The shelter gets calls from pet owners who want to do right by their cats and dogs but can't afford the cost for health care and neutering. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Humane Society recently secured $100,000 in grants to help care for underserved dogs and cats.

The largest grant of $75,000 is from the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation to help support Berkshire Humane's medical program that covers some 500 underserved animals in the county.

This grant will help to spay and neuter hundreds of dogs and cats for those who can't afford to pay the entire fee. Clients of the Pet Food Pantry will have priority for the spay and neuters for up to 300 cats and 50 male and 50 female dogs. The cost varies dependent on the size and breed of the pet. This grant will also help 50 more clients receive subsidized wellness exams, tests, and vaccines.

Lastly the shelter will be able to hold free rabies vaccine and microchip clinics for dogs and cats on Thursday, May 1, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Adams at 86 Summer St.

Executive Director John Perrault said the shelter has gotten calls from pet owners who say they are unable to afford these types of procedures for their pets, so he hopes these grants help many.

"We're able to help subsidize what they can't afford to hopefully get all these people that want to have their dog or cat spayed or neutered, realizing for the health benefits for the general population," he said. "It's the best thing to do for their animal but they just don't have the money."

The second grant is from the Massachusetts Animal Coalition Pet Play Grant program, which awarded Berkshire Humane $15,000. This will also help those in the community with subsidized spay and neuters for 25 dogs at the Pet Food Bank as well as 50 community cats.

And the third grant was $10,000 from Benson's Pet Center through its Benson CARES program to help provide more low-cost spay and neuter surgeries to 20 cats and 20 dogs, with rabies vaccinations and microchips if needed.

"When we opened the clinic we knew that there was a huge need. We needed to support our local veterinarians who are already overwhelmed, so our local veterinarians are overwhelmed and there's a lot of people that just can't get in." Perrault said about opening the wellness clinic. Even then, some people are saying the cost was too much for them.

The Berkshire Humane Society opened a wellness clinic in 2023 to provide affordable and accessible preventative and urgent care vet services to help the community and local veterinarians.

"We thought we were doing great things but realized when we got up and running that there were so many more people that needed even more than what we could offer, so these subsidies will help us reach even more people," Perrault said.

Perrault also sees how important it is for people to be able to have these affordable options for their pets who are already in a loving and good home.

"By spaying and neutering them, vaccinating them, keeping them healthy, those animals will stay healthier with the goal of keeping them in their home and out of our shelter," he said.