Berkshire Humane Society to hand out pet food at three county locations
Berkshire Humane Society will give out up to 1,300 bags of cat and dog food to pet owners in need during three drive-thru “Pet Food Pantry Holiday Help” events the weekend before Christmas. Times and locations are; Saturday, December 20th 9:00 am to 11:00 am at White House Square in Great Barrington, 325 Stockbridge Road; Saturday, December 20th 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Carr Hardware in North Adams, 179 State Road; and Sunday, December 21st 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Dr. John Reynolds Adoption and Education Center (main shelter), 214 Barker Road in Pittsfield.
Cat and dog owners can drive up to the distribution point and remain in their vehicle while someone takes their order and loads it into their vehicle. Cat owners will get a 6-pound bag of food and dog owners will get a 20-pound bag, no questions asked. The events are open to all, regardless of enrollment in Berkshire Humane Society’s Pet Food Bank and are made possible by generous donations from Wendy and James Martin of the Martin Family Donor Advised Fund, the Eichenbaum/Archer Family Foundation and an anonymous private foundation.
“The holidays are a time for families. Those of us who love animals know that includes our beloved pets,” said John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society’s Executive Director. “Cat and dog owners have told us they’ll go without so they can feed their animals. No one, no animal, should go without food, especially during the holidays. Thanks to our generous donors, we have enough bags of kibble for 500 dog families and 840 cat families – more than 15,000 pounds of food, 5,000 pounds for each location!”
The Food Pantry Holiday Help events are part of Berkshire Humane Society’s efforts to keep families together, to prevent people from feeling they must surrender their pet to the shelter. Other programs include the shelter’s Pet Food Bank, to which drive-thru recipients may enroll; low-cost spay and neuter and other veterinary services at the Society’s Wellness Clinic; and dog obedience classes at Family Dog School.
Berkshire Humane Society also accepts donations to provide pet food for more families in need. Monetary donations are preferred because the shelter has agreements with pet food companies to buy nutritious food at a bulk rate, feeding more animals per donor dollar. For more information about the drive-thru events or making a donation, call 413-447-7878.