive a free Berkshire Humane Society sweatshirt and other items.

For additional information on the Bark in the Park, feel free to call the shelter or visit the website.

Geriatric Care for the Older Pet

May 4, 2005

Pittsfield, MA . The Berkshire Humane Society has announced that it has brought back its popular Coffee Hour Seminar Series. The seminars are free and open to the public. They will be held in the classroom of the new shelter located at 214 Barker Road. "The first three seminars have been scheduled for the spring and we are planning to have a few more in the fall", noted John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society Manager. "The seminars are generally very well attended by people looking to learn even more about responsible pet care and ownership of many types of pets, said Perreault. The first three topics will be rabbit care and behavior, geriatric care for the older pet and nutrition.

The second seminar will be Geriatric Care for the Older Pet with Dr. John Reynolds. Dr. Reynolds has worked closely with Berkshire Humane Society for many years. He has extensive knowledge of all pets and enjoys helping people keep their pets healthy and happy. With so many advances in medical care for our companion animals, pets are now living longer however; their needs change as they age. Dr. Reynolds will be talking about the specific needs of senior pets; including dietary, medical and exercise requirements.

The Geriatric Care for the Older Pet seminar will take place on Wednesday, May 11th from 6:30 to 8 P.M. Refreshments will be served. For more information please call the shelter at (413) 447-7878.

Rabbit Care and Behavior Seminar

April 6, 2005

The Berkshire Humane Society has announced that it has brought back its popular Coffee Hour Seminar Series. The seminars are free and open to the public. They will be held in the classroom of the new shelter located at 214 Barker Road. “The first three seminars have been scheduled for the spring and we are planning to have a few more in the fall”, noted John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society Manager. “The seminars are generally very well attended by people looking to learn even more about responsible pet care and ownership of many types of pets, said Perreault. The first three topics will be rabbit care and behavior, geriatric care for the older pet and nutrition.

The first seminar will be Rabbit Care and Behavior with Tom Verdi. Tom has been working with the Berkshire Humane Society and rabbit rescue organizations over the past 6 years. Tom is a member of The House Rabbit Connection and 3 Bunnies Rabbit Rescue. Both these organizations provide foster care and resocialization for surrendered and abandoned pet rabbits throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. Tom will be speaking on such topics as proper housing, sanitation, exercise, health care and behavior of rabbits.

The Rabbit Care and Behavior seminar will take place on Wednesday, April 13th from 6:30 to 8pm. Refreshments will be served. For more information please call the shelter at (413) 447-7878.

Wild Birds Country Store Fundraiser

April 4, 2005

Wild Birds Country Store Fundraiser for Berkshire Humane Society

The Wild Birds Country Store at 783 Main Street in Gt. Barrington is having a fundraiser for The Berkshire Humane Society. By making a donation of $2.95 towards the BHS building fund, you can vote for your favorite cookie; either in the shape of a cat or dog. Cast your vote for your Stuff yourself and the ballot box by pre-ordering four or more delicious cookies. For more information please call Wild Birds Country Store at 413-644-9007, or to place your orders of four or more cookies. Contest ends April 30th.

Radio-Thon!

March 31, 2005

Berkshire Humane Society Radio-a-thon Results

March 29, 2005 Pittsfield, MA . The Berkshire Humane Society announced today that the first ever radio-thon, hosted by the Vox Radio Group of the Berkshire's raised $9,000 for the local charity's capital campaign. 'The donations received from the radio-thon will be matched by a challenge grant. Berkshire Humane Society has nine months to raise $100,000, and if they succeed, then the funds will be matched dollar for dollar," noted Steve Pavlosky, Chairman of the society's capital campaign. Pavlosky stated that to date the organization has raised a little over three million towards their 4 million dollar goal.

Joyce Marshall, the market manager for Vox Radio Group, pioneered the idea for the radiothon. She has previously done radio-thons for other markets, and believed Berkshire County would be supportive of one for their community.. Joyce commented "The homeless animals cannot speak for themselves, so for twelve hours; the station became that voice and devoted their time and expertise in helping educate listeners from their FM stations, WUPE and Live 105.5, about responsible pet care and the Berkshire Humane Society".

Berkshire Humane Society is an open admission shelter, providing refuge for homeless animals in Berkshire County, free educational programs for local school children, a pet-food bank for economically distressed pet owners, and assistance for The Elizabeth Freeman Center in providing battered and abused women with a safe haven for their pets during crisis.

BHS Hosting Steve Caporizzo’s Prime Time Pet Connection

March 11, 2005

John Perreault, Shelter Manager, is announcing that Steve Caporizzo’s Prime Time Pet Connection will be filmed at the shelter on Thursday March 17th. “We are very excited to host the second prime time edition of the Pet Connection here at the Berkshire Humane Society Shelter on Barker Road. This is a chance to showcase the pets available for adoption from various shelters and to show off our fabulous new building as well”. Steve Caporizzo has been a long time supporter of our shelter and chose BHS as one of the four regional shelters to host his new prime time edition of “The Pet Connection”. John also stated” We have placed many pets in great homes because of Steve Caporizzo and WTEN’s commitment to help homeless animals around the region. The half hour show features specific pets that have been at local area shelters for a while and need some extra help in finding that “Forever Home”. The show will be broadcast on March 22 at 8pm on Channel 10.

BHS Staffers Receive Scholarships to Attend National Animal Care Conference

March 1, 2005

Animal Care Professionals Have Georgia on Their Minds at The Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Care Expo, April 6-9, Atlanta

Three staff members of the Berkshire Humane Society; Karen Karlberg Community Outreach Coordinator, Tara Sherman Feline Care and Megan Licata Canine Care, have been awarded scholarships to attend the annual Animal Care Expo. The conference, held yearly by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is the largest educational conference in the world for animal care and control professionals. This year, the conference will be held April 6 – 9 in Atlanta, Georgia. John Perreault, Shelter Manager says, “The scholarships will enable these individuals to add to the level of professionalism at the shelter. They will be able to teach the rest of our staff the latest trends in animal care, volunteerism, development and technology”.

In total, approximately 40 people received scholarship assistance to enable them to attend Expo. Recipients of the scholarship were chosen by each HSUS regional office and their selections were based on the financial need of the shelter and the benefit attending Expo would have for the community. The scholarship is funded in part by Hill’s Science Diet.

Animal Care Expo attracts professionals from the United States and beyond who are involved in the humane sheltering, care, control, and protection of domestic and wild animals. Attendees include humane society directors and board members, shelter managers and staff, wildlife rehabilitators and humane educators. This year, over 30 professional development workshops will be held, along with daylong certificate courses and networking receptions.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than 8.5 million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animals and sustainable agriculture. The HSUS protects all animals through legislation, litigation, investigation, education, advocacy and fieldwork. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country.

Digit the 3-Legged Cat

March 1, 2005

Digit the 3-legged cat is now resting comfortably at The Berkshire Humane Society waiting for adoption. A Good Samaritan brought this gorgeous male grey tiger Maine Coon mix to the shelter on Wednesday, February 23rd. It did not take long for this cat to endear himself to the BHS staff. Cheryl Truskowski, Feline Supervisor, said, “Digit has a magnificent personality and we wanted to go the extra mile to save this cat”. His story began when he was found as a stray in the Samaritan’s barn. He had been there for a month then disappeared for a few days and returned with a very serious injury. More than half of his rear left foot was missing. All that remained was a single digit, that’s why he was aptly named Digit by the BHS feline staff.

Digit was brought to South Street Veterinary Hospital in Pittsfield, on that same afternoon, where Dr. Ray Reiners, performed surgery on the misfortunate feline the next morning. Due to the severe tissue damage, Dr. Ray had no other choice than to amputate the entire leg. Truskowski says, “Digit is responding well to his surgery and has kept his good nature throughout the recovery process, proving that it was the right decision to try and save this lucky feline”. She further noted that every animal entering the shelter is important and has their own story. However, when an injured pet enters the facility and he/she remains outgoing and friendly despite the pain they are suffering, human nature makes you want to immediately do whatever you can to ease the pain and help that pet.

She also stated “We are now in search of a suitable home for this great cat”. Digit will need to be strictly an indoor cat; he does get along with other cats and children but not dogs. John Perreault, Shelter Manager said, “We were able to treat Digit because of a couple of Angels that have donated money specifically for unfortunate situations like Digits. Even though the shelter had to pick up some of the cost of the surgery, the discount we received from South Street along with the donations from the Angels, we were able to save this great cat”! Truskowski also said, “This is a good example of why you should not let your cats outside unsupervised. We are still not sure if the cat’s injury was from a leg hold trap, an attack from another animal or if his injuries were caused by an automobile”. If you are interested in adopting this wonderful special needs cat or donating to the Special Needs Fund please contact the Berkshire Humane Society at 413-447-7878, Tues-Sat 10-4pm, Sun 1-4pm or Thur. 5-8pm.

February is “Prevent a Litter Month”

February 9, 2005

The Berkshire Humane Society announced that February is “Prevent a Litter Month”. The Society will celebrate the month by distributing spay / neuter certificates to those individuals who cannot afford to have this very important surgery performed without some type of financial aid. The value of the certificates will be 60 dollars for felines and 75 dollars for canines. These certificates will reduce the price of a spay/neuter at participating veterinarian hospitals.

Nationally, between 8 and 12 million animals are surrendered to shelters yearly, of that, 70% of cats and 60% of dogs never find a home due to pet overpopulation. The Berkshire Humane Society saw over 2 thousand pets enter their doors in 2004. “By making sure that all of our shelter adoptees are spayed and neutered and by helping those families who otherwise could not have afforded to have this important surgery performed, BHS hopes to continue to see a decrease in the number of unwanted births in our community”, noted John Perreault, shelter manager for BHS.

By having your dog or cat spayed or neutered, you are making your animal a more pleasant companion by cutting down on odor, scent marking, yowling, restlessness and aggression. The surgery will also help keep your companion healthier, by reducing the risk of certain infections and several forms of cancer. By sterilizing your pet you will also save the expense and trouble of placing animals in proper homes, the results would increase the chances of unwanted shelter animals finding those home. Perreault stated that the certificates are for those people who could not be able to afford the surgery without the certificate. He noted the funds are limited and have been made available by the Hilton C. Hamm Trust. For more information on Pet Overpopulation and spaying and neutering, please call the Berkshire Humane Society at (413) 447-7878.

Berkshire Humane Society Receives Matching Grant!

January 6, 2005

John Perreault, shelter manager of the Berkshire Humane Society, announced today that they have received a $100,000 matching grant for the Society's Capital Campaign in 2005. The $100,000 dollar grant from an anonymous donor will match dollar for dollar all funds raised up to the grant limit.

Berkshire Humane Society kicked off their shelter campaign more than three years ago. The original goal was to raise $4 million to build a new animal shelter located at 214 Barker Road. "So far, the Humane Society has raised $2.9 million towards its goal", quoted Steve Pavlosky, campaign chairman. "The Board of Directors voted to move forward with the project before the funds were in place", noted Pavlosky. Robert Fuster, founder and President of the Board noted "It was time as we were located in the basement of a barn and we could only house approximately 20 adult animals. We couldn't even handle the volumes of visitors, not to mention the major flooding which took place every spring. We have faith in our community to help us raise the needed funds to keep our shelter operating in a professional and responsible manner".

The matching grant comes at a crucial time as the Capital Campaign Committee readies itself to finish the campaign during 2005. "We're excited about the $100,000 matching grant and we believe this will be a major incentive to BHS supporters and we look forward to everyone's help", says Pavlosky. The only stipulation with the matching grant money is that the donations have to be received between January 1st and September 30th of 2005. Any pledges that were made during the previous years do not count toward the matching grant.

"The one major obstacle we have faced over the past year is that whenever someone sees our building they assume that it is already paid for. They may not understand that we are carrying a mortgage and have not reached our goal yet", stated Perreault. Once the mortgage is paid, we would be able to increase the level of assistance to the animals in our care as well as to public. For more information about the campaign or the matching grant please call John Perreault at (413) 447-7878 extension 33.

The Holiday Spirit

We are always very gratified by the generosity of those around us, and never more so than during the Holiday Season.

Our sincere thanks to Diane Lescarbeau (left), who donated her winnings from a recent Talent Contest to the Berkshire Humane Society.

Diane got a big hug from President Robert Fuster for her generosity.

And our thanks, also, to Hank & Sharon Perreault & family (right). They came to our Holiday Open House and surprised the shelter staff with their donation of a much needed and very much appreciated video camera.

Thanks again!

Holiday Auction Sets Record

Pittsfield, MA November 24, 2004

Almost 300 animal lovers and holiday shoppers helped make the 2004 Berkshire Humane Society’s auction our most successful ever. Guests at the November 14th champagne brunch and auction at Seven Hills Inn and Resort in Lenox helped raise a record $47,000 for the shelter.

Bids were placed on over 250 items that had been donated by businesses and individuals in Berkshire County and surrounding areas. An additional 30 items were raffled and another 30 items were sold for the care of animals with special needs.

Also drawn at the Auction were the Lucky Dog Raffle winners: Carol Lancaster of Lee won $1000, Joan Andros of New Lebanon, NY $500, Donald Kruck of Washington $250, Joan Murphy of Pittsfield $150 and M. Mark Lee of NYC $100.

Berkshire Humane Society Honors Donors

Pittsfield, MA Oct. 25, 2004
Berkshire Humane Society unveiled a plaque October 16th, 2004 honoring its Guardian, Patron, and Angel level donors. Shelter Manager John Perreault introduced Chairman of the Board Robert Fuster and Campaign Director Steven Pavlosky, who unveiled the wall piece. Cindy and Ron Bartlett were chairpersons of the event that was host to over 150 guests. Music was provided by a quartet from the Berkshire Music School and Christopher Michael Vecchia.



The second phase of the Shelter capital Campaign has been announced on billboards throughout Berkshire County and marked on a campaign thermometer on the lawn of the Barker Road facility. Potential donors have been introduced to the wide range of services provided to the animal and human populations of Berkshire County at a series of shelter events.



The new shelter has housed and cared for homeless and abandoned animals at capacity levels since its opening in July 2003. Berkshire Humane Society is an open admission shelter. It provides refuge for homeless animals in Berkshire County, offers educational programs for local school children, operates a pet food bank for pet owners in temporary need of help, and collaborates with the Elizabeth Freeman Center to provide foster care for the animals of women in crisis.

Volunteer Humane Educators Needed!

If you enjoy animals and children, please consider volunteering as a Humane Educator for the BHS. Volunteer educators are needed to visit area grammar schools and teach kids about responsible pet ownership. You only need to give a couple of hours per week to visit a classroom. Retired educators are encouraged to volunteer, but experience is not necessary. We will provide training.

To volunteer as a Humane Educator, please come in and fill out an application with the Community Outreach Coordinator, Karen Karlberg, Tuesday through Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM or call her at 413-447-7878 ext. 29.

Thank you for considering volunteering for this important and rewarding task!

Horse Show Sets a Record

There were over 80 entrants in this year's 12th Annual Benefit Horse Show at Overmeade Farm in Lenox, MA. We raised over $13,000 to help feed and care for our shelter animals.

Kathy Gates and Lynn West were again the co-chairs of the event. They have assumed these roles since the horse show began. Kathy said “There was a great response from individuals and business who sponsored the classes and divisions. Legacy Bank underwrote the food concession and that was a tremendous help." A special thanks goes to Sally & Ken Hart, owners of Overmeade Farm, for their continued support of this event.

HAVEN Receives Generous Grant - Sept. 15, 2004

HAVEN (Human/Animal Violence Education Network), a program of Berkshire Humane Society, has received a $15,000 grant from the Edith Goode Residuary Trust. The grant was announced at a HAVEN meeting today by Dr. Lorna Grande, the veterinarian who heads the program. “This will allow us to continue and expand our important work,” Dr. Grande said, noting that earlier grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and from the Corporation for National Service helped get the program started.

The new funds will be used for outreach and education, particularly to criminal justice professionals, stressing the connections between animal abuse and human violence, and the opportunities for intervention before cases become very serious. Public service announcements, humane education to schools, further website development, and individual meetings with key decision makers are also planned. The HAVEN web presence can be found at www.havennetwork.org; it provides important contact information useful to people who witness animal cruelty or human violence, and it gives background and historical information on HAVEN and the problems it addresses.

Anyone interested can contact HAVEN at 447-7878, ext 40. Those who would like to attend monthly HAVEN meetings at Berkshire Humane on Barker Road in Pittsfield are welcome. The next meeting will be Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 10:00.

Open House Adoption Day

The rain did not dampen the spirits of those attending our Open House on August 21st.

See for yourself how much fun was had.

Cider & Donuts courtesy of Bartletts Orchards, Ice Cream Social provided by our friends at Ben & Jerry's, the use of the popcorn wagon by Carr Hardware and WUPE did a radio remote show.


Other sponsors of the event included:

• Allegrone Construction
• Subway
• Gigliotti Electric
• Dettinger Lumber
• Cardillo & Sons
• Bradley Architects Inc.
• Scotts Carpet, and
• Fuster & Fuster Associates.

Thanks to everyone who came and supported this fun event!

Rotary Poster Project

Members of the local Rotary and their families joined us at the shelter for a Pizza & Poster-making party.



The children of Rotary members made posters for many of the animals at the shelter, complete with photographs and explanations of why each animal was deserving of a "forever home".




Thanks to everyone for participating and thanks to Julia Reynolds (age 8) for the wonderful new slogan she coined for the evening: “WE’RE KEEPING OUR PAWS CROSSED THAT WE GET ADOPTED!”

2nd Annual Humane Race a Big Success

Cool temperatures and a light misty rain were specially ordered for the canine competitors at the 2nd Annual Humane Race and Dog Jog 5K held on Sunday, May 2nd at Mt. Greylock High School.

The weather didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the human participants, either, as they ran, jogged or walked their way to the finish line, raising over $4,000 for the shelter!

In fact, high spirits prevailed as dogs of all shapes and sizes made friends, waited their turn for a dip in the doggie pool and enjoyed delicious snacks provided by Wellness Pet Foods.

For more information on the Humane Race and our sponsors, and to see fun photos from the race, please visit our website at www.HumaneRace.org.

Also, we're looking for a few great volunteers to help organize the event in 2005. If you are interested, please contact Alix Cabral, Race Director at info@humanerace.org. And please check the website in late September for the date of our 2005 race!

HUGE THANKS go out to the following sponsors for helping to make The Humane Race 2004 such a smashing success:

Platinum Sponsors

• Wellness Pet Food
• The Advocate Weekly Newspaper
• Vivian Patterson
• Karen and Jon Kusko

Gold Sponsors

• Williamstown Physical Therapy
• West Oil
• Greylock Animal Hospital
• Williamstown Savings Bank

Silver Sponsors

• Alton & Westall Real Estate
• Dion Money Management
• Burr & McCallum, Architects
• True North Financial
• Harsch Associates Real Estate
• Countryside Landscape Services
• The Law Offices of Sherwood Guernsey
• Scarafoni Associates
• Bruce Grinnell
• Joan Hunter
• Mahaiwe Tent
• 1896 House
• Jiminy Peak

Bronze Sponsors

• Umlauf & Dunn, PC
• H.A. George Fuel
• Law Offices of Robert C. Ware
• Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Funeral Home
• The Cottage of Williamstown
• Eziba at MASS MoCA
• The Orchards Hotel
• Images Cinema
• The Mountain Goat of Williamstown
• The Williams Inn
• Water Street Books
• Klein's All Sports
• Jackie's Contemporary Clothing
• Mt. Williams Greenhouse
• Lickety Split of MASS MoCA
• Lickety Split of Williamstown
• Cold Spring Coffee Roasters
• The Clip Shop of Williamstown
• Moonlight Diner
• Stop & Shop of North Adams
• Price Chopper of North Adams
• Wal-Mart of North Adams

Berkshire Milestones

Please read the wonderful article about the Berkshire Humane Society and our new shelter, published by the Berkshire Eagle in their special "Berkshire Milestones" supplement on February 25, 2004!

Prevent-a-Litter Month

In February 2004, The Berkshire Humane Society joined animal shelters across the country to celebrate “Prevent-a-Litter” month, raising awareness of the thousands of animals that are humanely euthanized every year due to pet overpopulation.

Having pets spayed or neutered is the simplest way to cut down on the number of pets that can’t find homes. Everyone who had a pet altered at a participating veterinary office during February was entered in a drawing to win a 20-inch, flat-screen, color TV/DVD/VHS combo set, and the veterinary office that performed the surgery for the winner will be treated to a pizza luncheon, courtesy of Berkshire Humane Society.

The winners of the TV/DVD/VHS combo system were Chris and Dawn Shoestock of North Adams, MA. The Shoestocks had their one-year old Great Pyrenees, "Daisy", spayed at the South Street Veterinary Hospital on February 21st. The entire staff at South Street Veterinary Hospital were treated to a pizza party, courtesy of the BHS.

The society handed out discount certificates for dog and cat spays/neuters to anyone who could not afford to have the surgery performed.

BHS has helped over 1,900 people who needed financial assistance to neuter their pets since 1993. That could not be done without the support of the local veterinary community, as well as The Hilton C. Hamm Trust.

For More Information, please contact us at 413-447-7878 or see your local veterinarian.

2003 Holiday Auction Raises Over $40,000

The Berkshire Humane Society’s annual holiday brunch and auction at the Seven Hills Inn in Lenox on November 16th helped to raise more than $40,000 to benefit its many programs.

Some 190 guests attended the brunch and more participated in both the silent and live auctions. Cheryl Hutto conducted the live auction. This year’s crowd had a wide range of items and services to bid on, all donated by area businesses and individuals.

Porsche Boxster Raffle

The BHS has raffled off our Porsche Boxster!

The winning ticket was drawn at approximately 12:20 PM EST on October 24, 2003 by Gene Shalit, NBC media personality and local BHS supporter.

The winning ticket number was 0082, purchased by Bruce & Nancy Walker of Lanesboro, MA.

Mr. Shalit and Shelter Manager John Perreault called Nancy Walker with the fantastic news. She told us that her cat was sitting on her lap listening as she found out she had won!

Congratulations to the Walkers and thanks to everyone that participated.

The Porsche Raffle was one of BHS's most successful fund-raising events ever, raising approximately $55,000 for the shelter.