When a pet wanders from home it can be a very stressful ordeal. Here are some tips that we hope will help reunite you and your pet.
Where did your pet go missing from?
Outside city limits, but within Yellowstone County:
- Stray dogs picked up by Yellowstone County Animal Control (406-256-2958) will be brought to Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter. County Animal Control typically does not pick up lost/stray cats found in the county.
- Even if your pet goes missing from the county, we highly recommend filing a lost report with YVAS and following the steps below as these animals can make their way into city limits/YVAS.
Inside Billings city limits:
- Stray animals picked up by Billings Animal Control will be brought to the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter.
Complete a Lost Pet Report
If your pet is not at the shelter, you can fill out a Lost Pet Report. Lost Pet Reports can be filled out online, over the phone, or in person at YVAS. Even with a Lost Pet Report on file, we recommend coming to the shelter every couple of days to check for your pet. As you can imagine some pets look alike and you are the only one that can truly identify your pet.
Come Look at the Shelter
We strongly encourage owners to come into the shelter and look in person. We do our best to keep the stray section of our website up to date, but it is always best to physically come in. Please click on the following links to view a list of Lost Cats or Lost Dogs or Lost Other Animals that have been brought into the shelter.
Spread the Word Online
If you are on Facebook, join the group Lost/Found Pets of Billings MT, and create a post for your lost pet. This group has over 20,000 members and is a great tool for reuniting lost animals with their owners.
Post ads on Craigslist under the Community section in the “lost+found” and/or “pets” sections.
Contact Local Newspapers
Place a free lost/found ad in the Billings Gazette (406-657-1200) and the Thrifty Nickel (406-652-4740). Ads run for free for three days. Also, be sure to monitor these sections of the papers in case a good samaritan finds your animal and lists it as Found.
Create Lost Pet Flyers
Create your own Lost Pet flyer or use an online template. If you would like to create your own flyer, visit this website for some helpful tips for creating an effective Lost Flyer. Post your flyers at grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, traffic intersections, pet supply stores, and around your neighborhood.
Check with Other Organizations
Occasionally stray animals will be taken to other organizations within the area, which include:
- Billings Animal Rescue Kare (BARK), 406-208-2454 located at 4017 1st Avenue South.
- Help for Homeless Pets, 406-896-1700 located at 2910 Hannon Road.
- Rimrock Humane Society, 406-323-3687, RHS does not have a facility & is a foster-based program.
- Laurel Police Department, 406-628-8737.
Dont give up! There are cases of animals that were lost for months, even years, and were eventually reunited with their owners.
