NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — As part of a $95,000 grant from the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, a supporting organization of the Northwest CT Community Foundation, Berkshire Humane Society will hold a free rabies vaccine and microchip clinic, including a pet food giveaway for dogs and cats on Thursday, May 14, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Carr Hardware in North Adams at 179 State Road.

 

For the clinic, dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in carriers. Pet owners are encouraged to bring previous proof of rabies vaccination, even if it has expired. For microchips, downloading a form at https://berkshirehumane.org/document/microchip-registration-form/ will expedite the process.

 

Bags of dry cat and dog food from Berkshire Humane Society's Pet Food Bank will also be available and three sophomores from Lenox Memorial High School will help with distribution as part of a civics project. The clinic and pet food giveaway are open to all; you need not live in North Adams.

 

"We're holding this free clinic in North Adams to better serve animals and their people in Northern Berkshire County," said John Perreault, Executive Director of Berkshire Humane Society. "Besides being the law, it's important to keep your pets up to date on their rabies vaccination for their health and the health of other animals," he said. Massachusetts requires all dogs and cats be vaccinated for rabies before they are six months old. "And microchipping your dog or cat will increase your chances of being reunited with your pet if he or she gets lost," he added.

 

"We're grateful to the Wiederhold Foundation for their generosity, Carr Hardware for providing a great location for this event, and to the three Lenox High School students for helping give away pet food for their civics project; all are supporting our local community of animal lovers, right here in the Berkshires," Perreault concluded.

 

For more information, contact Berkshire Humane Society at 413-447-7878 or BerkshireHumane.org.