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A new sled program last year made it easier for Pittsfield residents to sled at the Clapp Park but sleds were damaged or stolen last week.

Pittsfield's Clapp Park Sled Library Vandalized; Accepting Donations

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After just one season, Pittsfield's Clapp Park Little Sled Library has encountered vandalism. 
 
In December 2023, the city approved a community-led sled library to help spread the joy of winter activities.
 
After receiving city approval, resident Lindsey Marion placed a free sled box near the scoreboard at the park, which holds a collection of sleds that visitors can borrow and use on the property's impressive hills. 
 
However, last week, the Clapp Park Little Sled Library's Facebook page announced that all but one of the library's 20-plus sleds were damaged or gone. 
 
"We can do better than this. If your children were at the park today, please have a conversation with them about respecting shared spaces," the post says. 
 
The post garnered several comments in support of the program, and many offered to help donate sleds to help it rebuild its stock. 
 
"Kids will be kids, and things happen, but it's really not that serious — it's a couple of sleds. Hopefully, we can just keep it nice going forward so that everybody can use it because it's certainly not going to be put out next year if the stuff is just being broken," Marion said.
 
"We're certainly not going to just keep putting the sleds out there for people to destroy."
 
So far, three people have donated new sleds this year after the vandalism. The library could use another 20 donations, Marion said. 
 
Those interested in donating a sled to the library can drop it off at Clapp Park or Otto's Kitchen & Comfort, located at 95 East St.
 
"Last year, my gang enjoyed sledding so much. We have eight kids, and their friends met up with them to go sledding, some without sleds ... so we love this program," one commenter said. 
 
"So, very sorry to read this tonight ... come on Pittsfield, let's do better. Let's encourage our children and adolescents to do better." 
 
Since its establishment last winter, Marion said several people have reached out to share their appreciation for the program as it allows kids to enjoy sledding without having to worry about bringing their own equipment. 
 
The initial sled library only held 20 sleds, but a bigger holder has been built by Green Enterprise, with supplies funded by Martino Glass Co. The larger sled library can hold around 40 sleds, Marion said. 
 
More than 30 people donated sleds last year, further demonstrating the community's support, Marion said. 
 
"Pittsfield is making initiatives to do something nice for the youth .... unfortunately, a few can ruin it for all others... hopefully we as a community can make strides to rectify this situation," another commenter said of the post.  
 
A lot of people were just as upset as she was and were kind in sharing the post, Marion said. 
 
"Then there are the people who kind of were, like, 'we told you so. Can't have anything nice in Pittsfield,' which I don't tend to agree with," she said. 
 
This is the first time in a little more than a year this has happened, she said. 
 
"I think it was maybe a group of kids who got bored. It was only this one time because it hadn't happened at all before," she said. 
 
"There were some sleds that were broken, but I think that that's to be expected, kind of like normal wear and tear. This you could tell, it was a targeted instance."

Tags: sledding,   

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Companion Corner: Glo at the Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and playful dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for her new family.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

"Glo is about a one-year-old, sweet female pitty mix who has nothing but love to give," said kennel supervisor Stacey Broderick.

Glo has been at the shelter for about three weeks after unfortunately being kicked out of her previous home.

"She came here because her previous home, she was being crated an awful lot, and unfortunately, was creating a little bit of a raucous when she was left by herself," said Broderick. "So she was just being a little barky, a little loud. Neighbors obviously shared walls in an apartment setting we're complaining to the landlord, and the landlord said, unfortunately, that she had to go."

But since coming to the shelter she has been learning a lot.

"She's been nothing but a sweet little girl ever since she is working on crate training, she has been very good for us. We're practicing it with her. She is also working on her house training. In addition to it, it seems that we had a little bit of a reverse situation going on, where she likes to go potties inside, but we are working very hard, and she is learning so quickly," she said. "So even after just a couple weeks with us, she's been really getting the point to go outside and do all of her potties out there."

She would do best in the home as the only dog and possibly without cats. She would also do best with older children who can understand her needs as she needs less activity than other dogs.

"The perfect home would, because of the necessity for her to have a lower activity level, probably without other dogs, just because she can get a little bit rambunctious when she gets excited around them," Broderick said. "So she could certainly have doggie play dates, but her perfect home would be no dogs. Unfortunately, we do have a bit of a prey drive with kitty cats, so probably leaning away from the cats, unless they're incredibly dog savvy ...

"Probably looking toward a home without super young kids, just so they're not jumping, you know, or leaning, or anything along those lines, and understanding that sometimes she's going to just need a break."

Because of a medical condition she wouldn't be able to go on long hikes or do anything extraneous but she is still very active and playful.

"She is absolutely lovely. She's sweet, she's young, she's playful. She wants to be with her people all the time. She loves toys. She does like going out for walks. We do have a couple of medical things that we can certainly give more information to adopters, too," she said. "We have some hip dysplasia that we're looking at, so probably moderate activity level would be best for her.

"She shouldn't necessarily be going on super long hikes, even though she would love to, but she is young and full of life and full of energy, and wants nothing more than to be with her people."

Since Glo has hip dysplasia she will need to maintain a healthy weight to not add stress to her joints and can also benefit from hydrotherapy.

"It's something that somebody will have to have a good relationship with a veterinarian physical therapists, and then if they were interested in doing a hydrotherapy type situation, it can only help her," Broderick said. "We want to keep those muscles built up in the hind end so that her hips are not taking the brunt of the bone on bone action while she is kind of living out her very best life."

Glo hasn't shown any symptoms or difficulties since being at the shelter, but it is a condition that her owners need to understand and it increases her chances of arthritis as she gets older.

Broderick said Fritters Critters in Lee specializes in pet hydrotherapy.

"They basically work on an underwater treadmill. So that's walking under the water so that she has a little bit of resistance and the water is warm, so that it's optimum for therapeutic benefits," she said. "They do have a pool there, too, where she would be able to do some swimming, and it really gives her the ability to exercise and really extend those joints and build up those muscles without the added pressure of gravity and impact as she's walking or playing or running.

"So the hydrotherapy is a great option for dogs, even if you just want to do it for fun. She could really benefit healthwise, from it, too."

She will also have to stay on her joint mobility food to help her.

But Glo is a very happy and playful dog and loves everyone she sees and is hoping to find someone who will love her just as much to take her home.

"I can't say enough good about her. I know that the hip dysplasia sounds like a scary piece of it, as well as the house training," Broderick said. "But honestly, there was not a friendlier, sweeter, more outgoing, social, wants to be best friends with you, kind of dog. She was in the front lobby this past Saturday, and she met like 10 people at the same time, and just made rounds and loved every single person as they came in."

You can visit Glo at the Berkshire Humane Society and read more about her on the website.

The Berkshire Humane Society is open Tuesday through Sunday. The adoption center is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

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