March 2019 by Saskia Boisot, MD, Founder of the No Kill Shelter Alliance and Co-Founder of Save More Kill Less, and Paula Powell, Director of Animal Services, El Paso Animal Services

Audience: Executive Leadership

Video Length: 62 minutes

Effective Negotiation Skills and Techniques to Achieve Lifesaving

Negotiation is an important part of any change. Know when to stand your ground, when to compromise, and most importantly, how to communicate effectively so that people want to help you achieve your goals. This presentation was recorded by Maddie's Fund® at the 2019 American Pets Alive! Conference.

About Dr. Saskia Boisot

Dr. Saskia Boisot is a physician who practices pathology in Orange County, CA, and specializes in the diagnosis of leukemias and lymphomas. Although her primary vocation deals with human disease, she has long been an ardent animal advocate. Saskia formed the animal advocacy group No Kill Shelter Alliance which is devoted to shelter reform in all of Southern California. Saskia has also formed a new 501c3, Underdog Alliance, which is specifically focused on providing solutions for large breed dogs experiencing behavior challenges in the shelter environment. The organization focuses on low-cost training for local rescue groups to encourage them to take on more of these types of dogs, assisting smaller shelters and rescue groups with their own facilities to implement playgroups, and occasionally providing sanctuary to intractable behavior cases who would otherwise not be afforded the chance at a live outcome.


About Paula Powell

Prior to leading Animal Services, Paula spent 24 years serving the City of El Paso in various operational positions. Before that, Paula served as a 1st Lt in the US Army and was stationed at Fort Bliss. She began her college education at the United States Military Academy and culminated it with her master's in public administration at the University of Texas at El Paso. She received her certification in Shelter Management in 2018 and continues to look for new ways to learn and grow in order to save more of the lives that need us most.