Billings Animal Sheltering Deal to Get Vote Nov. 23

If you have a pet in Billings, the city's November 23 consent agenda vote will determine who houses lost and held animals next.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Cats

Billings Animal Sheltering Deal to Get Vote Nov. 23

Live Poll

Should your city give lost pets more time to find their way home before picking them up?

Billings City Council placed a month-to-month sheltering agreement with Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter on its November 23 consent agenda, after the prior contract expired at the end of June. The arrangement is temporary while the city reviews proposals for a longer-term sheltering contract.

Why it matters

For Billings pet owners, the outcome determines where lost, stray, and held animals are housed and how quickly they can be reclaimed. The council is also seeking to rewrite parts of the city code, so pet licensing and pickup policies may change alongside the shelter contract.

Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter submitted three proposals for a new contract, and K9 Hope Broker in Shepherd submitted one more. The council's consent agenda vote on the month-to-month agreement is scheduled for November 23, 2026, 20 days after this story was reported.

The players

Billings City Council

The city body that sets Billings animal sheltering policy and is reviewing both the shelter contract and local pet rules.

Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter

The longtime local shelter that previously housed Billings animals and has submitted three proposals for a new contract.

K9 Hope Broker

A Shepherd-based provider that submitted a proposal for animal sheltering services to the city.

Dennis Pittman

A Billings city councilman who favors a lifetime pet license and a policy of not picking up pets right away.

The details

The prior contract covered housing animals under quarantines and court holds, and the shelter reached a tentative agreement with the city in July that the council did not vote on. The building on Monad Road formerly used by the shelter is now used by the city for animal control. Councilman Dennis Pittman favors a lifetime license for pets and a policy of not picking up pets right away, and he notes that a cat that gets out will most instinctively return home within 48 hours.

End of June 2026: The contract with Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter expired.
July 2026: The shelter reached a tentative agreement with the city, and 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.

The Home Front

The council is seeking to rewrite parts of the Billings city code that govern how pets are licensed and picked up. The shelter contract debate sits inside that broader local review rather than standing as a separate decision.

If you have a cat, check that its microchip and license information are current, since Pittman notes lost cats often return home within 48 hours. Keep local shelter contact details handy, because the city's sheltering arrangement is changing this month.

The takeaway

Pet owners in Billings should watch the November 23 consent agenda and any code changes that follow, since they will set who holds lost animals. Keeping your cat's identification and license current is the simplest step you can take now.

What happens next

The council will vote on the month-to-month sheltering agreement at its November 23, 2026 consent agenda, and will continue reviewing proposals and code changes after that.