A Winning Combination for BHS Animals with Special NeedsEvery year, so many animals who are in need of medical care are

surrendered to Berkshire Humane (BHS) Society. Fortunately, throughthe Ken Freeberg Special Needs Fund, we’ve been able to provide thiscare to all adoptable animals before placing them in new homes. Now,we’re excited to announce the creation of Lady’s Legacy, a programwhich not only honors a special little dog but also goes a long way inhelping us raise $20,000 to cover the medical costs of our shelter animals.

THE KEN FREEBERG FUND – Ken Freeberg was not only a long-time supporter of BHS but also a devoted volunteer who enjoyed nothingmore than his dog-walking duties. A kind and compassionate person,he was always concerned about the shelter animals with special healthneeds – and for good reason. Every year, BHS spends in excess of$40,000 on extra medical care. But being true animal lovers, Ken andhis partner, Jim, always covered these expenses.

When Ken passed away in 2005, the animal world lost a true friend,and BHS wanted to do something in his memory. To honor Ken, wecreated the Ken Freeberg Special Needs Fund, which continues toprovide funding for special animals with special needs Although Ken’slifetime was too short, his dedication to animals was impressive, and hisessence continues when shelter animals requiring medical attention getthe treatment they need.

LADY’S LEGACY – In 2008, Lucky Lady, a nine-year-old BichonFrise, was surrendered to BHS – but not before her owners devocalizedher. Fortunately for Lady, a wonderful couple from Pittsfield, Franand Gene, found her. They knew the suffering that devocalizationcauses a pet and quickly decided to provide Lady with the forever familythat she so deserved.

Once Lady was home, Fran and Genenoticed that her natural way of greetingvisitors was a rapidly wagging tail andattempts to bark. Additionally, Lady’shoarse voice and chronic coughing oftencaused her to gag and spit up – all ofwhich was painful for Fran and Geneto hear and watch. So Lady took on a

new job. Besides providing Fran and Gene with a lifetime of love andcompanionship, she became famous for helping to champion the cause

to end devocalization in Massachusetts. In her spare time, Lady alsomade frequent trips back to BHS to visit her two- and four-legged friends.

Earlier this year, Lady passed away at the age of 14. Fran and Genewere heart-broken but eager to do something to remember Lady. Beingfrequent visitors to BHS and seeing that many of our shelter animalsneed extra medical attention before they can be placed for adoption,Fran and Gene realized how Lady could continue to help. In hermemory, they created Lady’s Legacy, which generously matches everydollar someone donates to the Ken Freeberg Fund up to $10,000.

YOU – BHS is once again calling on you. Our goal is to raise $20,000for the Ken Freeberg Fund before the end of summer. With thegenerous assistance of Lady’s Legacy, your donation will be doubledand go twice as far. For example, if you make a $100 gift, Lady’s Legacywill match it and contribute another $100. And it’s so easy! Returnthe enclosed envelope with a note that designates your donation for theKen Freeberg Fund.

Here are some of the dogs and cats who came to BHS in desperateneed of medical care and new homes. Together we made a differencefor them – and with your help, the Ken Freeberg Fund, and Lady’sLegacy, we’ll continue to make a difference for all our homeless animals.

Simba, a delightful six-year-old Shepardmix, came to the shelter when his firstowner moved and left him with anotherfamily member who didn’t have timefor him. Staff found a large tumor onhis neck. It was successfully removed,and Simba is now living with his lovingfamily.

Sweet but extremely introverted, nine-year-old Herminey was surrendered whena new baby displaced her. An examinationrevealed that this adorable cat neededextensive dentistry including multipleextractions. Herminey is fully recoverednow, and she’s at BHS waiting for herforever home.

TPURRADISE, Cat Adoption Center

301 Stockbridge RdGreat Barrington, MA 01230

413-717-4244

alesMAIN SHELTER214 Barker RdPittsfield, MA 01201413-447-7878

HBERK SH I R E H UMANE S O C I E T Y N EWS L E T T E R • S UMMER 2 0 1 4

BerkshireHumane.org

umane

“Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That's the problem.” A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

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THE KEN FREEBERG FUND, LADY’S LEGACY, AND YOU…

BARB LAMPRON2014 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEARAt our annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic on Thursday, June

18, Berkshire Humane Society (BHS) was proud to name BarbLampron as the Lynne West Shelter Volunteer of the Year. JohnPerreault, Executive Director of BHS, presented a very surprisedBarb with a beautifully engraved plaque honoring her many yearsof service. Barb began volunteering at BHS in 1995, and her dedication to

the shelter, and especially the cats, has made a huge difference in thelives of many animals. At home she’s a doting foster cat mom wholikes to keep tabs on all of her kittens until they are adopted. At theshelter, Barb is always available to help keep the feline area runningsmoothly – doing laundry, assisting staff clean cages, making sureour cats have everything they need at the end of the day. Recently,she’s added adoption counselor to her list of activities. She alsotakes care of canisters at several local stores. No matter what she’sdoing, Barb always has a smile on her face. “Barb’s compassion and dedication to the welfare of our feline

community is immense,” says John. “She takes pride in her volunteerwork with our cat population, especially all the fosters she has taken.In fact, Barb is one of our original foster moms. We don’t knowwhat we would do without her.”The Lynne West Shelter Volunteer of the Year is chosen by BHS

staff members; the award is named after Lynne West, a foundingmember of BHS as well as one of our first volunteers and boardmembers.Congratulations Barb! We’re so fortunate to have her and our

many, many other wonderful volunteers be part of the BHS team.We couldn’t do it without them.

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Cody, a six-year-year Akita, arrived at BHSdue to a change in his family’s lifestyle. Atthe shelter, staff noticed that his back legslooked uncomfortable when he walked. X-rays showed a structural deformity which he’ssuccessfully compensated for over many years.Surgery can’t correct this condition, but keepinghim fit, combined with joint supplements,will allow him to have a normal life. Sadly,Cody is still at BHS hoping to find a homewith a family who knows and understands

this great breed.

When Fiona did not get along with anew kitten, her owners relinquished thenine-year-old cat to the shelter. Beforebeing spayed, she had a high fever andwas diagnosed with a serious case ofpyometra – an infection of the uterus.Emergency surgery had to be performed.Fiona is quietly recuperating at Purradise,

waiting for someone to realize what a special kitty she is, regardless ofher age.

Continued from front cover…

SADDLE UPFOR THE

22ND ANNUALBHS BENEFITHORSE SHOW

We’re getting ready for the 22nd AnnualBerkshire Humane Society Benefit HorseShow – the longest-standing benefit horseshow in Berkshire County. The BHSHorse Show will take place on Sunday,

August 24, 2014 at Overmeade Farm in Lenox, MA.

Once again, Sally and Ken Hart have graciously offered theirexpertise and their facilities for the day. This show provides anexcellent opportunity for BHS to host a quality Western New EnglandProfessional Horseman’s Association (WNEPHA) recognizedcompetition for riders and spectators while at the same time raisingmuch needed funds to support the mission and work of BHS.

Over 30 classes will be offered for riders ranging from youngstersin lead line classes to advanced junior and adult medal classes. Karenvon Bachelle of South Windsor, CT, is judge for the day. Ribbonsand prizes will be awarded to riders. BHS merchandise will be forsale as well as delicious eating at our food booth. For opportunitiesto sponsor a class or a division, contact Diane Briggs at 413-447-7878, ext. 31 or dbriggs@berkshirehumane.org.

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PURRADISE CELEBRATES ITSFOURTH BIRTHDAY

On Saturday, July 12, Purradise, Berkshire Humane Society's(BHS) feline satellite adoption facility, was in the mood to celebrate!Celebrate what you may ask? Purradise was celebrating it all...

Its fourth year of helping homeless cats and kittens in BerkshireCounty – over 600 of them have found new homes; the openingand success of CATWALK, a women’s resale boutique for which100% of the proceeds benefit BHS; the amazing accomplishmentsof our Humane Hero junior volunteers; and, of course, the gracioussupport of the community. So you can see why everyone was out tocelebrate on this beautiful day!

Besides having a bake sale and lemonade stand, face painting, andarts, crafts, and games for all ages, the Berkshire Disaster AnimalRescue Team (DART) was present to educate the public aboutanimals in disaster situations. But the highlight of the day was whenPudge, a Jack Russell Terrier mix and long-time resident at BHS,and three wonderful cats were adopted into their forever homes.

Thank you to our many friends and neighbors who came out tomake Purradise’s Fourth Birthday an especially memorable event.

HUMANE HEROES – Right now, the kids in the Humane HeroProgram at Berkshire Humane Society (BHS) are working hard ontheir websites for the Penny Paw Project. Each Hero is tasked withwriting his/her own website, as well as starring in “animal interview”videos. The kids are having a great time while raising awareness andfunds to support the shelter. Please check our Penny Paw Projectwebsite at http://berkshirehumane.donorpages.com/ThePennyPawProject/

From there, click on “Show all Fundraisers.” Please consider givingto each of the kids in support of this wonderful educational opportunity.Also SHARE on Facebook and YouTube to help us go viral!

CAMP HUMANE – This summer BHS welcomed 4th-8th gradecampers to Camp Humane 2014. Throughout July, our younganimal lovers spent time learning about puppy mills, pet overpopulation,dog and cat care and training – and so much more. Special “guests”to camp also included birds of prey, chickens, a goat, reptiles, snakes,and lizards as well as a wild horse and a Belgium draft horse. Whilebeing responsible for and respectful to all animals was an ongoing

theme, campers also enjoyed participating in a variety of projects,including building shelters for feral cats and making toys for ourdogs living at BHS. We thank our campers and their families forjoining us at BHS and send our appreciation to all the volunteersand staff who always make Camp Humane a success.

AND SO MUCH MORE –While BHS is continuing our visits tothe Community Center at Dower Square every month, we’ve alsobeen busy with our local schools. This spring we hosted two toursof the shelter – one from Mary Loehr Quirk’s sixth grade socialstudies classes from Herberg Middle School and the other fromMelissa Shea and Peter Breen’s seventh grade classes from HoosicValley Middle School, who also donated dog and cat beds and toysthat they made as a special Math project. And we want to congratulateall the seventh grade students from Reid, Herberg, and St. Markwho participated in our first “Celebrate the Animals” Poetry Contest.

Finally, as so many of you know, our Coffee Hour Speaking Series,was quite a popular event. Check out the BHS website for a wholenew schedule in the fall.

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Children helpedcelebrate at theBirthday Party byselling lemonade insupport of Purradise.

HUMANE EDUCATION AT BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY

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CATWALKBHS OPENSRESALEBOUTIQUEBy Mimi Rosenblatt

CATWALK, Berkshire Humane Society’s(BHS) new women’s resale boutique, openedits doors on Memorial Day weekend to a warmand enthusiastic reception from the Berkshire

County community. Located at 325 StockbridgeRoad in Great Barrington, MA, the store offers fashionable andaffordable clothing and accessories with all its proceeds going to helpthe homeless animals of Berkshire County.

The genesis of CATWALK began last November when Leslie Weil,Marsha Weiner, and I, long-time supporters of BHS and membersof the Advisory Board to Purradise – BHS’s feline satellite adoptionfacility, organized Café Chic, a weekend pop-up boutique, as a newfund-raising venture for the shelter. Without question, our effortsprocuring, cleaning, and tagging over 2,000 items in two monthspaid off. In three days, Café Chic raised $10,000.

After we had time to rest and recuperate, we thought maybe, justmaybe it would be smart to change Café Chic from a pop-up boutiqueto a year-round permanent endeavor. We pitched the idea to BHSExecutive Director John Perreault, who was extremely enthusiasticabout the venture. Next was a presentation to the BHS Board ofDirectors, who endorsed the idea as long as the name Café Chic wasdropped – it sounded too much like a restaurant! But the nameCATWALK was an all-around favorite.

Throughout the summer, donations to CATWALK have beenarriving daily from all over Berkshire County as well as from Texas,Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Berkshire Schoolgenerously organized an end-of-year clothing drive that resulted inan amazing selection of young, hip clothing. Additionally, MICHAEL’S,the well-known NYC consignment shop, as well as staff from Simon’sRock College and Iredale Cosmetics have been making regular andgenerous donations. As a result, visitors to CATWALK will finda diverse array of stylish and beautiful clothing and accessories, and,as Leslie, Marsha, and I like to say, “the ultimate guilt-free shoppingexperience.”

Recently, CATWALK hired two part-time sales associates: JasmineNorth, long-time, passionate animal rights advocate, and Lisa Betkoski,publisher and editor of Animal Life as well as personal shopper andstylist at Rock Star Shopping. Local fashion guru Vickie Bonningtonhas also become a major donor and advisor to CATWALK, andBerkchique has placed CATWALK on its non-profits donor list.

To make CATWALK a continuing success, Leslie, Marsha, and Iask our friends and neighbors for support in the form of ongoing

donors and shoppers. Donations of new and gently used currentclothing can be dropped off at CATWALK anytime during businesshours. All donations are tax deductible, and tax receipts are providedupon request.

CATWALK is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday,10AM-5PM; Saturday, 10AM-4PM; and Sunday, 12PM-4PM. CATWALK is closed on Tuesday. For more information, visitwww.catwalkboutique.org, go to the CATWALK Facebook page, orcall 413-717-4005.

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Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and talents to makethis year’s Camp Humane a success. You made it a treasured and truelearning experience.

PRESENTERSMargot AppleMark Beverly

Officer Joe Chague / Pittsfield Animal Control OfficerTammy Ciesla / MassWildlife

Stacey Carver and Melissa Tharion / Berkshire Animal D.R.E.A.M.S.Pauline Clark /Jacks Galore

Judy EmbryGreyhounds as Companions

Chris KwasnyLittle Brook Farm

Eileen Martin and Fin Dave Melle / Berkshire D.A.R.T.

Lisa ProvencherMarty Ross / Cloverdale Miniatures

Lauretta SaldoCandice Slosek

Rene Wendell / Bartholomew's Cobble

A special thank you to the volunteers and staff at Berkshire HumaneSociety for supporting the Humane Education Department throughfour weeks of camp.

DONORSThe Appelbaum-Kahn FoundationBerkshire Bank FoundationKen ConlowMichelle Pekrol / Star Gift AllianceMarty Ross CarpentryRotary Club of PittsfieldRichard A. Wagner

CAMP COUNSELORSKyle BetitCourtney FrancoeurErik LaFayetteLiam NesterKayla PraviaKamaree SaldoAbby ScalzoSamantha SperlongaLeah TanzmanJillian Tatro

Kids gathered around Pittsfield Animal Control Officer Joe Chague for a photo.

BAKERSSin SharpJanelle Virgilio

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Before AfterSAFEPet ROOM NOW OPEN

After months of construction and over a year of fundraising,Berkshire Humane Society’s (BHS) new SafePet Room is up andrunning. An important addition to our SafePet Program, whichprovides temporary care to the pets of Berkshire County residentswho are in crisis, the SafePet Room will allow us to respond morequickly to requests for help – and to a greater number. Althoughplacing pets in foster homes will always be the priority, BHS cannow take pets in immediately and safely house them while we line upappropriate foster families.

The SafePet Program was created by Francine Kelleher and ValerieReiner in 2001 for clients at the Elizabeth Freeman Center. Besidescontinuing to partner with these groups, BHS will be able to expandour reach and work with other Berkshire County organizations, suchas the Brien Center, the Red Cross, Elder Protective Services ofBerkshire County, and Elder Services of Berkshire County as well ashospitals.

“There are so many cases where people will not seek help forthemselves because they are worried about their pets’ care. TheSafePet Room will allow these people to get the help they need while

not having to worry about their pets,” explains John Perreault,Executive Director of BHS. “We’re very excited to provide this serviceto our community. We saw the need for this service, and thanks tomany generous donors, it is now a reality.”

The SafePet Program accepts small and large companion animals,such as dogs, cats, birds, and even horses. In addition to providingshort-term care, BHS will cover the pet’s basic medical care, whichincludes spaying and neutering for dogs and cats, at no cost to theowner. Many of our veterinarians have and will continue to supportthe program by providing free or discounted services.

“I want to thank my board of directors for their support, guidance,and ability to grow and adapt in the ever-changing world of animalwelfare,” states John. “This project would not have been possiblewithout the support of individuals, foundations, such as the John T.and Jane A. Weiderhold Foundation, the Chervenak-NunnalleFoundation, the Claudia and Stephen Perles Family Foundation andthe Elinor Patterson Baker Foundation, as well as a grant fromBerkshire Money Management.”

Berkshire Humane Society (BHS) is once again teaming up withHaddad Subaru of Pittsfield to raffle off a new 2015 Subaru Forester.The winner gets his or her choice of color…you can even upgrade ordowngrade depending on your taste.

Last year’s raffle netted over $30,000 for the shelter – and thatmoney went a long way in helping so many animals find new andloving homes. This year Haddad is including a six-year, 100,000mile warranty, which is valued at $2,000 and brings the total packageof this raffle up to $29,000!

Tickets are just $40 each, or three for $100. The raffle will be heldon Saturday, October 18 at Haddad Subaru on East Street in Pittsfield.Winner need not be present. Only 2,100 tickets will be sold.

Please help BHS by taking a chance on winning one of the mostanimal-friendly cars on the planet.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSCindy Bartlett, President

Fred Pomerantz, Vice-PresidentLeslie Weil, Vice-PresidentDeborah Storie, SecretaryPatricia Sinclair, Treasurer

Jonathan Cluett, MD, Asst. SecretaryAlexandra GloverKaren Leopardi

Jackie McHugh, Asst. TreasurerChristopher NerrieKathleen Phillips

John Reynolds, DVMJanie StrachanDiana Wall

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFJohn Perreault, Executive DirectorSherry Betit, Financial Specialist

Terry Bissaillon, Volunteer CoordinatorDiane Briggs, Administrative AssistantElizabeth Brown, Outreach Coordinator

Lisa Corbett, Head InstructorFamily Dog School

Danielle Hammell, Purradise ManagerMary Koncel, Humane Educator

Cheryl Truskowski, Shelter Manager

BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY

Photos: BHS Staff • Printed by: Quality Printing, A Green Co.

PURRADISE ADVISORY BOARDCorinne McKeownMimi RosenblattLeslie Weil

Marsha Weiner

BHS RECEIVES PROGRAM GRANTS

Berkshire Humane Society (BHS) is pleased to be the recipientof four recent grants that support two important programs atthe shelter – low-cost spaying/neutering and humane education.

Thanks to a $7,500 grant from the Massachusetts AnimalCoalition’s "I'm Animal Friendly" license plate program, BHSwill be able to launch our most ambitious low-cost spay/neutereffort. In conjunction with “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month” inOctober, BHS will begin accepting applications for spaying/neuteringvouchers for 50 puppies and dogs at participating veterinarians.Registration for spaying/neutering cats will begin in December;the shelter anticipates being able to accommodate 100-125 cats.More information will be available on the BHS website –www.berkshirehumane.org.

BHS also sends our appreciation to the Appelbaum-KahnFoundation for a $3,500 grant, the Berkshire Bank Foundationfor a $1,000 grant, and the Rotary Club of Pittsfield for a $1,000grant – all of which supported this year’s Camp Humane, theshelter’s summer program for children. Besides providingscholarships for campers in need of financial assistance, thefunding helped cover the cost of transportation for field tripsand presenters’ fee.