American Pets Alive 2016

Austin, TX is the largest no-kill city in the United States. As a Maddie’s Fund grantee, Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) plays a critical role in sustaining this status by developing innovative and comprehensive programs that serve key demographics of animals typically euthanized in a shelter setting. With a mission to lead by example, APA! Created the American Pets Alive! Conference (AmPA!) to show other communities how to apply and manage the same lifesaving programs that helped make Austin No-Kill.

These conference presentations have been recorded by Maddie's Fund with a focus on how to reach the no-kill nation goal in your own community. Learn how to set up programs that focus on increasing lifesaving, presented by leading experts in the field of animal welfare.

The views expressed here are those of the individual presenter, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Maddie's Fund.

Advancing the No-Kill Movement through State and Local Politics

January 2017

Learn how you can make a difference by advancing the No-Kill movement in your area through local and state politics.

Best Friends Society's Legislative Work to Save Them All

February 2017

How legal issues affect you and ways you can help change things for animals.

Breed Restrictions in Housing - Panel Discussion

January 2017

The panel covers how breed restrictions impact "pitbull" terriers and what can be done to remove or bypass the restrictions.

Data: Why It Is Critical to Success and How to Keep Up with It - Part 1

February 2017

Learn how data can improve the care of your animals and provide you with vital reporting necessary to improve your organization.

Data: Why It Is Critical to Success and How to Keep Up with It - Part 2

February 2017

Learn how data can improve the care of your animals and provide you with vital reporting necessary to improve your organization.

Finding Their Way Back Home: Increasing Return to Owner Rates

February 2017

Learn how these organizations are leading the way towards a centralized, national database where shelters, vet clinics, volunteers and the public can all share the same lost and found pet listings.

Fostering: Saving More Dogs with Behavioral Challenges

February 2017

Learn proven methods that will help you save 90% or more of dogs with behavioral problems.

Fundraising: Startup and Beyond - Part 1

January 2017

Learn what you will need to raise funds effectively when you're a new or relatively small organization.

Fundraising: Startup and Beyond - Part 2

January 2017

Part two of this workshop covers issues faced by organizations as they grow larger, diving deeper into the details of creating an overall funding strategy.

Getting a Busy Journalist's Attention

January 2017

Hear tips on how you can get your shelter or rescue stories told.

Getting to No Kill: How Austin Did It

January 2017

Hear the presenters review the decisions that were made, the communication used, the committees that were formed, the work that was divided up and the strategy that brought the City of Austin to no-kill.

Hospice for Cats and Dogs

February 2017

Learn how Austin works to save the last few hard to place seniors through the use of specialized hospice foster homes for dogs and cats.

Let's Keep Community Cats in the Community Where They Belong

January 2017

This workshop will help you reduce your intake and euthanasia numbers while helping you focus on increasing your adoption and live release rate.

Lifesaving Animal Control Policies

February 2017

Learn how to leverage limited resources to engage the community in animal welfare and keep people and pets safe.

Lifesaving on a Dime with ACT! Ohio

January 2017

Hear how Act! Ohio is able to save neglect cases, advocate for "pitbulls" and educate both officers and children.

Lifesaving Programs for Shelters

January 2017

Is your shelter's policies saving lives or costing them? This session shows how one shelter underwent a complete transformation with one goal in mind, to save lives.

Matchmaking - Working with Adopters and Pets to Increase Adoptions

February 2017

Learn about how this program develops and maintains cutting-edge initiatives aimed at decreasing dog length of stay and improving the success rate of adoptions.