01/16/2025
Lyon County Animal Services 2024 Report:
Total number of animals that were intake: 859
Owner Surrenders: 143
Transferred in (this could be dogs that did not pass a rescue's behavior testing or was not thriving in their shelter): 7
Returned Adoptions: 16
Strays: 482- Broken down to the following cities:
Fernley- 140
Silver Springs- 139
Dayton- 91
Stagecoach-54
Yerington- 41
Mound House- 12
Smith Valley/Wellington- 4
Silver City- 1
Seized/Custody: 211 Broken down into the following categories:
Abandoned in home- 19
Bite Quarantines- 54
Court Ordered/warrants- 19
Cruelty seizure- 8
Deceased owner- 37
Owner transported to hospital- 21
Owner was arrested/went to jail- 53
Adopted out: 147
Transferred to another rescue/shelter: 302
Returned to Owner: 365
Died: 4 puppies that died due to parvovirus
Euthanized: 63 Broken down to the following reasons:
31 due to aggression
14 that were failing to thrive in the shelter
18 due to severe medical issues/injuries
We know there is going to be people who are going to ask "I thought Lyon County is a no kill shelter?" A no kill shelter is defined as a live release percentage rate of 90% or higher. We try our best to work with all the animals that come in here but, sometimes, some are just too aggressive to release back to the community or some are just too sick or injured and it would be in their best interest or the vets we work with recommend humane euthanasia. Sometimes we have dogs that don't adjust to the shelter environment and stop eating and fail to thrive and it would be more humane to euthanize then just let them suffer. This is not a decision we take lightly here nor is there a "time frame" that we give the animals that come in here either. We try our best to get every animal here a good, loving home and we have a wonderful group of volunteers who come and take out our dogs and socialize them and get them some exercise.
We hit a 92.3% live release rate for 2024. We strive to keep making that number larger and help all the animals we can and that is why we need your help!! Please, please, please keep your animals safe inside your property. We understand that mistakes can be made and they can get out. If that is the case, please microchip or, at the very least, keep an ID tag on your pets so they can get home faster and safely! We offer both here at our facility. Microchip is $15 and an ID tag is $7.
-If you are looking for a new dog to add to your family, please check out our available dogs on https://www.petfinder.com
- Please consider getting your pets an ID tag and/or microchip to help get them reunited to you. We offer a variety of ID tags at our shelter for only $7. We also do microchipping, by appointment, Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm for $15.
- If you are needing to rehome your dog(s), we ask that you consider all options before having to make that decision. Contacting a professional trainer/behaviorist if it is due to any behavior issue. Getting a dog walker/sitter if you work long hours (you can check Rover.com for services in your area or perhaps put an add out on social media). If you are moving, check for rentals that are pet friendly. Having issues with affording the necessary needs for your pet, reach out to us and we can direct you to low cost vet care and pet food help. We also offer a low cost vaccine clinic every other month. We understand that times are tough right now, so if you absolutely have to surrender your dog, please note, that our surrender list is about a 4 month wait currently. We currently have 70 dogs on the surrender list at this time. We are trying our best to get them in as quick as possible without having to euthanize to make room for more dogs.
