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Companion Corner: Beauty at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet dog waiting for their new home at Berkshire Humane Society.

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

Beauty is a 5-year-old bulldog mix and has been at the shelter for about a month after she didn't get along with other animals in the home.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Beauty: "Just very sweet, cuddly, but also very energetic, very playful, just a great companion, great, great little buddy."

Beauty is very energetic and loves to go outside and play. She loves to go on walks and is very obedient, is house trained, and she knows some commands.

"She loves to play tug, so she gets very excited. She loves to play fetch. She loves to go on walks, be out in the snow, and then she just food, of course," said Olivieri. "She loves snacks, loves working for food. And she also just really enjoys touch, companionship, petting, love. She just wants to be right here with you once all of her physical needs are met."

Beauty must be the only animal in the house as she has a prey drive for cats and does not like to live with other dogs. But Beauty is good to greet other dogs when she is on the leash. She also must go home with older kids.

"She doesn't want to share her humans with other dogs in the house or her belongings. She wants all the attention so no other dogs in the home. And for kids, if there's kids in the home, we're saying teenagers and up. Couple reasons, first of all, she can be a little bit nervous and shy and skittish with a lot of quick movements, young kids kind of move differently than adults, and that can make her cautious and a little scared," she said.  "And also, when she starts to play with her tug toys, she can get a little grabby with those teeth."

Beauty is perfectly healthy but may need some attention for her sensitive skin.

"She's got some sensitive skin, so she has some thinning hair on her back here, so she might need some extra vet visits for some skincare, medicated baths, fish oil, some supplements to kind of keep her coat nice and shiny and healthy and thick," Olivieri said. 

Beauty can be nervous around people at first and has shown some nervousness to men. But with patience she can warm right up to you.

"We have noticed with some people, like I said, with kids, but sometimes with men or strangers, she can be a little bit nervous at first," she said. "So she is a little cautious and careful around she might shy away from people she doesn't really know, so but it really does not take very long to earn her trust. You just have to be patient."

You can visit Beauty 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.


Tags: Berkshire Humane Society,   dogs,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Schools Officials See FY27 Budget for 13 Schools

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Right after the School Committee voted to close Morningside Community School, members saw how it will affect the fiscal year 2027 budget

The $87,200,061 budget for FY27 remains, but funds that would have gone to Morningside are following students to four other schools. 

"As we look at the high-level totals, you notice that the total budget amount is the same. We only have so many dollars to work with. Even though that doesn't change, the composition of spending changes," Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Bonnie Howland explained. 

Mayor Peter Marchetti, chair of the School Committee, said this year's budget process was "extremely confusing," because of coming changes within the Pittsfield Public Schools, including the middle school restructuring. 

The proposed FY27 budget for the School Department includes $68,886,061 in state Chapter 70 funding and $18 million from the city.  A 13-school plan, excluding Morningside, saves in instruction, school services, and operations and maintenance, allowing those funds to be reinvested across the district. 

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee released a budget that brings an additional $858,660 to PPS. This includes a rate of $160 per pupil minimum school aid, and Fair Share Amendment earmarks secured by state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier and state Sen. Paul Mark. 

Morningside's pupils will be reassigned to Allendale, Capeless, Egremont, and Williams elementary schools.  For fiscal year 2027, the district had allocated about $5.2 million for Morningside.

Officials identified school's lack of classroom walls as the most significant obstacle, creating a difficult and noisy learning environment that is reflected in its accountability score.

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