PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Local pups will be walking the red carpet on Saturday as "Hotel for Dogs" hits the big screen this weekend.
Well, maybe not a red carpet, but they'll definitely be putting on the dog to celebrate a film with the theme "no dog is turned away."
Regal Cinemas is partnering with dozens of Humane Societies across the nation for the movie's opening. So when somebody called from the local cinemas at the Berkshire Mall, "we jumped on it," said Karen Karlberg, community outreach coordinator of Berkshire Humane Society. "People here are really excited about this."
"I went and got the book,and the movie is awesome," she said. "It's perfect for us."
The movie, based on the young adult book by the same name, is about two foster kids trying to keep the last member of their family, a dog named Friday, with them. Hiding Friday leads to a, yes, hotel full of canines also looking for a forever home.
In the spirit of the film, the Humane Society will have some real dogs ready to star in their own production — all they need is a supporting cast.
Dog adoptions will be held in the Regal Cinema lobby from 11 to 3 on Saturday and Sunday to showcase the importance of the adoption option instead of buying online or puppy mill pets from shops.
Staff and volunteers will be on hand for the movie premiere tonight from 4 to 8 to talk about some fo the shelter's progams, like Family Dog School, children's educational programs and volunteer opportunities. They can also talk about how to find the right dog for your family. Brochures and staff will there Monday, Martin Luther King Day, as well from 11 to 4 p.m.
A Regal Cinema Dog Show will be held on Saturday at 2 with prizes donated by PetCo will be awarded for best dog trick, best dressed and best owner look-alike. (The deadline to enter was Thursday.)
The mall and the Humane Society are also accepting donations for a pet food drive to help owners feed their pets through rough economic times. The collected food will be distributed throughout the BHS Pet Food Pantries located in North Adams, Adams, Dalton, Great Barrington and Sheffield, as well as the food bank at the shelter on 214 Barker Road.
Since the movie geared to youngsters, the society wanted a component that would appeal to kids, said Karlberg.
"We started thinking about what we could do and came up with a coloring contest," she said. "We've got great prizes, books about the movie."
The society received a lot of promotional items from Regal, incuding duffle bags and hats.
The contest, which has been extended until next week, is open to children in Grades 3 through 6. It was designed by area artist Kim Arre-Gerber, of Animal Laughter Studio, can be downloaded from the blog at www.berkshirehumane.org or printed from the bottom of this article. It can also be picked up from the shelter's main lobby. Winners will be displayed in the Regal lobby.
The film is a great chance for the shelter to reach out to children and teach them how to treat pets, said BHS staff.
"Humane education is an important part of our mission at the Berkshire Humane Society," said John Perreault, the executive director. "And 'Hotel for Dogs' is a great example of kids helping animals, and we want to empower children to do the same in the Berkshire community."
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