Berkshire Humane Receives Grant to Expand Access to Veterinary Care

07:36AM / Thursday, May 14, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Humane Society has received a $150,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to help more local pet families access affordable veterinary care.

A recent PetSmart Charities-Gallup State of Pet Care Study revealed 52 percent of pet parents skipped or declined veterinary care, largely due to financial concerns. This funding will support Berkshire Humane Society's Wellness Clinic to address the three biggest barriers that face pet

owners in Berkshire County: cost, transportation, and availability.

Berkshire Humane Society's Wellness clinic is committed to providing access to veterinary care by offering low-cost services for health exams, vaccinations, parasite screening, and prevention, along with affordable spay and neuter surgeries and dental care.

Through this grant, Berkshire Humane Society will be adding more office hours, updating various equipment, and continuing to increase staff. This grant will also allow Berkshire Humane Society to increase spay and neuter surgeries by an

additional 10 to 15 percent.

"This grant will help us reach so many pet parents in this community who would otherwise not be able to provide basic medical care and wellness. Many times, the only option for pet parents is to surrender their beloved pet to a shelter. Berkshire Humane Society believes in keeping families together which includes their companion animals. Access to care should be available for everyone," said John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's Executive Director.

According to a press release, 50 million pets across the U.S. lack access to the veterinary care they need. In 2023, PetSmart Charities responded to that reality with a commitment of more than $100 million over five years to dismantle the financial, geographical, and logistical barriers standing between pets and care.

Through its Accelerator grant program, PetSmart Charities supports nonprofit and low-cost veterinary providers working to expand services and reach more families in need.

"Pets are family, and access to veterinary care is critical in ensuring they stay healthy and remain in their loving homes," said Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities. "When care is declined or skipped due to finances, small medical issues can become serious and far

more expensive. We are proud to partner with Berkshire Humane Society to help create practical, sustainable goals that meet the needs of their community."

Since the beginning of 2024 Berkshire Humane have helped close to 10,400 dogs and cats with flea/tick prevention,

puppy/kitten vaccines, bloodwork testing and more.

Thanks to funding from a generous donor, Perreault arranged to have four-year-old Lola spayed at the Wellness Clinic at no cost to Sheryl and her husband, Kylie.

"John set it up for me. I really appreciate it. It's awesome," Sheryl said about a donor making Lola's surgery possible. "When people don't have money, it's hard. You get a high electric bill, and you have nothing."

Lola is a special dog for Sheryl and Kylie. In 2011 they tragically lost their home, dogs Lucky and Brittany, cat Dakota, and nearly everything else in a house fire. They adopted another cat, named Gizmo, but "it took a long time to get a dog after that," said Sheryl.

When a friend was moving and could not keep Lola, the couple took in the little blue Pitt Bull.

"We are so glad we can help good people like Sheryl and Kylie take care of their dog," said Perreault. "They haven't had it easy and clearly want to do the best for Lola."

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Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
10:30AM / Saturday, October 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fall season is also the flu season, which means vaccine clinics are now available.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative will provide public vaccination clinics in Berkshire communities this fall, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. There are about 49 clinics.

The collaborative began during COVID-19 to help vaccinate people across Berkshire County. Berkshire Health Systems started the Get Vaccinated Berkshires website and still manages it. The group works with the Pittsfield Public Health Department, Community Health Programs, and the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative.

"The majority of people will always get the flu [vaccine] because, as I said, if you've ever gotten the flu, you will always get a flu vaccine because it's so bad. And just so you know, the flu is already in Berkshire County. It's an early season this year," said Leslie Drager, who is the senior public health nurse at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Drager said last year they issued 2,705 vaccines, with more than 1,100 of them being for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 being flu. In total, they were able to vaccinate 1,669 people in Central and North County, in addition to Pittsfield.

Drager also said she will be carrying three types of COVID vaccines this year, which is in high demand.

"We have a high demand of COVID vaccine, which is awesome," she said. "So we're doing a lot of COVID vaccines. Also, I provide Pfizer, and this year I have Moderna and the Novavax, which I think is real important to get out there because the Novavax, a lot of people want, people with long COVID. So I'm carrying all three vaccines this year, which I normally only carry the Pfizer."

Public health departments also can help people access other vaccines such as for measles or meningitis when they cannot get them through a pediatrician, she added.

Using the website, people are able to get vaccines even if they are homebound by filling out a form.

All public Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics are free of charge, but registrants are asked to provide insurance information, when available, in order to defray costs. The clinics are open to anyone 6 months of age or older, the age group recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine and the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

"I always encourage everybody to wear a short sleeve shirt because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to get at," Drager said. "And children, we do carry the nasal flu, the live virus of nasal flu for kids that are afraid to get needles."

Registration is highly recommended for the clinics. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on the number of vaccine doses available at each clinic, with preference given to those who are registered.

"It's really important. I'm really encouraging vaccinations for the schools, because not only you know if the kids are vaccinated and the teachers are vaccinated, the schools won't have the flu go wild right through it," Drager said. "And of course, the best way to prevent infections: washing your hands. So don't touch your face, and wash your hands."

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