PITTSFIELD, MA -- The dogs at the Berkshire Humane Society are looking for someone to adopt them. But they aren't the only ones barking for help. The shelter's animal food bank is almost completely empty.
"The economy is not what it was six, eight, or ten months ago and we're starting to see the results of that here at the shelter," said Berkshire Humane Society Executive Director John Perreault.
That's why they're pleading for help. Their food bank feeds animals at the shelter, but also gives a 30-day supply to pet owners who are struggling to make ends meet. Last week there wasn't enough food for all the animals who needed it.
The Berkshire Humane Society is pleading with the public for help because their pet food bank is dangerously low. Ryan Burgess went to the shelter to find out what's being done to boost their supply.
"They were truly empty. Our shelves were just depleted. We're heading into the spring and we just got through a very tough winter and we actually had to ask people to come back in a day or so because we just didn't have enough to give them," said Berkshire Humane Society Community Outreach Coordinator Karen Karlberg.
They said part of the problem is that pet adoptions here are way down, which means the animals are staying longer and eating more. The other culprit is a weakening economy.
"I think we are starting to see people losing their homes with the mortgage issues that are going on right now. We see the result is how low our food bank is. It's never been this low," said Perreault.
Another result the weakening economy is that fewer people have the money to adopt a dog.
"In the last week or so, we have had a few long term dogs finding homes and that was really good, but it is a little quieter this time of year. Spring is tough," said Karlberg.
Tough times for people, and now the dogs are starting to feel it too.