For over 30 years, Berkshire Humane Society has served the community by caring for homeless animals and helping pet owners in need. Now more than ever we understand the idea of family. What it means to us. How we want our family to thrive. And how much we love and cherish their safety. Berkshire Humane Society wants to safeguard our future against challenging times to continue providing for our family – which is why we are conducting the Forever Family Campaign.
This groundbreaking project will lay the foundation for Berkshire Humane Society’s future – and there are great ways for you to get involved! We will create a strong endowment to ensure financial stability for years to come; update and expand our facility to better care for our four-legged family members; and invest in life-saving programs and education to support families and keep pets in homes. Our priorities include:
Priority 1: Strong Endowment
As part of our strategic plan, Berkshire Humane Society wants to support our family not only now, but in the future by creating a healthy endowment. An endowment will allow us to proactively anticipate needs rather than reactively respond to them. It’s the fiscally responsible way to keep our family strong – forever!Priority 2: Capital Improvements
BUILD A DEDICATED WELLNESS SUITE FOR ALL SHELTER ANIMALS.This space will have state-of-the-art equipment to care for our shelter animals including new mandatory state health checks before adoption, medical procedures and a dedicated area for visiting veterinarians to allow for the treatment of our shelter animals.
IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY CAT CENTER.
Our Community Cat Program, formerly Berkshire Animal D.R.E.A.M.S., is a TNR (trap, neuter, return) program for community (feral) cats to help reduce populations of feral cats and transition friendly strays and kittens to indoor-only family members. Currently they use a detached shed (the "Catty Shack") at our main shelter for storing equipment and temporarily holding community cats. The shed has no running water, so Berkshire Humane Society plans to enclose and plumb our loading dock area to serve community cats better.
CREATE A FELINE SAFEPET ROOM.
With our SafePet Program, we temporarily board pets of community members in crisis. We have dedicated space for dogs, but SafePet cats have been placed in foster care or in various feline holding areas at the shelter. A dedicated Feline SafePet room will make a comfy home away from home for cats while their people receive the care they need.
Priority 3: Life-Saving Programs
GROW OUR FAMILY DOG SCHOOL.Research shows animals are less likely to be returned and surrendered if they are properly trained. Our Family Dog School, one of only a few positive reinforcement training facilities in our area, cannot keep up with current demand for our services. We will hire more staff and use virtual training opportunities to meet the demand now and increase depth and breadth of our training offerings for the future.
INITIATE ACCESS TO CARE PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING OUR FIRST WELLNESS CLINIC.
The love of a family member is priceless, but to some pet owners, routine veterinary care can be cost-prohibitive. We will begin a regular program targeting low-income pet families and offer no or low-cost services such as nail clipping, vaccinations and parasite control in addition to our current low-cost spay and neuter programs.
HEIGHTEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
We have 15 full-time and 12 part-time employees and 200 volunteers. Maintaining their currency in the animal welfare field is integral to our mission. Investing in them through training and continuing education helps us maintain a high standard of excellence and retain an educated and dedicated work family.
Donate to the John C. Reynolds Adoption and Education Center fund
Help continue the compassionate legacy of beloved veterinarian Dr. John Reynolds with a gift to match the generous $500,000 donation from his family. Once we meet the match, we'll name our animal shelter the John C. Reynolds Adoption and Education Center!