Poodle Breeder's Legal Disputes New to Sonsini Shelter

Staff Reports02:42PM / Friday, September 16, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter is distancing itself from poodle breeder Lee Kohlenberger Jr. after discovering multiple legal complaints against him.

Kohlenberger told iBerkshires this week that the shelter would be relocating to his Berkshire Dogs Unleashed location in Lenox. He said that operation had closed last week so his family could "focus on its breeding program Berkshire Poodles."

However, The Berkshire Eagle on Friday reported that Kohlenberger could face a larceny charge over a customer's complaint.

Berkshire Poodles has recently provided "comfort dogs" for free to schools, organizations and police departments around the county, including the Pittsfield Police Department's Winston last year.

In a statement on Friday, the shelter's board of directors said it was "taken aback" about the report.

"At no time during his short tenure as a board member of the Sonsini Shelter did Mr. Kohlenberger disclose his ongoing legal disputes related to his private businesses, including when he proposed that the shelter take over the lease for his closed business Berkshire Dogs Unleashed," the board wrote. "When Mr. Kohlenberger resigned from the shelter's board and offered to facilitate the transition to the former Berkshire Dogs Unleashed facility in Lenox, the board agreed to hire him as an independent 1099 contractor for a set period of six months."

The shelter and Kohlenberger's business are in no way merging — as indicated in The Eagle article — and the shelter is seeking full-time staff for when the transition to the new location is completed, the statement reads.

The Eagle article reported that Kohlenberger had settled "several judgments" against him. He told iBerkshires' that he had closed Berkshire Dogs Unleashed, a training, boarding and grooming operation, because he "spread myself too thin," a reason he repeated to The Eagle.

Kohlenberger's troubles also include a fire in July that burned down his rented home in Becket and killed several of his dogs and a two-year fight over names with another "Berkshire" dog business.

The Eagle said it had spoken with a number of dissatisfied customers who claimed they had not been reimbursed for thousands of dollars in deposits on dogs they never got or for dogs that were returned.

Kohlenberger has disputed some claims but told The Eagle he was trying resolve what was a "small few" claims against him during his 12 years in poodle breeding.

Tags: animal shelter, dogs,

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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