What is the Capital Campaign?
Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter has launched an ambitious $16 million capital campaign to build a new shelter that meets today’s standards of care and tomorrow’s dreams for animals and their people. We envision a facility designed with heart: where every space fosters healing, connection, and community. This campaign is about more than adding space—it’s about building the right spaces.
While the public is just now hearing about this exciting new chapter, the Paws & Rebuild campaign quietly kicked off behind the scenes in 2023. Since then, we’ve been laying the groundwork—building plans, gathering support, and rallying passionate advocates to make this dream a reality.
From introduction rooms for potential adopters to family grieving spaces, community training classrooms, and space for public veterinary services, our goal is to create a welcoming, efficient, and humane environment that reflects our passion and compassion.
Watch the video walkthrough of the future shelter and imagine the possibilities.
Built for Care, Not Just Capacity:
YVAS is the highest-volume animal shelter in Montana, serving over 7,000 animals each year. But we’re doing this with less space and fewer staff than shelters in other major Montana cities. Our current shelter has done all it can—but we’ve outgrown it. The limitations are real. In our current facility on Monad Road, there are critical areas of concern, such as:
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No overhead sprinklers—a devastating risk to our animals in case of fire.
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Poor ventilation—which impacts the health and sanitation for animals and staff.
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No natural light—a key factor in reducing stress and promoting wellbeing.
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Tiny, outdated laundry and quarantine spaces that hamper our ability to care.
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No room for grief, joy, connection, or community education.
We’ve gotten creative: we doubled kennel space by linking units, slashed adoption fees to move pets into homes faster, and launched innovative programs like our Working Cat Program. We’ve stretched every inch of space and every dollar to keep raising the bar—but the need has outpaced what our current shelter can provide. This campaign is our leap forward. It’s our opportunity to build a new standard—not just for our community, but for every life we touch.
“We do a lot with passion and duct tape. But passion and duct tape only go so far. Just because you have kennels doesn’t mean you have care. The question is, how do we make sure we provide the care the animals deserve?”
— Triniti Halverson, YVAS Executive Director
