BILLINGS— A Billings animal shelter executive director is worried about the strain local shelters could face when the contract between Billings Animal Control and Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter (YVAS) ends Wednesday.
“It's going to be a bigger burden,” said Angie Cook, executive director of Help for Homeless Pets.
Watch the report below:
YVAS and the city did not reach a contract agreement this month, meaning the city’s animal control will not be able to bring animals to the shelter and will limit responses to dangerous animal calls.
Related: Billings shifts animal shelter services to Animal Control starting July 1
Billings police recommend residents turn stray animals into local shelters or work with the community to find lost animals’ homes.
“We encourage you to leverage the power of our community by posting on social media and neighborhood group platforms to help reunite the animal with its owner. A quick post with a photo and location can work wonders! If you are unable to temporarily house a stray animal, please reach out to one of the several dedicated private animal shelters and rescue organizations that serve the Billings community,” said a written statement Monday from the Billings Police Department.
“We can only take what we can take. But some people might have to go on a waiting list,” said Cook. “Definitely going to need extra funding because we're going to need extra help taking in extra animals.”
Cook said Help for Homeless Pets is housing close to its full capacity of animals, meaning the shelter will have limited space for new pets.
“We can't help everybody, but we're going to do the best we can,” said Cook.
The city has partnered with YVAS for 18 years, paying for the shelter to house stray pets.
YVAS asked for more money this year, because the city had allowed methamphetamine to be burned in the original shelter building’s incinerator, which malfunctioned in September and led to YVAS moving to a new building. The city had given YVAS a discount on the original building in previous years, which was city-owned.
Related: State fines Billings $5,000 over incinerator violations tied to 2025 animal shelter incident
The city rejected YVAS’s request for more money.
Billings Animal Control is assuming operations at the city's 1735 Monad Road shelter Wednesday.
A public written statement released Tuesday from YVAS executive director Triniti Halverson said turning to the community and other shelters is only a temporary solution.
“It is more complicated than simply opening our doors and taking in animals. The contract with the City of Billings is what gave YVAS the legal authority to provide veterinary care to owned but lost animals,” said Halverson’s written statement.
