09/20/2025
Important Community Update:
Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter (YVAS) Informed the City of Billings that is it unable to provide shelter services until further notice. This means that, at this time, the City of Billings does not have a shelter provider for lost or homeless animals. This includes animals found by citizens and by Animal Control Officers.
YVAS was informed that the Animal Control Officers to only pick up “vicious” animals. We are encouraging the public to contact Animal Control for updates on their operations.
This leaves a heartbreaking gap in services, as reuniting lost pets with their families has always been at the very heart of our mission. Knowing that our community currently has no safe haven for lost pets shatters us, and we also recognize the strain this is placing on other local rescues and veterinary clinics. Many folks are leaning on local vet clinics to house lost animals, but please be kind and understanding if they are unable to do so. Providing shelter is a huge undertaking, and for clinics it comes with significant liability and burden on their daily practice.
While we work to recover and rebuild, here are steps you can take if you have lost or found an animal:
What You Can Do
1. Make sure your pets are tagged and microchipped — now more than ever, visible ID and updated microchip information are critical.
2. Do not leave pets unattended outside. With fewer resources available, prevention is key.
3. If you see a stray cat, leave it where it is. Healthy, uninjured cats are extremely difficult to reunite once in a shelter environment — and this is especially true now.
4. File a Lost or Found Report at www.yvas.org. Our team is diligently monitoring these reports and checking with local clinics to help reunite pets with their families.
5. Use a microchip scanner. Pet owners can take found animals to most veterinary clinics or to the Lockwood Fire Department, which offers free microchip scanning.
6. Join and post in Lost & Found Animal pages. (Links in comments.) YVAS will be active on these sites, and we encourage our community to do the same.
We know these are scary and uncertain times — for pets, for families, and for all of us who love animals. Please know that YVAS is still here, working tirelessly behind the scenes to provide guidance, support, and compassion wherever possible.
Our mission hasn’t stopped. With your support, neither will we.
