HumaneTales BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY NEWSLETTER • FALL 2013
MAIN SHELTER 214 Barker Rd Pittsfield, MA 01201 413-447-7878
berkshirehumane.org
PURRADISE 301 Stockbridge Rd Great Barrington, MA 01230 413-717-4244
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” Josh Billings
YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY, ELEANOR We have to give you the latest update about Eleanor, also known around the shelter as Ellie May or Miss Ellie. Once again, this sweet 9-year-old tabby, who came to Berkshire Humane Society (BHS) overweight and neglected earlier this year, has undergone yet another amazing transformation - this time a life-changing surgery. To say that Eleanor is remarkable would be an understatement. Since February, Eleanor has gained back both her health and personality, mostly due to the care of Diane Briggs, BHS’s administrative assistant and in-house foster mom. A special weight loss diet, regular and increasing exercise, and, of course, lots of love and attention from BHS staff helped Eleanor not only shed almost a fifth of her 22 pounds but also become stronger, more mobile, and just plain happier. As Diane says, “She was able to move around a little better and her sad eyes were gone.” But there was still a problem. As a result of losing so much weight, Eleanor’s skin drooped down around her stomach and back legs, making walking, playing, and even lying down difficult for her. Her weight loss had also plateaued. After consulting with Dr. Michelle Gorbutt and Dr. Heather Blake of Greylock Animal Hospital in North Adams, who have been following Eleanor since she arrived at the shelter, the BHS staff decided that it was necessary to surgically remove the excess skin so that Eleanor could lead a more normal and comfortable life. On August 12, Eleanor underwent surgery, and Dr. Gorbutt and Dr. Blake successfully removed 2.5 pounds of excess skin. Given the amount of skin, they also believe it was possible that Eleanor weighted up to 35 pounds in her previous home.
Eleanor's girth before surgery
After one week in the hospital, where staff tenderly cared for Eleanor and her 100 stitches and 3 drains, she came back home - to Diane’s office. (Not surprisingly, Diane visited Eleanor every day during her recuperation!) Eleanor’s complete recovery from this very serious procedure will take several more months, but Diane reports that she’s already walking around the office, reaching up on the scratching post, and causally stretching, which she could never do before. If Eleanor could talk, Diane believes she would thank BHS staff for believing in her when she didn’t believe in herself and Dr. Gorbutt and Dr. Blake for their wonderful care! To read Diane’s complete account of Eleanor’s remarkable journey, visit our website berkshirehumane.org.
Eleanor's girth after surgery
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BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY PRESENTS
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THE KEN FREEBERG FUND
ANNUAL PASTA NIGHT at
ZUCCO’S FAMILY RESTAURANT 451 Dalton Avenue Pittsfield, MA
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2013 5:00 - 8:0OPM
Established in 2005 to honor the memory of Ken Freeberg, a devoted volunteer at and generous donor to Berkshire Humane Society, The Ken Freeberg Fund provides veterinary care to our shelter animals with special medical needs, such as Eleanor and Peanut, before they are placed for adoption. Donations to this important fund are always appreciated.
DINNER INCLUDES CHOICE OF SPAGHETTI OR ZITI WITH EITHER 2 MEATBALLS, 2 HOT OR SWEET SAUSAGES OR A COMBO, PLUS BREAD & BUTTER
OUR NEW “CHOOSE AN ADOPTION FEE” PROGRAM
50/50 RAFFLE
ADULTS $7.00
CHILDREN UNDER 12 $5.00
Proceeds will support Berkshire Humane Society and its mission to ensure the compassionate care, treatment, and placement of animals as well as the promotion of humane education and community outreach.
Berkshire Humane Society and Purradise Feline Adoption Center are overflowing with wonderful cats and dogs of all ages, types, colors, and sizes. To help promote their adoption, we are offering the “Choose an Adoption Fee” program during the month of September. For any dog who has been at the shelter for 30 days or longer and any cat who has been here for 90 days or longer, we’ll let you decide what you’d like to donate for their adoption fee. And, thanks to a thoughtful friend of Berkshire Humane Society, the $50.00 adoption fee for the Senior to Senior program, which places cats over 7 years old with senior citizens over 60 years old, will be waived. The adoption fee for cats and dogs includes all appropriate vaccinations, spaying or neutering, deworming, micro-chipping, and more. Visit our website, berkshirehumane.org, or stop by to find your next BFF!
2014 SUBARU OUTBACK
RAFFLE
TO BENEFIT BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY
WIN A BRAND NEW SUBARU! TICKETS $40 EACH OR 3 FOR $100
help our shelter animals and
JOIN EVERYONE AT HADDAD SUBARU, EAST ST., PITTSFIELD FOR THE DRAWING ON OCTOBER 14, 2013 at 11am!!!
THE RAFFLE IS LIMITED TO 2,100 ENTRIES Like us on Facebook. Call us at 413-447-7878.Visit us at berkshirehumane.org • Like us on Facebook. Call us at 413-447-7878.Visit us at berkshirehumane.org
. A HAPPY ENDING FOR PEANUT , Love a story with a happy ending? Then you must read this one about our little Peanut, a five-year-old purebred Chihuahua who is as cute as she is courageous! In early June, Peanut was surrendered to the Berkshire Humane Society with a broken foot. According to her previous owners, after running and playing in the family’s backyard, she returned to the house limping. A trip to the veterinarian revealed that Peanut had broken four metacarpal bones in her right front foot. Unfortunately, the owners couldn’t afford the cost of the medical care that she needed and decided to surrender her to us, so she could be treated and placed in a new forever home. Thanks to Dr. John Reynolds, owner of Pittsfield Veterinary Hospital, Peanut received prompt attention and excellent care. After another set of x-rays, he decided that splinting and then wrapping her foot was the best course of treatment along with pain medication and strict rest for several weeks. As with many of our injured or special needs animals, Peanut was placed in a foster home, in this case Judy King and her family. Besides attending to all her needs, including weekly vet visits to check her bandage, they, of course, fell in love with her. In late June, after BHS kennel staff reviewed several adoption applications, Peanut found her new forever home with a loving family that includes a few four-legged companions. Thank you to everyone, and especially Dr. Reynolds and his staff at Pittsfield Veterinary Hospital, for helping this petite package of canine joy!
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WE’RE ALMOST THERE BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP! THE SAFE PET ROOM AT BHS As part of Berkshire Humane Society’s (BHS) mission to help both pets and their owners, we’ve been working hard to build a Safe Pet Room so we can provide safe, temporary housing for the animals of Berkshire County residents who are in crisis. We’ve made great strides in our fundraising efforts but still need your help in the home stretch. Last spring, the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation awarded us a $50,000 matching grant for this $91,000 renovation project if, and only if, we would raise the remaining $41,000. Over the last few months, we’ve fundraised most of the $41,000 needed to acquire that grant; however, we still have another $10,000 to go. Knowing that securing those final dollars can be a challenge, a generous donor recently offered us another matching grant – for every dollar we raise, he will match it dollar for dollar up to $5,000. His hope is that we can raise the remaining $10,000 that is necessary to not only obtain the $50,000 grant from the Wiederhold Foundation but also to begin construction of the Safe Pet Room in early fall. According to John Perreault, Executive Director of BHS, every year the shelter receives an increasing number of calls from local agencies that are looking to help clients place their animals in temporary care while they are, for example, seeking rehabilitation or escaping domestic violence. While our priority is always placement in a foster family, John notes, sometimes it takes days to find an appropriate one, or, in cases that include large dogs, it might be impossible. With the addition of the Safe Pet Room, which will primarily involve the renovation of an enclosed back patio, we’ll be able to respond more quickly by taking the pets immediately, and then looking for foster homes, or keeping them until their owners can reclaim them. To help us raise the additional $10,000 needed for the Wiederhold Foundation and the Safe Pet Room, please consider making a donation – designated for the Safe Pet Room – to this very worthwhile project. Be assured that any contribution, small or large, will make a difference for our Berkshire County neighbors and their pets who are in crisis and in need of our help. For more information about the Safe Pet Room, please call John at 413-447-7878, ext. 33. Like us on Facebook. Call us at 413-447-7878.Visit us at berkshirehumane.org
Like us on Facebook. Call us at 413-447-7878.Visit us at berkshirehumane.org
BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY 214 Barker Road, Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201 • berkshirehumane.org • 413-447-7878 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cindy Bartlett, President Fred Pomerantz, Vice-President Leslie Weil, Vice-President Deborah Storie, Secretary Patricia Sinclair, Treasurer
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF John Perreault Executive Director
Lisa Corbett Family Dog School Head Instructor
Cheryl Truskowski Shelter Manager
Jonathan Cluett, MD, Asst. Secretary Alexandra Glover Karen Leopardi Jackie McHugh, Asst. Treasurer Evan Morowitz Christopher Nerrie Kathleen Phillips John Reynolds, DVM Janie Strachan Diana Wall
PURRADISE Berkshire Humane Society Feline Adoption Center 301 Stockbridge Road Great Barrington, MA 413-717-4244
Elizabeth Brown Outreach Coordinator
Mary Koncel Humane Educator
Terry Bissaillon Volunteer Coordinator
Diane Briggs Administrative Assistant
Sherry Betit
ADVISORY BOARD Sue Connell Corinne McKeown Mimi Rosenblatt Stefanie Samek Richard Waldberger Leslie Weil Marsha Weiner Danielle Hammell, Manager
Financial Specialist
Newsletter Design: Shirley Sparks, Stockbridge, MA • Photos: BHS Staff • Printed by: Quality Printing, A Green Co.