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Berkshire Humane Society Holding Fee Waived Event Next Week

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Humane Society is having a fee-waived adoption event for dogs one year and older.

This event is called "Big Dog Energy" and is happening in many shelters across Massachusetts. It runs from April 22 through April 27.

"There is still just an influx of adult dogs who are sitting in shelters," said Berkshire Humane Society's Executive Director John Perreault.

Last year, the Berkshire Humane Society participated in a week of fee-waived adoptions for the Mass-Saves promotion, also because of an influx of adult dogs staying in the shelter.

Perrault said it's still the case, unfortunately.

"They're not moving all across the state so we're right now really trying to promote all the great dogs that all the shelters have around the state," he said.

Perrault said there could be many reasons some dogs are not getting adopted right away.

"Some people have blamed it on people getting rid of their dogs coming out of COVID, some people believe it's the economy, you know, that it costs so much to take care of a dog and the cost of everything is going up," he said. "By hopefully fee waiving the adoption fee that may trigger some people to realize that you know, if that's a barrier or a hurdle and we can eliminate that to put a good dog in a good home, then it's certainly worth it." 

Perrault said he is hoping this event is successful as some past ones haven't been.

"The fee-waived adoptions around the state have been very very successful. The first one we did I think we placed five dogs who were over 600 days of care when they were here, I cant remember the exact amount, and it was awesome because they were long-termers," he said. "Since then we've done about five or six of these along with everybody else and many other shelters around the state are finding huge success and we're not, I think we've gone through one or two where we may not have placed any during that fee waived week.

"So, we're hoping this one's going to be a successful one."

The shelter currently has 10 dogs available whose fees will be waived next week

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.