None of the animals listed via Home to Home have been behaviorally or medically evaluated by Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter. Home to Home is an online-only platform designed to keep animals out of the shelter through direct home placement. The animal in this program are not physically at the shelter.
Home to Home: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you ensure that the Home to Home animal is healthy?
Unfortunately no shelter or Rehoming Family can guarantee with 100% certainty that a pet is healthy. As with any new pet, whether adopted from YVAS or through the Home to Home Program, we recommend you take them to your veterinarian for a wellness exam.
In addition, we recommend that potential adopters ask the current owner about the pet’s medical history and/or veterinary records. In most cases, you’ll find that people who adopt via Home to Home are able to gain a more complete health/behavior history about their pet as they are able to directly gather this information from the pet’s current owner.
Will YVAS help with spay & neuter services of pets entered in the Home to Home Program?
Yes! Give us a call at the shelter and we would be happy to assist the Rehoming Family and/or the new Adopters in getting the Home to Home animal altered. Please note that there will be a charge for the spaying/neutering of the pet; however, we try to keep these costs as affordable as possible. Be sure that you mention your new pet was adopted through the Home to Home program.
I have entered my pet in the Home to Home Program and have not yet found them a suitable home. What is another option?
If you are not able to find your pet a new home via Home to Home, know that we are here for you and can help with the rehoming process. Click here for more information on Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter’s rehoming process or call 406-294-7387 to schedule an appointment to bring your pet into the shelter.
Animals at the shelter have great visibility with potential adopters and find new homes very quickly. In fact, in 2020 our average length of stay for dogs was four (4) days and nine (9) days for cats.
Why does the Home to Home Program not allow rehoming fees?
It is our hope that those adopting pets in need from the Home to Home Program will then have the funds to work with YVAS to ensure their new pet is spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped at an affordable cost. Additionally, this policy discourages those trying to use the shelter’s platform, website and/or resources for the sale of purposefully-bred animals.
We recognize that many people share the traditional view that “giving away” pets devalues them in the eyes of an adopter, may compromise their care, and reflects poorly on the shelter or person giving them away. However, research from organizations such as ASPCA, Maddie’s Fund, and others have proven that this just isn’t the case. For more information on these studies, click here.
