Berkshire Humane Waives Dog Adoption Fees Through Sunday

01:23PM / Thursday, July 18, 2024Print Story | Email Story

Bonded sister and brother duo Teddy and Rosie are looking for a home to live out their golden years. Their adoption fees are waived until Sunday.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Humane Society has waived adoption fees of dogs who are at least one year old from Monday through Sunday this week.

The promotion, called "Mass-Saves," is the first event of a statewide coalition led by MSPCA-Angell. Other shelters in the coalition funded by Best Friends Animal Society include Worcester Animal Rescue League, Boston Animal Control, Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center and Dakin Humane Society. The shelters will work together to improve and save lives of animals.

"Shelters throughout the country are experiencing an influx of dogs who are not being adopted right away, taxing the capacity of shelters to care for them," said John Perreault, executive director of Berkshire Humane Society. "We're no different. Due to the economy, we're receiving dogs with medical needs that need to be treated and dogs who need extra attention to address behavioral issues.

"We have many good dogs in the shelter, but it takes resources and time to find them a home. That's why I'm excited to join this statewide team of organizations to address this issue."

"The issues facing animal welfare right now are daunting, to say the least," said

Mike Keiley, vice president of animal protection at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell, said, "one of the most pervasive issues we're experiencing, and that's the dog population crisis." According to Keiley, a large and increasing number of homeless dogs need specialized help from behavior experts to adjust to shelter life long enough to find their adoptive homes.

"A lot of those dogs really struggle in shelters," Keily explained. "Given that recruiting qualified behavior personnel is just as hard as recruiting veterinary staff, most shelters aren't able to address this challenge alone, and, without that help, it may not be possible to rehome the animals."

As part of the coalition, MSPCA-Angell will establish a behavior outreach role to work directly with animals at other shelters while also helping coalition members learn effective remedies they can use on their own.

Berkshire Humane Society's participation in the coalition will focus on the areas of dog behavior, medical needs and adoptions.

"I'm looking forward to working with other leaders in the animal welfare field to see what great things we can accomplish together for the sake of animals," Perreault said.

Tags: Berkshire Humane Society, 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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