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Lost & Found & Adoptable Pets... in Yellowstone &
surrounding counties, Montana. Here is a list of resources
to check if you have lost or found a pet, or if you would like to adopt
a pet, or if you must surrender your pet. All telephone numbers in Montana
are in area code: (406).
The links and information below are provided as a courtesy and does
not imply our endorsement, recommendation and/or approval of any company
or organization. This information is kept as current as possible, and
is updated regularly. {Email updates to weblackey@yahoo.com}.
- Check at the
bottom of this page, we have a small bulletin board
section where we post lost & found and want ads for dogs &
cats.
- Check Yellowstone
Valley Lost Pets. This site serves as a community bulletin
board/searchable database, for lost or found pets. This is a free
service. Look here, and place an ad here.
- Check Billings
MT Craigslist Lost & Found, Billings
MT Craigslist Pets & YourBigSky
Adopt A Pet.
- Place an ad
in local papers, the Gazette
runs them fre for 3 days, 657-1212. And you can upload a 1-week free
ad in Billings
Thrifty Nickel, 652-4740.
- Missing
Pet Central. What to do when a dog (or cat) first goes
missing - When to use a Pet AmberAlert for your missing or lost dog
- Nine scenarios for missing dogs - When a shy dog goes missing -
What to do when a friendly dog goes missing - When a dog goes missing
and there are no leads.
- Put up posters,
especially in the vicinity where the pet was lost. (Please don't forget
to go take them all back down when the pet is found!)
- Check with city
animal control and the municipal shelter at 1735 Monad Rd. 294-7387
- Check with Yellowstone
County Animal Control at 256-2958. The City of Billings Police
Department provides animal control services. The shelter is privately
run (link below).
- Local
veterinarians are worth a call. Some people take strays to
Vets instead of a shelter. We at Lockwood Veterinary Services typically
hold found pets for 24 hours before reporting them to Animal Control.
We also keep notes on lost and found pets, usually in the Lockwood
area. Our number is 252-7392.
- Please
be kind enough to call everyone back when your pet is found, so that
we can all keep our listings current. That courtesy makes it easier
for us to provide this help when you need it.
- Check with private
shelters and rescues:
- Yellowstone
Valley Animal Shelter is a privately run animal shelter
for the city of Billings, while the City of Billings Police Department
provides animal control services (see listing above). YVAS provides
shelter for owner surrendered pets, strays and abandoned animals.
1735 Monad Rd, Billings, MT 59101, tel: 406-294-PETS (7387). Hours:
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: Noon - 7pm. Closed to the public on Wed, Sat:
noon - 6pm, Sun: noon - 6pm.
- Animal
Welfare League, Laurel, MT: 628-6019. A private, non-profit
organization whose goal is to improve the quality of life and end
the suffering of animals.
- BARK:
839-9244, 111 Moore Lane. Billings Animal Rescue Kare is a private,
non-profit shelter where abandoned and owner-surrendered pets await
adoption.
- Beartooth
Humane Alliance:
Carbon County, 672-6960. PO Box 853, Red Lodge, MT 59068
- Billings
Hope Haven Animal Rescue: 591-2204
- Help
For Homeless Pets: 896-1492, 2910 Hannon Rd, Billings
- Billings
Humane Society of Yellowstone County: 259-6198
- Last
Chance Cat Sanctuary Inc: 248-2388, 2113 Walter Rd, Billings.
A non-profit, "no-kill" organization whose sole purpose
it to reduce the number of unwanted, abandoned, abused, and neglected
pets to zero.
- Prison
Paws for Humanity PPH places dogs trained by inmates
at Montana Women's Prison.
- Rimrock
Humane Society, Musselshell County, PO Box 834 Roundup,
MT 59072 Phone: 323-3687 At the current time, without a facility,
all animals are in foster homes... but a new facility on state Hwy
87 is in planning. "Our mission is to alleviate needless, inhumane
suffering of animals and to bring to our region a higher level of
compassion for the creatures who share our planet with us but who
otherwise have no voice."
- Help
Every Pet 709 N Center Hardin, MT 59034, 665-2683. HEP is
a private non-profit agency that facilitates adoptions for pets in
Hardin, Crow Agency, Lame Deer, Lodge Grass, and the greater Bighorn
County area.
- Herding
Rescue Dogs (HeRD) of Wyoming is a 501c3 nonprofit dog
rescue that specializes in the rescue of at risk shelter dogs of the
herding varieties (Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, Australian
Cattledog/Heelers, and others). Dogs are placed in foster homes until
suitable forever homes can be found for them. Fostering saves lives
and also helps make the best matches since we get to know the dogs
well while they are in foster homes. HeRD currently has a waiting
list with many great dogs waiting to get out of shelters and into
a temporary home. We are happy to accept foster homes throughout the
mountain west region (Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Idaho,
and Utah). All potential foster homes must participate in an application
process and abide by organizational policies for the safety of the
dogs in our care. The rescue accepts responsibility for veterinary
costs of spay/neuter and vaccinations while the dogs are in foster
care. Herd of Wy also has a "foster-to-adopt" program in which families
looking to adopt can serve as foster homes until the right dog comes
along for them to adopt. Please visit our website to learn more about
our program, see our dogs needing homes and foster homes, and fill
out an application to foster or adopt.
Please
Be Sure Before You Get Her... If
not, "How
Could You" is what happens with careless planning
when taking on the responsibility of a pet.
Possible Sources of Financial Help with Vet Bills...
We do not encourage taking on the responsibility of a pet when you are
financially strapped. Owning a pet is a responsibility, and part of
that responsibility is being able to afford proper veterinary care for
that pet. However sometimes bad things happen to good people and their
pets. A few possible sources for help with Veterinary bills: 
• ASPCA
• Humane
Society
• Organizations that help with Vet Costs
Tax breaks for pet foster parents... make sure you claim
yours - Philadelphia Animal Welfare | Examiner.com, Ami Rossi, June
16, 2011. In a landmark
tax court case, Jan Van Dusen emerged victorious against the IRS.
Van Dusen claimed many tax deductions on her 2004 tax return, for all
the expenditures she'd put out for the 70 (yes, you read that correctly)
stray and feral cats she had fostered, as part of her volunteer work
with Fix Our Ferals, a non-profit California charity. Van Dusen claimed
over $12,000 related to cat food, vet bills, garbage bags, and other
items for her care of the cats. In 2009, a judge finally ruled that
because her expenses were used toward a charitable organization, she
was legally allowed to claim them. In fact, 90% of her vet bills, cleaning
supplies, and food was tax deductible.
Can you become a Foster Parent? When there is a need
for extra care of an animal it is released only to rescues so they will
have the funds and manpower to give that care. "Tagged" means
a Rescue has claimed it and "pulled" means they have removed
it. A puller is the guy that goes to get it. EVERY rescue needs fosters
and they usually will cover expenses. A foster is so important as they
are the bridge between death tomorrow and the adoption they will someday
have.
Articles about House Training. 3 articles on one page,
full of information to support you in the task of housebreaking.
Four Proven Principles of Housebreaking a Dog of Any Age.
(Two-part series, the 2nd part includes instructions how to crate-train
your dog.) Up to 25 percent of dogs relinquished to animal shelters
by their owners end up there due to housebreaking problems. The same
statistic applies to dogs seen by veterinarians -- 25 percent of behavior-related
visits to vets concern toileting. It’s clear from these numbers that:
1. Housebreaking is a hot issue for dog parents.
2. Successful house training could save the lives of millions of dogs
each year.
Helping Rescue Dogs Transition to New Homes. Many dogs
get dropped off at shelters more than once, often because the behaviors
that were behind the first relinquishment continue in the new home.
Common reasons for the initial abandonment most often revolve around
the owner’s inability or unwillingness to give the animal an appropriate
level of care, and include:
•
Lack of obedience training
• Lack of adequate veterinary care, including spaying or neutering
• The owner did not anticipate the time and attention a dog requires
each day
• Housebreaking issues
Specific
behavior problems described by owners who returned their adopted pets
to shelters include:
• Fearfulness
• Once stray dogs that persist in straying activities
• Puppies with more and bigger behavioral problems than older dogs
• Excessive barking
• Aggression toward other dogs
Most
canine behavior problems can be resolved with effort, time and patience.
That is, most humans do not know how to best train most dogs. In one
sentence, it can be summed up by saying, dogs need to be rewarded when
they do the right thing, NOT punished when they do the wrong thing,
and the human needs to adapt the situation to make doing the right thing
easy, and the wrong thing hard. When a dog is surrendered more than
once to a shelter, it means at least two sets of owners weren’t able
to help the poor pup make the transition from rescue dog to family pet.
Each successive surrender decreases a dog’s chance of finding a suitable
forever home. That’s why it’s so important for adoptive pet parents
to understand what their new dog may need in order to reach his full
potential as a beloved family pet... read the rest HERE.
When Adopted Pets Become Heroes. There
are few things that touch the heart of an animal lover as deeply as
learning about an adopted pet that took deliberate action to save the
life of a human in harm's way.
Search Dogs ROCK! Did you know that National
Disaster Search Dog Foundation dogs are adopted from shelters and
rescues nationwide? Often the dogs that are chosen are ones that have
been turned in because they keep escaping from their yards. It shows
they already are using their brain for how to get around barriers –
important for a dog searching through rubble. The types of dogs most
often chosen for Search and Rescue work include Labs, Goldens, Border
Collies and mixes of these breeds. These are working dogs that typically
have the right level of energy and drive for this sort of work. "We
are looking for workaholic dogs with an intense toy drive. These dogs
are usually very driven and a bit ‘crazy’, which does not
usually make for a good pet dog. Many families cannot handle these dogs
and many of them end up in shelters." (Jan Peterson – Search
Dog Foundation canine recruiter).
"Why on earth would anyone want to adopt a rescue dog?"
 "Why
on earth would anyone want to adopt a rescue dog? After all, aren't
they like used cars? Who wants someone else's problems? If the dog is
so wonderful, why would anyone give him away? If he was a stray, why
didn't someone try to find him?
I'd rather buy a puppy so I know what I'm getting, and besides they're
so cute!"
Rescue groups often hear a variation of this conversation.
Many prospective dog owners are just not convinced that owning an older
(i.e, 6 mo.+) "pre-owned" dog is better than buying a puppy. But there
are a number of reasons why adopting a pet from a rescue that carefully
screens and evaluates its dog can provide an even better alternative.
Here
are the "Top 10 Reasons You Should Consider a Rescue."
It takes a special
person to adopt a dog in the twilight of his years. Even though
old dogs come with endless love and boundless gratitude, they
also come with warts and lumps and graying muzzles—all signs
that time is short though love is long. When we open our hearts
to an old dog in need, we know that our friend will leave us before
we are ready to let go, but we also know that our time with our
old friend will be all the more precious.
We often talk about the many amazing accomplishments of old dogs.
Many become therapy dogs, bringing comfort to those in need; others
serve as search and rescue dogs or service dogs, serving the community
and helping us live fulfilling lives. But we don’t often
talk about the most important job of all, a job that each and
every old dog can do well, the job of being a friend, of returning
our unconditional love tenfold. An adopted old dog can be your
walking partner, encouraging you to share fresh air and exercise
with him. She can be your couch partner, waiting to cuddle with
you and watch an old movie on a cold, lonely night; she may even
share a bite of your popcorn. Your old dog can be a sympathetic
ear when you need to talk through a problem or make an important
decision. His calm, cheerful approach to life can ease you out
of depression. She will be a faithful companion, loyal and loving,
always glad to see you and always ready to share her enthusiasm
for life with you.
Adopting an old dog is not for everyone, but it is one of the
most rewarding experiences imaginable for those who do. Both you
and your old dog know that you have ventured where many fear to
go. You have offered your love and your heart to an abandoned
old dog in need, a dog overlooked for adoption time and again,
a dog who will repay your love with endless devotion. As your
relationship deepens, both you and your old dog will embrace the
timeless wisdom of Shakespeare: “to love that well which
thou must leave ere long.”
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10) In a Word--Housebroken. With most family members
gone during the work week for 8 hours or more, housetraining a puppy
and its small bladder can take awhile. Puppies need a consistent schedule
with frequent opportunities to eliminate where you want them to. They
can't wait for the boss to finish his meeting or the kids to come home
from after school activities. An older dog can "hold it" much more reliably
for longer time periods, and usually the Rescue has him housebroken
before he is adopted.
9) Intact Underwear. With a chewy puppy, you can count
on at least 10 mismatched pairs of socks and a variety of unmentionables
rendered to the "rag bag" before he cuts every tooth. And don't even
think about shoes! Also, you can expect holes in your carpet (along
with the urine stains), pages missing from books, stuffing exposed from
couches, and at least one dead remote control. No matter how well you
watch them, it will happen--this is a puppy's job! An older dog can
usually have the run of the house without destroying it.
8) A Good Night's Sleep. Forget the alarm clocks and
hot water bottles, a puppy can be very demanding at 2am and 4am and
6am. He misses his littermates, and that stuffed animal will not make
a puppy pile with him. If you have children, you've been there and done
that. How about a little peace and quiet? How about an older rescue
dog??
7) Finish the Newspaper. With a puppy running amok
in your house, do you think you will be able to relax when you get home
from work? Do you think your kids will really feed him, clean up the
messes, take him for a walk in the pouring rain every hour to get him
housetrained? With an adult dog, it will only be the kids running amok,
because your dog will be sitting calmly next to you, while your workday
stress flows away and your blood pressure lowers as you pet him.
6) Easier Vet Trips. Those puppies need their series
of puppy shots and fecals, then their rabies shot, then a trip to be
altered, maybe an emergency trip or two if they've chewed something
dangerous. Those puppy visits can add up (on top of what you paid for
the dog!). Your donation to the rescue when adopting an older pup should
get you a dog with all shots current, already altered, heartworm negative
and on preventative at the minimum.
5) What You See Is What You Get. How big will that
puppy be? What kind of temperament will he have? Will he be easily trained?
Will his personality be what you were hoping for? How active will he
be? When adopting an older dog from a rescue, all of those questions
are easily answered. You can pick large or small; active or couch potato;
goofy or brilliant; sweet or sassy. The rescue and its foster homes
can guide you to pick the right match. (Rescues are full of puppies
who became the wrong match as they got older!)
4) Unscarred Children (and Adults). When the puppy
isn't teething on your possessions, he will be teething on your children
and yourself. Rescues routinely get calls from panicked parents who
are sure their dog is biting the children. Since biting implies hostile
intent and would be a consideration whether to accept a "give-up", Rescue
Groups ask questions and usually find out the dog is being nippy. Parents
are often too emotional to see the difference; but a growing puppy is
going to put everything from food to clothes to hands in their mouths,
and as they get older and bigger it definitely hurts (and will get worse,
if they aren't being corrected properly.) Most older dogs have "been
there, done that, moved on."
3) Matchmaker Make Me a Match. Puppy love is often
no more than an attachment to a look or a color. It is not much of a
basis on which to make a decision that will hopefully last 15+ years.
While that puppy may have been the cutest of the litter; he may grow
up to be super-active (when what you wanted was a couch buddy); she
may be a couch princess (when what you wanted was a tireless hiking
companion); he may want to spend every waking moment in the water (while
you're a landlubber); or she may want to be an only child (while you
are intending to have kids or more animals). Pet mis-matches are one
of the top reasons Rescues get "give-up" phone calls. Good rescues do
extensive evaluating of both their dogs and their applicants to be sure
that both dog and family will be happy with each other until death do
them part.
2) Instant Companion. With an older dog, you automatically
have a buddy that can go everywhere and do everything with you NOW.
There's no waiting for a puppy to grow up (and then hope he will like
to do what you enjoy.) You will have been able to select the most compatible
dog: one that travels well; one that loves to play with your friends'
dogs; one with excellent house manners that you can take to your parents'
new home with the new carpet and the new couch. You can come home after
a long day's work and spend your time on a relaxing walk, ride or swim
with your new best friend (rather than cleaning up after a small puppy
 1)
Bond--Rescue Dog Bond. Dogs who have been uprooted from their
happy homes or have not had the best start in life are more likely to
bond very completely and deeply with their new people. Those who have
lost their families through death, divorce or lifestyle change go through
a terrible mourning process. But, once attached to a new loving family,
they seem to want to please as much as possible to make sure they are
never homeless again. Those dogs that are just learning about the good
life and good people seem to bond even deeper. They know what life on
the streets, life on the end of a chain, or worse is all about, and
they revel and blossom in a nurturing, loving environment. Most rescues
make exceptionally affectionate and attentive pets and extremely loyal
companions.
Unfortunately, many folks think dogs that end up in rescue are all genetically
and behaviorally inferior. But, it is not uncommon for Rescue to get
$500 dogs that have either outlived their usefulness or their novelty
with impulsive owners who considered their dog a possession rather than
a friend or member of the family; or simply did not really consider
the time, effort and expense needed to be a dog owner. Not all breeders
will accept "returns", so choices for giving up dogs can be limited
to animal welfare organizations, such as Rescues, or the owners trying
to place their own dogs. Good Rescues will evaluate the dog before accepting
him/her (medically, behaviorally, and for breed conformation), rehabilitate
if necessary, and adopt the animal only when he/she is ready and to
a home that matches and is realistic about the commitment necessary
to provide the dog with the best home possible.
Choosing a rescue dog over a purchased pup will not solve the pet overpopulation
problem (only responsible pet owners and breeders can do that), but
it does give many of them a chance they otherwise would not have. But,
beyond doing a "good deed", adopting a rescue dog can be the best decision
and addition to the family you ever made. Rescue a dog and get a devoted
friend for life!
This article has been modified from it's original format. The original
article was written by Labrador Retriever Rescue, Inc. and can be found
on their website at www.lrr.org.
Suggestions
for Pet-Centered Holiday Giving
If
you’re looking for a way to make the holidays brighter for an animal
not in your care, you can:
• Make
a donation of pet food, supplies, cash, or a few hours of your time
to your local animal shelter or rescue organization.
• Ask
your veterinary clinic if they know of a deserving pet owner who can’t
afford necessary medical care for their animal. Volunteer to pay for
the treatment the pet needs.
• If
you know a pet-owning senior citizen, volunteer to help with dog walking,
visits to the vet or groomer, litter box maintenance, pet food shopping,
or some other chore.
• Offer
free pet-sitting or doggie daycare for a friend, relative or neighbor
who is planning a vacation or other trip, a stay in the hospital, or
who is working long hours or has a job requiring overnight travel.
• Volunteer
to foster an adoptable pet during the coming year.
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