March 2019 by Ellen Jefferson, DVM, Executive Director of Austin Pets Alive! and American Pets Alive!

Audience: Executive Leadership, Shelter/Rescue Staff & Volunteers, Veterinary Team

Video Length: 45:43

Keynote: Blueprint to a Successful No-kill Journey

Join Dr. Ellen Jefferson as she guides you step-by-step through what are considered Best Practice metrics in outcomes, intakes, and the 12 programmatic ingredients of lifesaving. By the end of this session, you will be ready to focus, both at the conference and when you return home, to ensure your time and energy is spent saving lives and improving your own metrics. This presentation was recorded by Maddie's Fund® at the 2019 American Pets Alive! Conference.

About Dr. Ellen Jefferson

Dr. Jefferson graduated veterinary school in 1997 and started her career in private practice. In 1999, in response to an 85% death rate at the city shelter, she started Emancipet, a low cost and free spay/neuter clinic in an effort to decrease the number of homeless animals. In 2008, still not satisfied with how fast the city of Austin was moving towards no-kill status, she stepped in as Executive Director of Austin Pets Alive! Since 2008, Austin Pets Alive! has been the driving force to bring the entire city of Austin to a greater than 90% save rate and the largest no-kill city in the US, and to redefine what no-kill means, as Austin's save rate now approaches 98%.

Dr. Jefferson was unanimously chosen as the first recipient of the Avanzino Leadership award, named for the father of no-kill and given for her outstanding contribution to the no-kill movement.