Berkshire Humane Society has secured $100,000 in grants to help financially strapped dog and cat lovers spay, neuter, vaccinate and microchip animals in their care. With the grants, the independent nonprofit animal welfare organization will help up to 370 cats, including free roaming community cats, and 145 dogs receive free or low-cost spay and neuter surgeries. Up to an additional 150 animals will receive subsidized health examinations, vaccines or microchips. Berkshire Humane Society’s veterinarians based out of the society’s Wellness Clinic on Dalton Avenue will provide these services both onsite and at mobile clinics.
The John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, a supporting organization of the Northwest CT Community Foundation, granted $75,000 to support Berkshire Humane Society’s Medical Program to help 500 underserved animals in Berkshire County. With the grant, clients of the shelter’s Pet Food Pantry will have priority for spay and neuter subsidies for up to 300 cats and 100 dogs, resulting in final costs of zero to $275, depending on the procedure (spay or neuter), species and size of the animal. Up to 50 additional clients will receive subsidized services such as health examinations and bloodwork testing, and up to 100 clients will receive free vaccines and microchips at mobile clinics in northern Berkshire County.
The Massachusetts Animal Coalition (MAC) Pet Plate Grant program awarded $15,000 through the “I’m Animal Friendly” license plate program for low-cost spay and neuter surgeries to 50 cats in Berkshire Humane Society’s Community Cat Program and 25 dogs of people enrolled in the society’s Pet Food Bank. MAC grants funds annually to organizations who demonstrate a need for funding for low-cost spay/neuter services, with a cumulative total of almost $3.3 million awarded to deserving organizations. The “I’m Animal Friendly” charitable license plates are available through Massachusetts RMV and are tax deductible (see www.petplate.org).
Benson’s Pet Center awarded $10,000 through the Benson’s CARES program for animal care charities to provide low-cost spay and neuter surgeries to 20 cats and 20 dogs, with rabies vaccinations and microchips, if needed. Benson’s CARES hopes to help pet overpopulation by developing relationships with local shelters to develop a low-cost spay and neuter program for those who need it, preventing suffering of unwanted or uncared-for animals.
“In this day and age, many people with pets are struggling to care for their animals,” said John Perreault, Executive Director of Berkshire Humane Society. “We’re grateful to the Wiederhold Foundation, MAC and Benson’s for their generosity and commitment to animal welfare,” he said. “Adoption will always be a part of Berkshire Humane Society’s mission, but our primary goal is to keep animals out of the shelter and in their loving homes. The need is endless. These grants will help provide affordable spay and neuter surgeries and life-saving medical services for pets to people who need it most.”
Berkshire Humane Society opened a Wellness Clinic at the former Allen Heights Veterinary Hospital on Dalton Avenue in 2023 to provide affordable and accessible preventative and urgent care veterinary services. The clinic now offers spay and neuter services to the public. “In the more than 30 years Berkshire Humane Society has been in operation, we’ve seen fewer litters surrendered to the shelter,” said Perreault. “We credit this to our education and past grants funding low-cost spay and neuter surgeries. However, since the pandemic, we’ve seen a 21% increase in kittens from household and Community Cat litters. We attribute this to increased cat ownership and decreased timely and affordable spay and neuter options,” he said.
Berkshire Humane society vaccinates, spays/neuters and microchips every cat and dog adopted through the animal shelter. Each year the society also spays/neuters about 200 free roaming, unowned cats through the Community Cat program (formerly Animal D.R.E.A.M.S). Berkshire Humane Society’s Pet Food Bank, offers pet food assistance through the main shelter on Barker Road in Pittsfield, Purradise in Great Barrington, local people food pantries and Elder Services’ Meals on Wheels. Last year the program more than doubled the number of clients served, filling almost 4,700 requests for food. For more information, contact Berkshire Humane Society at 413-447-7878 or BerkshireHumane.org.