Video Length: 45:36
This discussion revolves around states in the U.S. that have had state-wide efforts to transform to no-kill. The presentation was recorded by Maddie's Fund® at the 2019 American Pets Alive! Conference.
Debra Griggs is the President of the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies (VFHS). Under her leadership, the VFHS has distinguished itself as one of the most effective statewide animal welfare organizations in the country and is leading the charge to bring Virginia to at least a 90 percent save rate for sheltered pets by 2020. To brand this commitment, they created the initiative, "SaveVAPets - Crossing the No-Kill Finish Line." Debra has served on a myriad of local and state boards, both for-profit and non-profit, and promotes the notion that the business principles and strategies embraced by for-profits must also be implemented in the world of non-profits. To add to her list of life-saving accomplishments, Debra was the founding chair of the Animal Welfare Coalition of Hampton Roads and served on the City Council-appointed Norfolk Animal Advisory Board.
Deborah Schutt is president, chair of the board of directors and one of the founders of the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance (MPFA). After 21 years working for the public sector as an urban planner, she established her own consulting firm from which she retired after 20 years in 2016. Working from her home as a consultant allowed Deborah to volunteer as a foster parent to puppies. As she became familiar and more involved with animal welfare, she became acutely aware of the lack of planning, collaboration, and use of systematic approaches, all of which were successfully used in areas of her profession - and could be employed to solve and address problems and issues in animal welfare. When she co-founded MPFA, over 125,000 cats and dogs were euthanized annually in Michigan shelters. By the end of 2016, that number was reduced to 15,335. Michigan now has an 88% live release rate (90% for dogs).
Although he adopted his first cat at 6 years old, Davyd, now the president of No Kill Colorado, began earnestly participating in advocacy around 2007. After training at several conferences around the country (Including APA!), he helped found No Kill Colorado (NKC) in 2011. During his tenure as a board member at NKC he helped develop relationships with national No Kill leaders and organizations. Davyd developed the annual Just One Day Colorado adoption event and led a highly successful initiative to reform a Colorado animal shelter (the shelter saves 98 percent of all intakes, almost double before reform). In 2018, No Kill Colorado passed the Pueblo Animal Protection Act in Pueblo, CO, based on Austin's ordinances and CAPA. The law mandates that the shelter save every healthy or treatable pet.