Yerington Community Update from Interim Manager Jerry Bryant on July 25, 2025

Community Update 07/25/2025

The Best Friends Network Proudly recognizes the Yerington Animal Shelter for achieving a 90% save rate during calendar year 2024.

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Good afternoon,

I’d like to take a moment to proudly announce that our Yerington Animal Shelter was just presented this award for achieving a 90% Save Rate in 2024. I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but based on 6 (almost 7) months of 2025, we are on pace to achieve it again!!

Much of this success is due to hard work from volunteers, such as Lori Condon, who work tirelessly to improve the quality of life of our furry friends. Lori’s efforts, combined with the efforts of other volunteers and city staff, such as Ron Durst, have had an amazing impact on improvements to our animal control process.

I don’t have permission to “name-drop” all of the volunteers publicly, so I won’t. However, I want to express how grateful I am for the work that they do. Being recognized for an achievement like this takes hard work, stress, time away from your own families, and at times, heartbreak.

I want to also take this opportunity to share photos of some of our current friends visiting the shelter and in need of adoption. To set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call (775) 364-8345.

Along with the dogs at the animal shelter, many of you know we have an issue with feral cats in town.

Recently, Ron Durst (city staff) began working with Animal Rescue Group of Northern Nevada (ARGONN) to help spay/neuter and treat many of these cats in an effort to better control this population. In fact, at Monday’s upcoming City Council meeting, the City will be recognizing Executive Director Vanessa Stuart, for her partnership on this pilot program, which was done at no cost to the city. If you’d like to attend, that’s this coming Monday, July 28, at 10:00 a.m. at City Hall.

I want to be clear about a couple of items.

Is Yerington a “No-Kill” shelter? No, we are not, but our volunteers and staff make every reasonable effort to find homes or safe transfers for every dog.

Why is 90% considered a high mark, and not 95% or 100%?

The sad reality is that not every dog can be saved. There are cases of illness, disease or aggression that can pose a threat not only to the public, but also to the other animals in our care.

Who is Best Friends Network?

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of cats and dogs in America’s shelters. They operate the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals and work with shelters, rescue groups, and individuals nationwide to promote pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, and other lifesaving initiatives.

https://bestfriends.org/network

It is my goal is for animal control operations to operate efficiently, cost effectively, and humanely.

I know that when it comes to animals, I won’t make everyone happy. I accept that. But with the help of wonderful staff and volunteers working hard for the benefit of these animals, we are going in the right direction.

Have a great weekend, maybe adopt a dog, and I hope to see you Monday at the next City Council meeting.

-Jerry Bryant

Interim City Manager

(775) 344-0343

The views expressed in this message are my own, and not that of the City.