The City of Yerington’s animal shelter has been recognized by Best Friends Animal Society for achieving a 90% save rate during the 2025 calendar year, a notable result for a facility with limited staff and resources.

Public Works Director Paul Shapiro presented the recognition to the Yerington City Council on August 10, reports the Pizen Switch Times.

“We have a very small animal shelter, and while the resources are small, the results are huge,” Shapiro told the council.

The shelter’s pace has only picked up in 2026.

During the first six months of the year, Yerington’s animal services efforts handled 122 animals, compared with 36 during the same period in 2025.

The shelter took in 20 dogs, found homes for 18 of them, and did not euthanize any dogs during that stretch.

Shapiro said the shelter’s success depends heavily on volunteers, donations, and community partners rather than a large budget or staff.

The city has also expanded efforts to manage Yerington’s free-roaming cat population through a partnership with ARGONN, the Animal Rescue Group of Northern Nevada, which trapped 102 cats and transported them to Carson City for veterinary care and spay or neuter surgery during the first half of 2026.

Shapiro singled out city employee Ron Durst and his wife for praise, noting that much of the cat program’s success traces back to the couple’s volunteer time trapping, transporting, and fostering animals outside their regular jobs.

Yerington, the seat of rural Lyon County, sits roughly two and a half hours northwest of Las Vegas near the Walker River, and its shelter serves a city of just over 3,100 residents.

We’ve followed Lyon County’s animal welfare efforts closely this year, including Lyon County Animal Services’ recent push to move dogs out of its overcrowded Silver Springs shelter, a facility that serves a different part of the same county.

Residents interested in adopting from the Yerington shelter can call or text 775-302-1139 to schedule an appointment.