Berkshire Humane Society Receives $120K in Grants to Help Pets, People

11:05AM / Wednesday, June 10, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Humane Society has received more than $120,000 to fund "life-changing programs" helping companion animals and pet owners in and around the Berkshires.

The amount is in addition to a $150,000 PetSmart Charities Accelerator Grant announced earlier this year to help expand low-cost veterinary care at the organization's Wellness Clinic, the only nonprofit veterinary clinic in Berkshire County.

"As a nonprofit organization dependent on donations from generous benefactors, we're grateful and humbled to receive these grants on behalf of vulnerable animals and people in our area," said John Perreault, executive director of Berkshire Humane Society. "Because of the relentless need for our services, we're glad to stretch our donors' dollars to serve our community. These grants are validation that others see the important work we're doing and want to help."

Two grants, a $10,000 award from the Massachusetts Animal Coalition License Plate Grant program and a $95,000 award from the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, a supporting organization of the Northwest CT Community Foundation, are to subsidize spay and neuter surgeries for pets and unowned cats. Priority for the surgeries, performed at the Wellness Clinic, goes to families in financial distress, especially recipients of Berkshire Humane Society's Pet Food Bank. The Wiederhold Foundation grant also funds pet health examinations, bloodwork testing, treatment of severe dental disease and free vaccine and microchip clinics throughout the county.

The Lee Bank Foundation awarded $5,000 to fund Berkshire Humane Society's SafePet Program. Designed to temporarily board pets of people in crisis, this program helps patients and clients of partnering organizations such as Berkshire Health Systems, the Brien Center, Elizabeth Freeman Center, Elder Services of Berkshire County and Elder Protective Services in Berkshire County.

Children's educational programming was supported by a $5,500 award from the Charles H. Hall Foundation. This grant helps teach students from Reid Middle School's Innovation Program the importance of compassion for and proper care of animals. Berkshire Humane Society provides transportation and lunches for the students, who come to the shelter for hands-on animal welfare learning, projects and guest speakers.

Finally, Pittsfield Cooperative Bank awarded a charitable contribution of $5,000 to support the Pet Food Bank, which fills more than 7,000 requests annually to help feed dogs and cats of families facing financial difficulties.

"A donation to Berkshire Humane Society stays in the community to help animals thrive and keep families, including their furry members, together," added Perreault. "Thank you to all those who support our mission of compassionate care for all."

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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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