Spay & Neuter Certificates Available at The Berkshire Humane Society
PITTSFIELD, Mass. - The Berkshire Humane Society will be celebrating “National Prevent a Litter Month during February by distributing spay and neuter voucher-certificates for both cats and dogs. “This is an important program for Berkshire County pet owners who cannot afford to spay or neuter their pets,” says John Perreault, Executive Director.“It is especially important to reach out to those pet owners affected by the tough economy,” he added. Eligible pet owners can receive a voucher-certificate worth $60 towards a spay/neuter surgery for felines and $75 towards the surgery for canines. Since this program started over 14 years ago, The BHS Spay/Neuter Program has helped over 2,500 families spay or neuter their pets. The funds are distributed on a first come basis and have been made available by the Hilton C. Hamm Trust.
In addition to reducing the number of homeless and unwanted pets in shelters, Perreault said “Spaying and neutering cats and dogs can also make your animal a more pleasant companion by cutting down on their odor, scent marking, yowling, restlessness and aggression levels. The surgery will also keep your pet healthier by reducing the risk of certain infections and several forms of cancer and it can also add years to your pet’s life.”
Between 8 and 12 million animals are surrendered nationwide to shelters every year. Of that, 70% of cats and 60% of dogs never find a home due to the pet overpopulation problem. “By making sure that all of our shelter adoptees are spayed and neutered and also helping those families who cannot afford the surgery, BHS hopes to continue to see a decrease in the amount of unwanted pet-births in our community”, noted Perreault. For more information on pet overpopulation and spaying and neutering, please call the Berkshire Humane Society at (413) 447-7878.
The Berkshire Humane Society has been helping animals and people since 1992 and offers free educational programs for area school children, a pet-food bank for economically distressed pet owners, and works with The Elizabeth Freeman Center to provide foster care assistance for the pets of women in crisis. BHS receives no public funding and relies on memberships and donations to continue to help animals and people. The shelter is open Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm, Thursday evenings 5-8pm, and Sundays 1-4pm. The shelter closes at noon on the last Wednesday of each month for staff meetings. The phone number is 413-447-7878. The website is www.berkshirehumane.org.
