October 2015 Issue AL

animal lifeYour pet. Our purpose.

Complimentary October 2015

Tri-State Area Pet News

Inside:Sid page 3

BHS Awarded Grant page 5Local Pet Artisans page 10

Outside Cats page 13

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Animal Lifer October 2015 animallifeonline.com 3

Back in August, while dredging through the difficult workof revamping the Sonsini Shelter, we were absolutely mor-tified by the appearance of the senior Chihuahua dumpedat our shelter. We had named him Sid after someone sug-gested he looked like the character from the children’smovie Ice Age. I still swear he looked like Sid’s grand-mother. This little dog could not walk when we met him.His little toenails, gnarled and twisted around each other,had grown so long they resembled something out of an oldRipley’s Believe it or Not record book. Weighing less thantwo pounds, infested with fleas, and smelling like he had-n’t seen the interior of a bathtub in a solid seven years, abath was most certainly in order. However, to suggest thathe was unhappy with our sudden interest in his well-beingwould be the understatement of the century. Not only washe uninterested in the medical attention he sorely needed,he was also not interested in any sort of cleaning proce-dure we might be of the opinion he should undergo. Andjust in case we were considering it, he was also not goingto be partaking in a trim of those rather unruly nails. “No thank you, I am quite alright,” Sid would make crys-tal clear in his snarling, growling retort to our advances. It comforted us to know that it was not only our advances that he absolutely de-tested. He hated us. He hated our trusted vets. Poor Dr. O’Mara at Allen Heightsbraved the snarling, snapping Sid in the beginning to get him started on the roadto recovery. Eventually, she was able to get Sid’s shots done, a medical exam andhis nails trimmed despite the snarling growling little Tasmanian devil that Sidwas attempting to convince us all that he was.We started him on a healthy diet and began to socialize him. He began to trust us.He stopped snarling and growling. Over the next week we watched as he slowlystarted to come out of his vicious, snapping little shell and gingerly began fol-lowing us around the office. Slowly, he began to come to people for attention. He

loved to run and play in our outdoor play area. He was ex-perimenting walking with us. He had learned that a humantouch was not something to fear- that he liked to have hisfur stroked. We were so impressed with how far this littleman had come and how quickly he had warmed up to us.We were winning. Sid had been mistreated and terribly

mistreated for a very long time by the looks of his nails,his coat and his reaction to our attentions. Despite the mis-treatment and the abuse, Sid was learning to trust again.Our hearts soared when we would see him run through theoutdoor play area. This was a dog who couldn’t walk. Ithad been merely a week and change and he was runningand playing. We were winning. And then in late August, Sid suddenly had a grand malseizure. We were completely unprepared. He had beengaining weight and improving. We had no expectation thatthere was anything like this looming in the backgroundwaiting to strike. Thankfully, our little man was not alonewhen the seizure hit. One of our dedicated staff, Emily,was with him in his kennel when the seizure started. Ouranimal care manager, Danielle, spent hours with himstroking his fur and comforting him afterwards. Danielle

brought him home and kept him with her until his veterinary appointment.Danielle personally brought Sid to the vet with tears in her eyes. Despite every-thing we had done for him, our poor Sid would never wake up after his seizureand had to be euthanized. We were devastated. We are comforted by the knowledge that Sid’s last week wasprobably his best, as we loved with all our hearts.

Krista A Wroldson MillerSonsini Animal Shelter

Sid

“No thank you, I am quite alright,”Sid would make crystal clear in his snarling,

growling retort to our advances.

4 Animal Lifer October 2015 animallifeonline.com

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Animal Lifer October 2015 animallifeonline.com 5

Thanks to a $10,000 grant from theMassachusetts Animal Coalition(MAC), Berkshire Humane Society(BHS) will be able to continue its ef-forts to provide low-cost spay/neuterprograms for cats and dogs in BerkshireCounty. This year the MAC grant willsupport two programs: Pittsfield CatFix and Be Hip & SNIP Your Dog. MAC is a statewide, non-profit or-

ganization comprised of animal profes-sionals and individual volunteersdedicated to decreasing the number ofhomeless, neglected, displaced andabused animals in Massachusetts.Through its annual “I’m AnimalFriendly” license plates program, it dis-perses funds to humane organizationsand municipal animal control agenciesin the Commonwealth to provide low-cost spay/neuter services.Collaborating with Animal DREAMS(AD), BHS has recently launched Pitts-field Cat Fix, a city-wide effort tospay/neuter both owned and stray catsin Pittsfield. AD is a local organiza-tion dedicated to caring for and im-proving the lives of stray or feral catsin Berkshire County primarily throughTrap/Neuter/Return (TNR). TNR is theonly method proven to humanely andeffectively control the population ofstray or feral cat. Cats in a colony aretrapped, neutered and then returned totheir territory where caretakers providethem with regular food and shelter.With the help of the license plate grant,AD and BHS have targeted 500 cats inthe 01201 zip code. For Pittsfield resi-dents who own indoor/outdoor cats, thecost of spaying/neutering is $30 and in-cludes a rabies vaccination. Discountscan be negotiated for multiple cats orlitters. There is no fee for spaying/neu-tering stray or feral cats. A rabies vac-cination is also included. Caretakersfor these cats should contact AD to dis-cuss arrangements. Pittsfield Cat Fix is available for a lim-ited time – until the goal of 500 cats isreached or May 31, 2016. To learn more about Pittsfield Cat Fix,please call AD at 413-997-2287 oremail them at [email protected]. Beginning on October 1st, BHS will

also be hosting Be Hip & SNIP Your

Dog for dog owners who live in NorthCounty and who are in financial need.Through this program, BHS will beable to offer low-cost spay/neuter forapproximately 50 dogs and puppiesthree months and older. To participatein Be Hip & SNIP Your Dog, dog own-ers need to purchase a $25 voucher ateither the main shelter in Pittsfield orBark N’ Cat in North Adams. Oncethey purchase the voucher, they’ll needto schedule an appointment with a par-ticipating veterinarian and then submitthe voucher on the day of the surgery. Veterinarians taking part in Be Hip &SNIP Your Dog are Greylock AnimalHospital, North County VeterinaryHospital, and Pittsfield Veterinary Hos-pital. To schedule a surgery appoint-ment at Greylock Animal Hospital,please call 413-663-5365 after October1st. To schedule a surgery appointmentat North County Veterinary Hospital orPittsfield Veterinary Hospital, pleasecall 413-499-1580 after November 1stand ask for Emily. The $25 fee includes spaying/neuter-ing and a rabies vaccination. Voucherswill be available on a first come, firstserve basis and be limited to two perfamily. Additionally, the wait list for asurgery appointment may be twomonths or longer. There will be no re-funds. For more information, pleasecall the BHS kennel staff at 413-447-7878, ext. 126.

“Since our inception, Berkshire Hu-mane Society has been committed toproviding low-cost spaying and neuter-ing to families who cannot afford thisimportant surgery,” explains John Per-reault, Executive Director of BHS.“Over the years, we’ve spayed orneutered almost 5,000 dogs and catsthrough our community outreach pro-grams and significantly reduced thehomeless pet population. We’re verygrateful to the Massachusetts AnimalCoalition, Animal DREAMS, our par-ticipating veterinarians, and ChristaAbel of Bark N’ Cat for partnering withus for Pittsfield Cat Fix and Be Hip &SNIP Your Dog.” The American Society for the Preven-tion of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) re-

ports that about 7.6 million animals aresurrendered to shelters nationwide eachyear; sadly, 2.7 million of them are eu-thanized annually. Spaying and neu-tering is one of the most efficient andhumane ways to decrease these num-bers. Besides reducing the homeless pet

population, spaying and neutering hasmany other benefits, including health,behavior, and cost. According to theASPCA, spaying female cats or dogsbefore their first heat cycle reducestheir chances of uterine infections andbreast cancer; neutering male cats ordogs before they are six months old de-creases their risk of testicular cancer.Males who are neutered don’t roam insearch of a mate, and dogs are more aptto focus on their family members, mak-ing their training easier. Finally, thecost of spaying and neutering is lessthan the cost of raising a litter of kittensand puppies. To help support the effort to end pet

overpopulation and homelessness inMassachusetts through low-cost spay-ing/neutering, BHS encourages allcommunity members to purchase an"I'm Animal Friendly" license plate.The tax-deductible plates are availableat local Registries of Motor Vehicles orat www.petplate.org

Mary A. KoncelCommunity Outreach CoordinatorBerkshire Humane Society

BHS Awarded Grant to HelpIts Low-cost Spaying/Neutering Efforts

Advocates for Berkshire Community Cats

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myth & truth about dog behaviorthe canine mind!I’ve trained my dog to do all his basic skills and even some tricks. He does every-thing great at home and doesn’t even need food treats for most things. But everytime I take him somewhere else he ignores me and won’t do any of the skills Iknow he knows. Is he just being stubborn?

Most likely he is not being stubborn but 2 things are definitely getting in the wayof his ability to respond as he does at home. First, dogs do not generalize infor-mation the same way we humans do. They see their experiences as a picture andeverything in the picture matters. If you change the picture (go somewhere new)the dog is a bit confused. So when you are first training your dog to do new skillsit is very important to help him generalize the information by training in many dif-ferent locations. By changing the picture for him, he learns that the constant is theskill you are asking for and then he can begin to generalize to future new situa-tions. Since you have only taught your dog at home, he hasn’t had that opportu-nity to learn the commands fully in new locations. Your second problem isdistraction. Skills need to strengthened by slowly and purposefully adding in dis-tractions of all kinds. When a new distraction is added it should be at a low enoughintensity that your dog can still remain focused on you. If he can't respond to you,you have “turned up the volume” too quickly and need to slow the process soyour dog can regain his focus and ability to listen to you. So I’d recommend youstart by practicing those basic skills in several new places and very gradually in-troduce more distraction and you will begin to see that your dog is as eager to re-spond to you anywhere as he is at home.Leea Foran, CDBC, CPTA-KA is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Behavior consultant and owner of Foranimals, LLC in Lenox, MA. For more information: www.trainingforanimals.com or 413-445-8843

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Animal Lifer October 2015 animallifeonline.com 7

“It was exhausting, but fun and soworth it!" said Shelter manager TobiePetkus. "I am hooked on those HGTVrenovation shows. Once you start reno-vating one thing, it snowballs into thenext.It began with the fixing the outdoorkennel fencing which was severelydamaged by the winter snow. ToddStorti of New England Fence gra-ciously agreed to donate his labor coststo repair all 16 kennels. The shelter ob-tained a grant to pay for the materials."Once they were finished and looked sonice, we realized the indoor kennelsneeded TLC. East Coast Refinishingstepped up to the plate and agreed toprepare the indoor kennels so that Berk-shire Custom Coating could powdercoat them. They look nearly new," saidPetkus.Berkshire Fabric and Wallpaper of-

fered expert advice on the interior colorscheme. The staff and volunteers re-ceived assistance from the BerkshireCounty House of Correction to repaintthe interior. "They did a fabulous job!"exclaimed Krista Wroldson Miller, whois chair of the shelter's board. MarthaPope of Shaggy Dog Photography'ssoulful portraits of the shelter animalsadorn the walls.

Probably the largest undertaking, otherthan the fencing was that of refinishingthe porous cement floors. John Masseryand Jeff Blazick of Elite Crete NewEngland transformed the old floors withspecial epoxy. The new floors are im-pervious and much easier to keep clean.While the new floors were setting up,neither animals nor staff could walk onthem. Petkus said" Luckily, the weatherwas beautiful so Krista and I slept hereon her husband Rick's boat for severalnights. The dogs loved the companyand we had fun! We were prepared forbad weather as well, Trevor Hotchkinand his crew at Classical Tents erecteda large canopy spanning several kennelswhich protects against rain, sun andwind. The Berkshire County Associa-tion of Realtors donated some funds sothat another canopy can be purchasedto cover some more of the kennels."In the midst of the renovations, thecompany truck , dishwasher, washerAND dryer died.Three of these appliances died the

same day! Central Radio donated adishwasher and gave a great price on anew washer, Judith Trumble, anotherboard member, donated a dryer. Inter-national Automotive Parts, Turner Autoand City Tire got the truck back on the

road. Ernie Weider of Weider Mechan-ical helped us to move appliancesaround, Aaron Roche worked on en-closing the dishwasher. The list goeson.Outdoors, Rick Miller fenced in a

large area to be used for agility. RonPetkus of Stockbridge Stone and RayRoberts helped bring in gravel and dirtto even out the outdoor kennels. "Adam Stevens, an Eagle Scout andsome of his friends worked on adaptingthe shed into a chicken coop with thehope that some chickens will reduce theticks. On September 30th, after all of thework was complete, the shelter held anOpen House for businesses and officialsto view the changes. Mayor Bianchiwas suitably impressed. He hadn't beenin the building in several years and wasdelighted with the changes. His oppo-nant Linda Tyer was equally impressedas she toured the facility and grounds.Past volunteers who hadn't been in thebuilding for years were astonished atthe transformation."We are so very grateful to each andevery one of the people who supportedus in this journey." Petkus said. "It ismy hope that those who read this arti-cle, or see the improvements will call

these businesses when they need workdone. They took time out of their busyschedules to help us and that means theworld to these animals."The shelter would also like to thank

the following for their help; The City ofPittsfield, Berkshire House Hunters,Canine Connection, Josh Capitanio,B'J's Warehouse, Antonio Castagna,Lee Ann Massery, Dresser Hull, McDonalds, Repro Systems, SamaraLogic, Staples and Target

Tobie PetkusE. Sonsini Animal Shelter

Over the last few months, the Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter has undergonea "facelift," with the help of the local business community, the shelter's boardof directors, staff and volunteers. The shelter was transformed from a shabbygarage into a clean, cozy, welcoming home for the homeless animals of Berkshire County.

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Brutus is a kind and loving 11 year-old Basset Houndthat was rescued by New England Basset Hound Res-cue. He spent his first eight years tied to a tree with nomedical care and little food. I saw him online and in-stantly fell in love with him. He was blind from an un-treated eye infection and his eyes were white and sunkenin. Without question, I adopted him! After my husbandand I built him a ramp with rails to get out the back door,we took him home where he instantly became a part ofour family. Taking Brutus in, I was inspired to volunteer for the

New England Basset Hound Rescue as the Adoption Co-ordinator and help these beautiful animals find their for-ever homes.In the meantime, Brutus had to have his eyes removeddue to pressure from his previous infection. He adjustedwell to the surgery and has been happy since. Three

months ago, he had to havehis spleen taken out due toswelling and imminent rup-ture. My husband and I didnot hesitate to pay the$2,500 to have the surgeryperformed. Brutus thenmade a full recovery. Un-fortunately, three weekslater, he was diagnosedwith Stage 3A Lymphoma.According to the Oncolo-gist, our boy is a great can-

didate for treatment and they're optimistic that it will puthim into remission for one to two and a half years. Thereis even a 5% cure rate! Of course we are fighting thisand are not ready to lose Brutus! Brutus will be undergoing nineteen treatments that willcost us around $6,000 by the time we are done. We havetaken on multiple jobs to ensure that Brutus' spleen sur-gery was paid for and that he will receive his chemotreatments moving forward. I am in love with this sweetboy and am not ready to part with him, as he has plentyof life left. My husband and I are asking for any little bitof help toward this life-saving effort and thank you fortaking time to read Brutus' story. If you would like to send your donation directly to Bru-tus' account at the hospital, the information is as follows:

VCA Boston Road Animal Hospital1235 Boston Rd.Springfield, MA 01119Phone: 413-783-1203Please specify that the donation is for Jessie and Brutus

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animal instinctsAmanda Jones, PhotographerWilliamstown, MAAmanda Jones began her photography career in 1992 aftergraduating with a degree in Cinema and Photography fromIthaca College in Ithaca, NY. In 1994, Amanda began photo-graphing dogs in Maine after her best friend brought homeRuby, a yellow Labrador Retriever puppy. Ruby was Amanda'sfirst model and inspiration for pursuing a career working withdogs. Amanda has been photographing dogs and cats for clientsacross the United States ever since.Amanda's images grace greeting cards, posters, calendars andbooks. She travels the country extensively, photographing dogs,cats, and the occasional horse.Amanda lives in Williamstown, Massachusetts with her hus-band and business partner, Chris, their daughter Sophie, andher two Dachshunds Lily & Benny.Amanda Jones, Inc. is headquartered on the campus of the Mas-sachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams,Massachusetts. We have a beautiful 1800 square foot space ina building that used to house one of the area's largest employ-ers—Sprague Electric. The factory closed down in 1985 andsat idle for many years. In 1998, the 13 acre compound wastransformed into one of the largest museums of ContemporaryArt in the world.

www.amandajones.com

Karen Karlber, PhotographerBecket, MAMy first camera was an old Pentax 35mm that my grandfathergave to me when I went off to college in Upstate New York. Iloved taking photos of the woods and water back then and Istill do today. I was very fortunate to be able to work at theWinter Olympics in Lake Placid where I took lots of images ofthe US hockey team and the village. Sadly, I no longer havethese photos due to a house fire. But me enthusiasm for pho-tography is still with me. I enjoy expanding my knowledge ofthe craft by taking classes with different photographers when-ever possible. With the advent of digital cameras, I am able tocatalogue my photos for any and all uses including internetsales and my increasing presence in art exhibits like the one atThe Audubon Society at Pleasant Valley Sanctuary, Oct. 11th ,12th , 18th , 19th & 24th from 10am-4pm with a closing re-ception on Saturday Oct 24th from 6-8pm My subject matter continues to be the nature and wildlife allaround me each and every day. I have called a healthy and ac-tive cattail marsh on Shaw Pond in Becket, MA my home foralmost 30 years now. I am the caregiver for a menagerie ofrescued pets including 2 llamas, 9 chickens, 5 cats a dog andmy husband Mark.

www.kattailphoto.com

Carol Lew, ArtistWashington, MAI studied painting at Philadelphia College of Art, and decadeslater, I’m putting my education to good use. Who knew backthen that I'd be merging my love for animals with those beau-tiful historical portraits I studied in my art history classes!Over the past 14 years, my prim and proper portraits of dogs,cats, goats, pigs and other menagerie have been featured inmany venues but there are a few I’m most proud of. I was fea-tured in a local PBS show called “Making It Here". My portraits made a page, front and center, in Country LivingMagazine… I’ve always loved that magazine! My portrait of “Margaret, Queen of Dachshund” was the fea-tured image in an exhibit called “Reigning Cats and Dogs” atthe Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield, MA; In that magnifi-cent building, my paintings were in the company some of themost fabulous examples of historical pet art in the world. Several of my portraits are now on wine labels. One of the la-bels were listed in Rachael Ray’s magazines as an “LOL WineLabel”… something you’d buy not because you love the winebut because the label makes you laugh. And of all things, I likethe idea that my art makes people happy.

You can check out the latest on my blog: http://www.carollew.com/blog/

https://www.facebook.com/CarolLew.Artistwww.carollew.com

Corrine McKeown, Mosaic ArtistGreat Barrington & Newburyport, MAMy name is Corinne McKeown. I have long been attracted toshiny objects and I seem to naturally hone in on them from adistance. Lets just say that if you were a piece of jewelry onthe sidewalk or a coin on the ground – there isn’t a chance Iwon’t spot you and claim you! I’ve been gathering suppliesand hording found objects forEVER.It wasn’t until 2012 that knew I would explode if I did not

begin to learn this special brand of art. I’d watch videos end-lessly on YouTube. I collected more supplies, and began to re-search Instructors as close to the Berkshires as possible. Tolearn, I have traveled an hour and a half, minimally, each way– two times in a weekend (well worth the trip Cindy Fischer,Big Bang Mosaics); and have hired an Instructor to come tomy home from out of state to give me private tutelage (Thankyou Debora Aldo, Pietre Dure Design!). I’m hugely gratefulfor teacher Sharra Frank for her online courses at SharrasMo-saicSecrets.I feel like a girl in love. It has taken me 52 years to become

obsessed with something healthy. Glass, I have found, is mynew drug of choice. Combine this my love of animals and wehave Natural Passion.

For full color images please go to my website:www.PuppyLoveMosaics.com

“When I look into the eyes of an animal Ido not see an animal. I see a living being,

I see a friend, I feel a soul.” A.D. Williams

Debbie Barracca, Artist, Seymour, CTI was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and feel very fortunate to have grown up in NYC. I worked as a graphic de-signer for many years. My husband and I wrote, designed and art directed the childrens’ book series, The Adventures of Taxi Dog,about a homeless dog in NYC who gets adopted by a cab driver.I combined my love of animals and art into creating portraits on stone, which has become my passion. I am always searching forjust the right stone to fit the shape of the animal. I often lose track of the hours I spend on each rock because I try to paint theanimal’s likeness as well as its soul, which is reflected in the eyes. A pet is an important member of the family, and some of mycommissions are for animals that have departed. As I paint them, I seem to connect to their spirits and feel them come throughto me…hard to explain!I paint with acrylics and finish with a protective glaze. I thoroughly love what I do and consider myself extremely fortunate tobe able to bring some happiness into pet owners’ lives… when I see tears of joy, I know I’ve succeeded. In addition to cats anddogs, I’ve painted everything from birds, ferrets and guinea pigs to horses and various wild animals.I currently live in Seymour, CT with my husband, Sal, daughter Samantha and three wonderful cats. Please check out my web-site at barrockas.com or find me on Facebook.

www.barrockas.com

Local Artisans from the Tri-State Area

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SPECIAL NOTE Due to popular demand, 2016 AnimalLife will start printing the first week ofthe month. Because of the currentprinting schedule, there will be NOJANUARY ISSUE. The 1st issue ofthe year will be printed FEBRUARY5th, 2016. Thank you for your support.

From the Publisher

For a 2016 Media Kit, please send request via email: [email protected]

12 Animal Lifer October 2015 animallifeonline.com

FFounded in 1957 and located in Stock-bridge, MA, Riverbrook Residence isthe oldest day and residential programfor women with developmental disabil-ities in the Northeast. A core compo-nent of its mission is to provideopportunities to its residents— amongthem being job training, meaningfulemployment, and community involvement. With the help of a recent grant from

the Berkshire Life Charitable Founda-tion, a collaboration between River-brook and Purradise Feline AdoptionCenter will provide exactly those op-portunities for a group of residents wholove and care about cats: a stipend anda training program that will teach thema range of skills and knowledge neces-sary for employment in a variety of an-imal-related or other jobs. In 2014, a small group of Riverbrookwomen, accompanied by a work site in-structor, began volunteering to social-ize cats at Berkshire Humane Society’s(BHS) satellite adoption center in GreatBarrington. According to DanielleHammell, shelter manager and their su-pervisor, the women’s weekly visits toPurradise were helpful not only for thecats who had difficulty adjusting toshelter life but also for the staff who didnot always have time to provide thatextra TLC to the cats.“Purradise benefited so much by hav-ing the ladies of Riverbrook comeevery week,” she says. “They did anamazing job with the cats.” Given the success of the volunteer vis-its, the next step – a more structured jobtraining program for the women –

seemed logical, especially given River-brook’s mission and BHS’s commit-ment to community outreach. AsDanielle explains, although the womenwill continue to have their “cat time,”the curriculum that she designed for thisprogram largely includes hands onlearning as well as discussion on arange of animal care and welfare top-ics. Recently, for example, she focusedon sanitation with an emphasis oncross-contamination as well as appro-priate measurement and use of cleaningproducts. Future topics will be devotedto cat behavior, nutrition, and grooming. Jessica and Katie, who were the first

volunteers at Purradise, are now amongthe first participants in the training pro-gram. Describing all of them as de-voted and hardworking, Danielle notesthey’ve already made a huge contribu-tion to Purradise by, for example, help-ing to clean cages and crates, dolaundry, and keep the cats’ health andwell-being a top priority. Equally im-portant, the women are continuing toenjoy their time at the shelter. “Thisplace makes my day,” says Jessica,while Katie adds, “We love coming toPurradise and playing with the cats!” Created in 2001, the Berkshire Life

Charitable Foundation is committed tosupporting local programs, services,and special initiatives that help resi-dents of Berkshire County with physi-cal and developmental disabilities.“Through this grant, the Berkshire LifeCharitable Foundation has empoweredthe Riverbrook ladies who have beenvolunteering their time at Purradise to

now take that knowledge onestep further as they becometrained animal care technicianassistants,” notes Colleen Pow-ers, Workforce Development Di-rector at Riverbrook. “Twonon-profits working together insupport each other’s missions isa true collaboration in everysense of the word.”Besides providing job trainingand potential careers to thewomen, Colleen believes thatthe collaboration will benefitother residents of BerkshireCounty with special needs inthat members of the communitywill see the skills and dedication of thewomen who are working at Purradise.Essentially, the Riverbrook women willserve as role models.

Mary A. KoncelCommunity Outreach CoordinatorBerkshire Humane Society.

Purradise Feline Adoption Center and Riverbrook Residence:A True Collaboration

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Animal Lifer October 2015 animallifeonline.com 13

IIt’s harder to be a cat than a dog, when it comes to laws requiring peopleto take responsibility for their pets. Dogs need to be licensed, and there’s alimit to how many dogs a person can have. When a dog is found roaming,Animal Control Officers take them off the streets, and they are held at afacility or shelter until owners are found. If the owners aren’t found, thereare people who do their best to find the dog a new home. There is no such system for cats. As a result, irresponsible pet owners canhave too many cats, allow unfixed cats outside, and some cat owners leavethem behind when they move if it’s inconvenient to take them. Pet cats whoare new to the idea of an outdoor life find themselves bewildered, won-dering where their next meal will come from and what place they shouldnow call home. Friendly cats, added to the feral cats that live in many com-munities, amount to a population that is hard to ignore.As bad as all this sounds, the good news is that there are kind animal-

lovers who feel compelled to help “community cats”. Winter is coming,and this is the time when caring people worry the most about the cats’ wel-fare and wonder how to best help them.

Here are some tipsIf you’re concerned about a friendly cat, first see if you can find out if someone ownsit. You can ask around the neighborhood, or you can buy an inexpensive breakawaycollar, wrap masking tape around it, and write “call _____ if you own this cat”. Someowned indoor-outdoor cats have a roaming radius of several blocks. If you have beencaring for an owned cat, you can rest easier that they have a place to go for food andshelter.

c

If you’re concerned about a friendly cat that is not owned, you may want to check to seeif there’s room at a local shelter. Berkshire Humane Society’s number is 413-448-9800,and Sonsini Animal Shelter’s number is 413-448-9800. But be prepared to hear thatthere is no room at the shelters. There are cats all over the Berkshires in this same sit-uation, and there are not enough available spaces at the shelter for them, especially atthis time of year. But you can usually put cats on their waiting list. If you get a friendlystray cat on a waiting list, you can care for it, even if it’s outside, until there is room atthe shelter.

c

You can try to find someone to adopt friendly un-owned cat. Before giving the cat toanyone who wants it, have a discussion with them. Does this person have other pets andwill the cat be safe from them? Do they already have too many pets? Can the person af-ford to feed and care for the cat? Do they have a stable housing situation, or will the cat

end up on a different street later? Though it may seem that a cat is better off in anyhome than on the street, this isn’t necessarily the case.

c

If the cat is not friendly, it is not in the cat’s best interest to go to a shelter or be founda home. They prefer to live away from humans. Shelters can’t find homes for cats thatdon’t like humans, and most people are not prepared to take in a “pet” that is alwayshiding from them.

c

If a cat has picked your area to hang around, it is possible to care for them outside,even through the winter. Their basic needs, food and shelter, can be provided even if youcan’t bring the cat inside the house. There are lots of tips at this website about caringfor cats outside: http://www.alleycat.org/. Animal DREAMS can offer advice and ideastoo. There are many cat caretakers in the Berkshires who do a great job of seeing out-door cats through the winter, year after year.

c

Last but not least, if you are helping an un-owned cat that has not been fixed, find a wayto get it spayed or neutered. If you live in Pittsfield, you can get un-owned cats fixed forfree through Animal DREAMS between now and June (or until we reach our goal of500 cats) thanks to a grant from PetSmart Charities®. Call Animal DREAMS at 413-997-2287 if you live in Pittsfield. If you live elsewhere in Berkshire County, BerkshireHumane Society has a CatSnip program, which costs $50. Their number is 413-447-7878. Carol LewTNR Coordinator, Berkshire Animal DREAMS

Outside Cats

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Ithis side of purradise

Iris BassIn my last column, I described a num-ber of kittens then at Purradise. Mosthave since been adopted (when Istopped by on September 30, for in-stance, Anderson and his mom wereboth no longer there)...to be replaced bystill more kittens!Although it’s likely that most of the

current group will have left Purradiseby the time the present article is pub-lished, this highlights a continuingtopic: no, not just that kittens are sodarn cute, but that they are so plenti-ful—this new generation unilaterallytagged as strays. As the cold weatherkicks in, it becomes that much more ur-gent to make sure that all these kittensfind a good home: one that will keepthem indoors, safely away from preda-tors and the elements. Perhaps none of the current crop moreillustrated that need for protection thanthe triplets Catalina, Natasha, andLavender, sharing the Sunshine Spawith a few unrelated kittens. Barelymore than two months old, the sisterswere all of delicate build, with veryshort fur, huge ears, and a triangularface, all suggesting that they hadSiamese ancestry. Muted tortie Laven-der, the tiniest of the three, cheerfullyaccepted being placed on my lap,where she enjoyed stroking the velvetytexture of my coat, so matching hers.Catalina, nearly identical but a triflesturdier, preferred for a time to snuggleinto a cat tree, but later joined me afterher sister departed my lap to explorethe sun porch. As for Natasha, more

brightly patched in black and orangethan her muted tortie sisters, she was soshy that I didn’t even see her until oneof the staffers pointed her out in theroom’s hanging mesh bunk beds (whereequally shy tabby Eric, now 6 monthsold, perched in the uppermost tier). Snuggled atop a nearby cat tree (whichactually resembles a tree) was yet an-other kitten, the aptly named Caterpillarfor fuzzy ginger fur. She smiled (yes,cats do smile) when a volunteer steppedover to stroke her, but chose to snoozeinstead of engage with any of the otherkittens or me. And then there was play-ful, curious Spike, a strikingly markedblack-and-white, polydactyl four-month-old I’d first met on my previousvisit, when at that time he’d shared hiscondo with four siblings. Still more kit-tens were housed away from this groupin a condo in the main room of the shelter.Mealtime, toward the end of my visit,brought a change in the dynamics of theporch population: Caterpillar, not budg-ing from her tree, was given a dish rightthere; a few of the others scattered toenjoy their respective meal in privacy.But it was delightful to see four of theyoungsters—just two of the four re-

lated—line up peaceably to eat fromseveral dishes placed in the center ofthe floor, as if nursing together at somelarge, invisible mother cat. As cute as everyone was, this conver-gence of several litters underscores notonly the need for rescue but for kittybirth control, to forestall the less happyending of feral cats’ not surviving in thewild, be that in towns or rural areas.Animal D.R.E.A.M.S. partners with theBerkshire Humane Society, Purradise’s“mother” shelter, to capture and spay orneuter—and find homes for, if feralcats seem amenable to indoor living—as many homeless cats as it can. Togive you some idea of the magnitude ofthis issue in the Berkshires alone, inJune Animal D.R.E.A.M.S. announcedan objective to halt the reproductive fu-ture of 500 cats in one year’s time! If you already live with adult cats,please do your part to medically pre-vent their production of unwanted kit-tens—a procedure that does not harmthe cat or negatively affect its person-ality. You can be sure that, even withAnimal D.R.E.A.M.S.’s campaign, ifyou decide later that you want to add

feline youngsters to the family, youwon’t lack for able and adorable candi-dates at BHS or Purradise.This series follows the special human-feline bond at Purradise, the BerkshireHumane Society Cat Adoption Centerat 301 Stockbridge Road, Great Bar-rington, MA 01230 (413-717-4244),berkshirehumane.org. Open Wed., Fri.,& Sat. 10–4 p.m.; Thurs. 10 a.m.–6p.m.; and Sun. noon–4 p.m. Iris Bass, coauthor of the Cat Lover’sDaily Companion, shares her Lee homewith five shelter cats.

Caterpillar. Photo © 2015 Sheila Heflin.

A kitten caterpillar: (top down)Lavender, Eric,Spike, and Catalina.

Photo © 2015 Sheila Heflin.

Open Mon. - Fri. 7am –7pm, & Sat. 8am – 1pm

413-551-7251 • 450 Pittsfield Rd., Lenox • www.lenoxcathospital.com

Part of the package of becoming a pet parent is assuming the responsibility of

your new family pet in a positive and loving way. As its guardian you must

see that your pet goes to a veterinarian on a regular basis as well as when an illness

or accident demands such a visit.

“

”Dr. Sally Umlauf

Kitten Caboodle, Revisited

animal lifes’wags brags&If you have something to WAG about, please send me an email: [email protected] subject: Wags & Brags.

Please keep word count to under 300.Black Jack Boot Camp joins forces with Jesse Salas, of The Right End of the Leash

Paula and Tom Phillipswould like to announcethat Jesse Salas has part-nered with Black JackBoot Camp Dog Day Careto offer more options tothere clientele. Jesse is acertified dog trainer and

instructor, that specializes in obedience, be-havior consultations, aggression, fear, phobiasand more. Jesse will be offering daily packwalks, social activities, obedience training, andagility exercises for young and old.There will be a new Beginner ObedienceClass starting, November 4th @ 6:30pm. Reg-ister by November 2nd.Puppy Training Seminarwill take place, Tues-day, November 17th at 6:30pm. We will talk about Crate training and house break-ing your new puppy.

For reservations, 443-9700. 10 Lyman Street, Suite 10, Pittsfield.

HADDAD SUBARUOpen Mon-Thu 8am-8pm; Fri-Sat 8am-6pm

652 East Street, Pittsfield, MA (413) 997-7272www.haddadsubaru.com

Certified Pre-Owned Event Ends November 2nd.

THE SUBARULOVE STRIKES TWICE EVENT

Upcoming Issues in animal lifeNOVEMBER “It’s in the Book”Featuring local authors just in time for your

Holiday Shopping.

and theHoliday Gift GuideSpecial products that would be great gift idea

for your pet this Holiday Season.

DECEMBER “Giving Back”Enlightening stories about Giving Back to those less fortunate.

Call for Details 413-459-5894

16 Animal Lifer October 2015 animallifeonline.com

in the tri-state area

Adoptions

36 Pittsfield RoadLenox, MA

[email protected]

I am in need of a new home. My first owner was moving andcouldn't take me and then after a time in a new home I was abit too much. I am the cutest hound with great floppy ears andjowls! I enjoy spending time inside and if I am able to spendtime on the couch, chair or bed it's a dream day. I know a fewcommands and I may be pursued to perform them. I can bevocal when there is alot of activity. I would love to meet mynew family and start settling right in.

Molly

Sponsored by:

At theBerkshire Humane Society

P i l iTHIS WEEK’S DOG IS: I came to the shelter when my owner was experiencing landlord is-sues. I am mostly house trained. I may have an occasional accident.I can be initially shy, but warm up quickly. I am active and energetic.I like going for walks and running around a fenced yard with my peo-ple. I have been an only pet and unsure how I feel about other ani-mals. I would do best in a home with older children or an adulthousehold. I ride well in the car, I sit on the seat. I am fluent in Span-ish. Habla Español? Please call or stop by to see if we could be a per-fect match.

214 Barker Rd., Pittsfield, MA • 314-447-7878

Dog of the Week!Each week HADDAD SUBARU will be sponsoring a “Dog of the Week”.

If that dog is adopted during that week, Haddad Subaru will pay $50towards the adoption fee!

D D

D

Merrill Road,Pittsfield

[email protected]

Blue is a high energy dog who is currently goingthrough behavior and obedience training. He is goodwith some dogs, but not all and does NOT like cats.Blue is extremely friendly and loves everyone hemeets, but can be a bit much for children. If your look-ing for an active happy-go-luck pup Blue may be thedog for you! If you are interested in Blue please talk toa staff member for more information on when he willbecome available.

Blue

Sponsored by:

At theEleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter

Got Animal Life?

go to www.animallifeonline.comfor a list of pick up locations

SPECIAL NOTE Due to popular demand, 2016 AnimalLife will start printing the first week ofthe month. Because of the currentprinting schedule, there will be NOJANUARY ISSUE. The 1st issue ofthe year will be printed FEBRUARY5th, 2016. Thank you for your support.

From the Publisher

For a 2016 Media Kit, please send request via email: [email protected]

36 Pittsfield RoadLenox, MA

[email protected]

This handsome boy is Caramel, and he is looking for a quiethome to lounge around in. He likes attention on his terms sowe are looking for an adult only household. At 3 years younghe really enjoys watching birds flutter outside the window, anddoesn't ask for to much. We think he would do well with a calmdog but he is not a fan of cats. Do you have room for this largelove bug?

Caramel

Sponsored by:

At theEleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter

in the tri-state area

AdoptionsHan

Please call Berkshire Humane Society

413-447-7878

It started when Policefound me wandering thestreets of Brooklyn. I wasfriendly so they took me tothe shelter, but it was a killshelter, too overcrowdedfor another black pit bull,even though their behaviortest showed I was goodwith people and otherdogs. When I caught acold (kennel cough) theyput me on a list. Do youknow what Euthanasia Listmeans? HELP!!! I am only2 years old, 64 pounds,and I really need someleash training and a goodkind foster home now!!

Harriet Koss, Dalmatian Adoption, Inc. 917-670-3892 • email: [email protected]

Hershey

We are waiting for ourFur-Ever Home

A rescue group (Dalmatian Adoption Inc.) took me out of the kill shelter andto a vet so now I am neutered and very healthy and ready to go to a new for-ever home or a good, safe foster home BUT I am sadly living in a CRATE.Please help me find a real home.

Petey

�

�

Lou B.�Dalmatian pup in Brooklyn NY MAY be avail-able for fostering or adoption soon.He is a 9mos old pup; Housebroken if walked 3x a day.Playful, energetic and a little tense at first.

Call Harriet of Dalmatian Adoption Inc. for more information.

917-670-3892. Timing counts

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�

289 Dalton AvenuePittsfield, MA 01201

413-443-4949www.allenheights.com

Elizabeth TullettDVM

Certified in Veterinary Acupuncture

Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat. 8-12

Washington State Road, Washington, MA 01223 • www.hilltownsvetclinic.com

Dr. Sharon Lynch, VeterinarianFred Davis III, CVT

Comprehensive Veterinary ServicesLow Cost • Individual Attention

Caring & Compassionate

veterinarians

Treating cattle, horses, goats, sheep, llamasand alpacas at your farm or home

Bilmar Small Animal Hospital• Full Service Hospital• Drop Off Service• Housecalls

Looking for housecalls? Call Dr. Blanchard for details

413-528-1180 • Fax 413-528-1763776 Main St., Great Barrington, MAHours: 8:30-5 Mon.-Fri, 8:30-Noon Sat.

Call for appointment

Dr. Claire BlanchardDr. Donald GulickDr. Hanan CaineDr. Emily Newman

VCA All Caring Animal HospitalConventional & Holistic Veterinary Medicine

Chiropractic & Acupuncture440 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA

413-528-8020www.vcaallcaring.com

Open 7 Daysa week

Fridays till 8pm.

House Calls on

Tuesday!

animal life go-to directoryboardingBowMeow RegencyA Daycare, Boarding & Grooming Facility for Dogs.92 Cook Road, Sheffield, MA 01257Honor S. Blume 413-229-0035www.bowmeowregency.com

Gina’s K-9 Bed & BreakfastQuality care pet sitting in my safe, comfortable home349 Farm Road, Copake, NY 12516Gina 518-329-4675Happy Dog Kennel & Day CareBoarding • Day Care • TrainingCovering, Alford, North Egremont, HillsdaleOld Chatham, Chatham and more!Nora Hayes 413-528-0877The PlayyardDay Care • Boarding • Training88 County Rt. 21, Hillsdale, NYwww.theplayyard.comSusan & George Clark 518-325-9807

groomingHappy Hounds Mobile GroomingAll breeds welcome, Cats too! Natural & Hypo-Allergenic Products. Specialized treatments. Nights & WeekendsJesse Sullivan413-446-8676Email: [email protected]

pet storesBensDotter’s PetQuality Foods & Supplies, Raw Diet Specialists. 940 Main Street, Great Barrington, MAwww.BENSDOTTERS.com413-528-4940Chez PetPremium foods and treats. A neighborhood pet supply store with everything you need fora healthy pet. Special orders welcome.Lenox Commons, 55 Pittsfield Rd., Lenox, MA413-637-0800 • www.chezpet.comMeow GrowlAll organic-Natural Dog & Cat FoodSelf Serve Dog Wash Stations!59 Main St., Lee, MA • www.Meowandgrowl.com413-243-1220

volunteerDARTBerkshire Disaster Animal Response Team Reducing risk for pets during disasters and more!Corrine McKeown, Director • www.WMDART.com

rescues & sheltersBerkshire Humane SocietyOpen Tues.- Sat. 10am to 4pm, Thurs Eve. 5 - 8pmSun. Afternoon 1 - 4pm • Closed Mondays413-447-7878 • www.berkshirehumane.org214 Barker Road, Pittsfield, MA

Bluebird Farm Animal Sanctuary413-446-3345

Dalmatian RescueHarriet Koss(917) [email protected]

Eleanor Sonsini Animal ShelterOpen Tues.-Fri. 12 to 6pm, Sat. & Sun. 12 - 5pmClosed Mondays413-448-9800 • www.sonsinianimalshelter.org63 Downing Parkway, Pittsfield, MA

Little Guild of St. Francis285 Sharon Goshen Turnpike, W. Cornwall, CT860-672-6345www.littleguild.org

NE Basset Hound Rescue, Inc.Dawna Hartman, Intake Coordinator, [email protected], www.nebhr.org(508) 243-3622 MA

NE Pyreness Rescue(toll free) 877-528-0637www.nepyresq.org

PurradiseOpen Wed. & Fri. 10am - 4pm, Thurs. 10am - 6pm, Sunday 12 - 4pm301 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA413-717-4244 • www.berkshirehumane.org

veterinarian servicesAllen Heights Veterinary HospitalDog and Cat GroomingAmanda Bevens, 289 Dalton Ave., Pittsfield, MA413-443-4949Berkshire Ambulatory Veterinary ServicesYoanna Y. Maitre, DVMMobile practice providing quality medical and surgical care for horses and farm animals. Vaccination, strategic deworming,Coggins & health certificates, custom dentistry (hand & Power-float), castrations, dehorning, & more. Serving MA & NYby appointment.www.berkshirelargeanimal.com413-637-2223

North County Veterinary HospitalDr. John C. Reynolds, Dr. Laura A. Eiszler & Dr. Lindsay M. Cermak, DVM’s838 Curran Memorial Hwy, North Adams, MA413-664-4570

veterinarian servicesPittsfield Veterinary Hospital24 Hour Emergency care, animal chiropractic and dental care.John C. Reynolds, DVM, Laura A. Eiszler, DVM, Michelle P. Looney, DVM, Melinda M. Payson, DVM, Carmen A. Swinson, DVM, , Lindsay M. Cermak, DVMHours: Daily Mon-Fri. 8am to 8pm,.Sat. & Sun 10am-5pmwww.pittsfieldvet.com413-499-1580

pet timesA listing of upcoming events in the Tri-state area

October 17th The Little Guild Run • Walk • ScamperRun and Wag 5KFor more info: www.littleguild.org/runandwag5kCornwall, CT

October 17thSaturday, 11am to 2pm Berkshire Humane Society, Purradiseand Greylock Animal HospitalMicrochip Clinic

for Dogs & CatsFor more information call413-447-7878, ext. 124

October 23rdFriday, 5pm - 9pmBerkshire Humane SocietyKid’s HalloweenMOVIE NIGHT Featuring THE NEVERENDING STORYTickets $20 and a Pet Food Donation.For Tickets call:413-447-7878, ext. 129

November 8thSunday, 10am - 1pm Berkshire Humane SocietyRevitalize for FallMassage for your Dog Enjoy this uniquely special experience with your dogYou must Pre-Register in order to attend. $60.Please call Fitter Critters413-243-0253

D

D

D

DD

D

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Convenient Location with Ample Parking

Monday-Friday 10a-6p Saturday-Sunday 10a-4p

BENSDOTTER S PET 940 MAIN STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA 413-528-4940

WWW.BENSDOTTERS.COM

HoundsTooth is coming Sunday, November 1st!

Non-Anesthetic Dental Cleaning Clinic for Dogs and Cats visit www.BENSDOTTERS.com for more information