June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month

08:00AM / Thursday, June 06, 2024Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In celebration of Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, everyone who adopts a cat or kitten at Berkshire Humane Society in June will receive a door prize and a chance to win a cat-themed prize package.

Also, microchips for cats will be only $15 for the month by appointment at Berkshire Humane Society locations in Pittsfield: the Dr. John Reynolds Adoption and Education Center at 214 Barker Road (413-447-7878) and Wellness Clinic at 289 Dalton Avenue (413-203-4330).

"Cat adoptions were up this past year," said John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's Executive Director. "With two months to go in our fiscal year, we had already adopted out 86 more cats than the previous year," he said. The trend seems to be nationwide as observed by Perreault at a recent conference of animal welfare professionals across the country.

The shelter is also beginning to see litters of kittens come in. Because of increased demand for cats and kittens, Perreault advises prospective cat adopters to call the feline department at 413-447-7878, extension 124 and stop by the shelter frequently as many cats and kittens are adopted before they are posted on BerkshireHumane.org, the Society's website.

"We have cats coming in every week," said Perreault. "If you don't see one you want, keep checking, more are on the way."

Adopt-a-Cat month was first observed in 1975 by American Humane, an organization promoting the welfare and safety of animals and strengthening the bond between animals and people.

Tags: Berkshire Humane Society,

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15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports11:35AM / Sunday, October 11, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fifteen people were displaced after 2-alarm home fires this weekend on Springside Avenue and Elaine Drive.

On Friday evening, the Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 209 Springside Ave., which took a four-hour battle to extinguish and resulted in a partial roof collapse. The next day, on Saturday evening, crews knocked down a fire at 121 Elaine Drive in about an hour.

The garage and part of the single-family home on Elaine Drive were gutted to the frame, along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. On Springside Avenue, the top level and porch of the multifamily were burned through.

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of the Elaine Drive home, which includes several young children. The fundraiser, with a $5,500 goal, explains they lost their home and all of their belongings. (iBerkshires.com does not confirm or endorse fundraisers; they are provided as information only.)

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries, and both incidents are under investigation. One dog was rescued on Springside Avenue.

On Oct. 10, around 6:15 p.m., PFD responded to the Springside Avenue home for a reported structure fire and saw a 2 1/2-story wood frame multifamily with a heavy blaze showing from the second-floor front porch, extending out.

The building suffered a partial roof collapse, which prolonged extinguishment. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.

“An aggressive offensive attack was mounted by first arriving crews stretching hose lines into the building as well as primary searches that proved negative. Ladders were placed around the structure to provide access as well as escape if needed. An off-duty Fire Captain had also been on scene early in the incident to help evacuate the structure and rescue a dog,” PFD wrote in a press release.

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