Humane Society Receives Outpouring of Donations
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The shelves at the shelter and the satellite pet food pantries throughout Berkshire County are restocked with the almost 2,500 bags of cat food donated since the call for help went out. This cat food is already being distributed to cat owners in need, helping them keep their feline friends in their own homes.
Staff members at the shelter have shed tears of joy from the generosity of the pet lovers in our community, said Karen Karlberg, community outreach coordinator.
"About 200 people have visited our shelter since Tuesday just to bring their donations," said she said. "We are hearing stories from many of the donors saying that by seeing this outpouring of help with the cat food, it has restored their faith in mankind."
BHS is also grateful for the support from the businesses and agencies who allow it to have pet food pantries at their locations.
"This helps to make it easier for pet owners to obtain the food for their beloved companions," added Karlberg.
The pet food pickup location sites include Sheffield Food Pantry in Sheffield, Berkshire Community Action Council in Great Barrington, the West Stockbridge post office, Lenox Town Hall, Adams Redemption Center and Dog Days Cafe in Adams, Berkshire Community Action North in North Adams, United Methodist Church in Dalton, and the main pet food pantry at the shelter on 214 Barker Road.
A complete list of the drop-off and pickup locations and the addresses can be found at www.berkshirehumane.org/pet-food-bank. If anyone cannot get to any of these locations, call the shelter to see if arrangements can be made to transport pet food to your home or through another social agency.
Pet Pantry Urgently Needs Cat Food
Original posting, March 16, 2009, at 2:56 p.m.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Humane Society is making an urgent plea for dry and canned cat food to help economically stressed cat owners, especially those in South County.
"We have experienced a surge in requests for pet food since the first of the year and, at this time, we are dangerously close to running out of cat food completely," said Karen Karlberg, community outreach coordinator at the shelter.
The difficult winter has exhausted the supply, much of which were donations brought in during the holiday season, she said. "We are now faced with even more unemployment in our area and the pet food pantry is vital to keeping pets in their homes."
Cat food donations can be dropped off at the shelter on Barker Road, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 to 4, Thursdays 5 to 8 and Sundays 1 to 4.
The drop-off locations in South County include Wild Birds Country Store, Berkshire South Regional Community Center, Chez Pet and VCA All Caring Animal Hospital in Great Barrington; BensDotters Pets in Sheffield; St. Joseph’s Church in Stockbridge; the post office in West Stockbridge; First Congregational Church in Lee and Lenox Town Hall.
Once again, BHS is counting on the generosity of the residents in Berkshire County to come to the aid of their neighbors' pets in times of need, said Karlberg.
The community pet food bank is one of the services provided by Berkshire Humane Society, in addition to free humane education visits and tours for area schoolchildren. The shelter relies on memberships and donations to continue to help animals and people. In 2007, BHS adopted out 784 homeless animals from Berkshire County and neighboring areas.
For more information: 413-447-7878 or www.berkshirehumane.org.
