March 2019 by Ellen Jefferson, DVM, Kristen Auerbach, Mike Kaviani and Lars Rabbe

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

Video Length: 1 hr, 11 minutes

Leading with Resilience in Extreme Crisis

Extreme crises will continue to occur - shelters will flood, hurricanes will shake communities, and political drama will ensue. How do no-kill leaders face these crises without succumbing to the pressure to kill animals or even quit? Join an impressive group of experts, who together will teach you the tools needed to save lives even when the deck is stacked against you. This presentation was recorded by Maddie's Fund® at the 2019 American Pets Alive! Conference.

About Kristen Auerbach

Under Kristen's direction, Pima Animal Care Center is saving more than 90 percent of the cats and dogs who come to the shelter including orphaned puppies and kittens, pets recovering from illness and injuries, and animals who have been victims of cruelty or neglect. In 2017, she oversaw the opening of the newly-constructed state-of-the-art, animal services facility. Under her leadership, PACC partners with hundreds of rescue and community groups and engages thousands of volunteers and foster families to help achieve its mission. Kristen has received national recognition for her innovative, lifesaving programs. Her efforts have been featured in numerous national publications and websites, such as Animal Sheltering magazine, the Huffington Post, BarkPost, the Dodo and Buzzfeed, and on TV networks, including CNN, Fox and ABC. Kristen formerly served as the Deputy Director at Austin Animal Center in Austin, Texas as well as the Assistant Director at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter in Fairfax, Virginia.


About Ellen Jefferson, DVM

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 then no-kill movement.


About Mike Kaviani

Mike Kaviani began working with shelter animals at the Irvine Animal Care Center in California when he was 18. His "3rd Chance for Pets Program" received national recognition when IACC was given the 2007 Shelter of the Year award primarily due to this program. In 2010, Mike became the Director of Training and Behavior at the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation. At SASF, he worked under the guidance of Aimee Sadler, and together their work resulted in the shelter consistently reaching one of the highest save rates in the country. In the Spring of 2012, Mike joined forces with Dr. Ellen Jefferson and became the Dog Behavior Program Manager for Austin Pets Alive!. APA! had already achieved a 90 percent save rate for the entire city of Austin, and Mike's focus was to save the last 10 percent, which primarily comprises large dogs with behavior issues. The city's current canine save rate now holds steady at 98 percent. Mike moved up to Director of Lifesaving Operations at Austin Pets Alive! (APA) and led the organization's shelter staff, working alongside hundreds of volunteers, in planning and carrying out all of APA!'s programs for cats and dogs. Mike is now the director of OC (Orange County) Animal Care.


About Lars Rabbe

Lars Rabbe has over 30 years of executive-level IT experience. He successfully developed, acquired, and implemented large company-wide systems in many industries, including high tech, financial services, media, and retail. Lars co-founded the CISE (Consortium of Information Systems Executives) and serves on a number of boards and advisory boards. He is a current board member of the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. Lars has lived with cats, dogs, horses, goats, pigs, and donkeys, and now has a family of five rescue cats.