A long read on a complicated story. On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter began to fill with smoke, resulting in a complete evacuation of the building – both animals and humans. Immediately, it was determined that the smoke was coming from a contained but malfunctioning burn in the incinerator on site. YVAS…
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Three members of the board of directors of the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter (YVAS) met with three members of the Billings city council on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, to strengthen lines of communication and make sure our community will continue to provide a high level of care for our animal friends. The city first entered…
DetailsYellowstone Valley Animal Shelter (YVAS) will move to a more stable, longer-term location off Jellison Road ending months of operating in emergency spaces. After four months operating in cramped temporary spaces, Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter (YVAS) is excited to announce its move to a much larger and more stable, longer-term location off Jellison Road. The…
DetailsYVAS officially opens doors to (temporary) new facility. After four months of displacement following the September 10th incident, YVAS is thrilled to be in a more permanent, stable home. For the first time since September, our full team is back under one roof, allowing faster decision-making, better communication, and more responsive care—while reducing stress for…
DetailsYellowstone Valley Animal Shelter overwhelmed by community generosity following emergency relocation In challenging moments, the strength of a community becomes clear. Following Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter’s emergency relocation in September, that strength was on full display. “When our shelter was forced to relocate with little notice, we had to rely on our community in a…
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Newman Restoration Stands by Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter During Crisis and Donates $10,000 to Support “Paws and Rebuild” Capital Campaign When a late-night smoke incident on September 10 forced Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter (YVAS) to evacuate and urgently clear its facility, Newman Restoration immediately stepped in to help and has stood beside the shelter every…
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Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. After careful consideration, Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter has made the difficult decision not to return to our former building and will be ending our lease agreement with the City of Billings. This decision wasn’t made lightly, but the events of September 10th and the serious safety concerns that followed left us with…
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Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. Foster Home for the Holidays is a special seasonal program that invites our community to open their hearts—and homes—to animals in need during the holiday season. While our shelter continues caring for hundreds of pets, the holidays can be an especially stressful time for animals living in a busy, high-volume environment. Foster…
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Thanks for looking out for the most vulnerable animals in our community! In most cases, kittens don’t actually need to be rescued – a kitten’s best chance of survival is with her mother. First: Take a look at this flowchart, it will help you make decisions that increase kittens’ chances of thriving. Click here for…
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Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter (YVAS) is thrilled to announce the launch of its new program, Project Reunite. Beginning February 2023, YVAS will be providing free collars and ID tags for every dog and cat adopted from its facility as part of their new program called Project Reunite. Nationally, less than 2% of lost cats and…
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