Guest Column: A Thank You to Marcy's Searchers

Dear Berkshire Community, 

It's now been four weeks since we were made to realize the palpable community spirit very much thriving throughout our larger community.

A picture of the recovered Marcy from her lost-and-found posting on Facebook. 

In early December you might recall the powerful three-day snowstorm and below-freezing conditions that hit the region stronger than most in recent memory. As a lover of winter and snow that first morning I took pictures and sent them to family who I hoped would see some snow when they came for Christmas.

We happen to live only a few houses away from Bullard Woods so as with most days I planned to take my two dogs for a walk in the forest and Gould Meadows, but the beautiful, fresh snow lifted that to excitement. Marcy is 13 1/2 and Freddy is 12 1/2. We got them many years ago as adult rescues. They are the joy of my daily journey in nature.

For the past few years Marcy, especially, has lost weight regardless of what we feed her. So for the past few years I became that guy who shows up to the woods in cold weather with big dogs bundled up with a first layer
of reindeer sweaters (including antlers), a second layer of parkas, and their harnesses fitted snugly around both those layers. More poignant, this was to be one of Marcy's first walks back into the woods since her eye removal (due to a tumor) only three weeks prior.

Every day Marcy tells us when it's time to eat … not so much Freddy. When it's near 4:30 p.m. she begins hopping, pacing and whining. I was leaving at 4 p.m. for our walk. Therefore, that day my wife thought I should take a short walk not only because it was almost time for their dinner but she felt more conservative than usual about a shorter walk considering Marcy had only recently recovered from surgery. 

Given the snowy conditions I was alone that afternoon in the woods except for one person I saw later on. I let the dogs off leash to play in the snow and they loved it. They trotted around, sniffed, and had fun. It would be dark soon so we would be heading back shortly. Then it happened. Marcy, in a rare moment, started trotting away, tail up, happy, but toward home, a route she knows perfectly well. I called her, but could tell she was on a non-stop path home anticipating dinner.

To reach the road before her so she didn't get hit by a car in the storm, I quickly leashed old Freddy and began running up the direct path to the street making sure Freddy wasn't getting too exhausted. From our hurrying I was confident we would arrive at the street first. Phew; no cars were anywhere due to the storm. But no Marcy either. I jogged down the road calling. Nothing. I guessed she must have made it to the house somehow before we did so I ran to the door knowing she would be barking and waiting. Not there.

My heart was racing. She had vanished.

In short, Marcy was gone for three days in the freezing almost-blizzard. Our pets are family members. Not everyone feels that way about pets but for those who do it's easy to imagine our fears. To spare the horror I won't detail all that went through our minds. We were devastated.

Enter the community. By the first hour of missing her we contacted the Stockbridge Police who immediately contacted the animal control officer. Soon more groups were contacted. Our phones started blowing up, social media was reaching out to us and the volunteers came pouring in. We had various people in our house for three days and one stayed the night twice. Thermal drones were aloft, four-wheelers were canvassing the area, missing posters were made for us and countless community residents were contacting us and some joined the search.

We were overwhelmed by the support and incredible generosity of so many, yet, privately and honestly, we had lost hope. Within the first few minutes of our search my wife saw a bear exiting Bullard Woods so each day I searched for either patches of blood (although we realize black bears rarely attack dogs) or a frozen body covered in the new, deep snow. Our fragmented spirit only lasted out of dire need and was only fueled by the volunteers. Hundreds of local residents were contacting my wife on social media while I searched day and night in between hanging posters.

Finally on the morning of the third day the animal control officer and Stockbridge Police called me while I was searching the in the forest with an on-foot rescue team. It so happens that four local residents were walking their dogs in the morning snow and heard howling and crying beneath a shed. I was in disbelief it could be Marcy and told that to the officer on the phone. I just knew Marcy couldn't be alive and that it had to be someone else's dog. Nevertheless, I ran according to his directions.

There, down by the shore of the lake I saw the dog walkers, the police and the animal control officer. I immediately recognized that bark: Marcy was alive.

I won't describe the moment because I won't do justice to the relief and joy taking over my heart. (At that very moment my wife was on her way to Staples to print out more missing posters.) You can imagine my phone call
to my wife while I sat holding Marcy in my lap in the snow. We know how deliverance and jubilation feel.

As of this writing Marcy is doing great. So is Freddy. So are we. I had no idea about the spirit of the community and will never forget the exceptional care and support given to us all through those days and nights. The moment Marcy was found I got her home and within minutes the team in my house were already posting to social media and authorities that she was found.

In the greatest appreciation, Marcy's family.

Submitted by Brad Fitzgerald of Stockbridge, Mass. Below is a list of community members, organizations and rescuers the Fitzgerald family wishes to thank:

Alex (Alexandra) found Marcy
Phyllis, found Marcy and met animal control officer
Paul, found Marcy 
Yvonne, found Marcy
Matt Hayden, thermal drone, tireless searcher
John and Heather Drake: John is the animal control officer for Stockbridge and Heather made flyers for Marcy. For the past 20 years John and Heather have also run the Iris Pet Food Pantry which delivers dog and cat food in Great Barrington, Lee, and most of Southern Berkshire County
Mitzie Smalley
Missing Dogs Massachusetts, FaceBook
Rialene Hughes
Assisting with Missing Dogs Massachusetts
Officer Pettibone and Sgt. Nichols of the Stockbridge Police
Nick Fredsall, Stockbridge Drone Solutions
Berkshire Brothers Build
Ryan Harrison
Alfonso Champion
Zach Yarter
Joe Corcoran, searcher and NextDoor
Jennifer, friend of Marcy
Joseph McCullough
App:  NextDoor
Countless invested, caring, and volunteers in the community

Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:17AM / Friday, August 21, 2026

 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said.