If you find a lost/stray animal and decide to keep them yourself, be sure you contact the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter first. YVAS is usually the first call/stop for many owners who are missing pets, so you’ll want to file a Found Report for the shelter to keep on file. Found Pet Reports can be filled out online, over the phone, or in-person at YVAS. We also suggest that you bring the animal to the shelter in person so we can scan it for a microchip (done free of charge). Lastly, we recommend posting the animal on the Lost/Found Pets of Billings MT Facebook group. This group has over 20,000 members and is a great tool for reuniting lost animals with their owners.
Housing a stray in your home is an option as long as you’re committed to doing what’s best for the animal and can help them search for their home. Make sure that you can keep your resident animals and small children separate from the stray animal; as it could be sick, fearful, or aggressive.