Council to Vote on Month-to-Month Shelter Deal
Billings officials plan a temporary sheltering arrangement with Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter while reviewing new proposals.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Cats
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The Billings City Council has placed a month-to-month sheltering agreement with Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter on its November 23 consent agenda. The move follows the expiration of the prior contract at the end of June.
Why it matters
The city is seeking a temporary arrangement while it reviews proposals and rewrites parts of the city code governing pets. The outcome will shape how stray and held animals are cared for in Billings.
Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter submitted three proposals for a new contract, and K9 Hope Broker in Shepherd submitted another. The council has not yet chosen a long-term provider or finalized the terms of its code revisions.
The players
Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter
The Billings-area shelter that previously held the city's sheltering contract and has submitted three proposals for a new agreement.
Dennis Pittman
A Billings city councilman who favors a lifetime license for pets and a policy of not picking up pets right away.
The details
The previous contract covered housing for animals under quarantines and court holds. The former shelter building on Monad Road is now used by the city for animal control, and councilman Dennis Pittman favors a lifetime license for pets and a policy of not picking up pets right away.
Timeline
End of June 2026: The contract with Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter expired.
July 2026: The shelter reached a tentative agreement with the city, but the council did not vote on it.
November 3, 2026: The council held a work session on the future of animal sheltering.
November 23, 2026: The month-to-month sheltering agreement is scheduled for the consent agenda.
Culture Shift
Billings' push for a lifetime pet license places the city among municipalities that have moved from annual renewals toward permanent registration. The shift reflects a broader effort to reunite lost animals with owners quickly, as Pittman notes a cat that gets out will most instinctively return home within 48 hours.
Residents who have lost or found a cat in Billings will see how the city handles sheltering during the transition. A lifetime license and a policy of not picking up pets right away would change what owners must do when a pet gets out.
The takeaway
Pet owners in Billings should confirm their animal's licensing and microchip details now, since the city's rewritten pet code may change how lost animals are handled.
What happens next
The council is scheduled to vote on the month-to-month sheltering agreement on November 23, 2026 as part of its consent agenda.
Further reading
For more on how pet care is managed locally, see Cats coverage in Billings.
Live Poll
Should your city give lost pets more time to find their way home before picking them up?
