Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter (YVAS) is ecstatic to reveal the generous donation of land that will soon become the home of the future YVAS facility. Donated by the extraordinarily kind Waggoner family, this 5-acre land donation ultimately changes the course of YVAS’s future, giving the shelter a final point of hope following its displacement in September 2025. “Thankful” cannot begin to describe how the shelter’s board of directors, staff, and volunteers truly feel about the amazing kindness behind this unique donation. The employees, and certainly the animals too, are filled with excitement at the prospect of having a permanent home.
Mary Waggoner, owner of Waggoner’s Trucking in central Billings, has been a longtime supporter of Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter and a major contributor to its capital campaign. Her compassion for animals has helped strengthen the shelter’s presence and impact throughout the community. This in-kind land donation marks a transformational moment for YVAS, creating the foundation for long-term stability and a permanent home for the shelter’s future facility.
The future home of YVAS will be on Garden Avenue, a stone’s throw from the Yellowstone River on the southeast side of town. This site is ideal. Its location alongside the river will allow for beautiful walking trails for community members and shelter dogs alike. The large green space will accommodate the shelter’s planned 26,000-square-foot facility. It is a central, convenient location for residents throughout Yellowstone County, and community members will appreciate the shelter’s easy accessibility.
YVAS has been fundraising since 2023 for this new facility because even its previous location on Monad Road had significant limitations. The new facility is projected to be a $16 million project. By the conclusion of 2025, YVAS had raised $6.5 million, with a goal of securing $12 million before officially breaking ground.
This new building will raise expectations for animal welfare throughout the region. The facility will include several improvements over both the former shelter and the temporary location YVAS currently occupies on Jellison Road, including:
• Comprehensive ventilation to improve air quality
• Natural lighting to support the psychological well-being of animals in the shelter
• Safety upgrades, including an overhead sprinkler system
• Upgraded medical and hygienic facilities, including improved medical quarantine
systems and a dedicated laundry room
• Functional spaces for animal introductions, adoptions, and grief support
• Services under one roof, including kitten yoga, training classes, and summer Critter
Camps for children
• Larger, improved yards where dogs can run and play
• Improved kennels designed to enhance the quality of life of animals staying in the
shelter
• Comprehensive ventilation to improve air quality
• Natural lighting to support the psychological well-being of animals in the shelter
• Safety upgrades, including an overhead sprinkler system
• Upgraded medical and hygienic facilities, including improved medical quarantine
systems and a dedicated laundry room
• Functional spaces for animal introductions, adoptions, and grief support
• Services under one roof, including kitten yoga, training classes, and summer Critter
Camps for children
• Larger, improved yards where dogs can run and play
• Improved kennels designed to enhance the quality of life of animals staying in the
shelter
YVAS aims to open the new facility in fall 2028 as a place that strengthens the human animal connection while upholding the high standards of animal welfare for which the shelter is known. Although private fundraising is currently just under halfway to its goal, the Waggoner family’s land donation represents a turning point for animal care in Montana and a defining milestone in the shelter’s capital campaign and future growth.
“The future building site will solidify YVAS’s long-term commitment to serving the Yellowstone County community and stands as a powerful example of what a compassionate community can accomplish for the animals and people in its own backyard,” said Triniti Halverson, YVAS Executive Director.
“We are hoping that this incredibly generous gift from the Waggoner family will add momentum to our capital campaign, encouraging other businesses and community members to step up to assure that Billings has the finest animal care facility in the state of Montana,” said Justin Hutchinson, YVAS Board Chair.
Read the article from Billings Gazette HERE
Read the article from Q2 News HERE
