Alicia Brown
214-461-1815
mobile: 214-608-7933
abrown@...
-or-
Maura Davies
214-461-1814
mobile:214-537-3748
mdavies@...



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2008


The SPCA of Texas presents
"Feral to Friendly" Seminar

WHAT: Join the SPCA of Texas as it presents a seminar titled "Feral
to Friendly: Shaping Tameness in Cats" on October 24, 2008 from 9
a..m. to 5 p.m. at the SPCA's Headquarters at 2400 Lone Star Drive.
Designed to teach how to tame feral or fearful cats, this seminar
will be led by Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz, PhD and Angela Drake Rentfro.

Aimed at animal welfare professionals, volunteers, Animal Control
Officers, feral cat colony managers and others who handle feral and
fearful cats, the Feral to Friendly procedure is a fast, safe and
systematic method of training feral and fearful felines to exhibit
the friendly behaviors necessary to be companion animals. Shelter
staff and volunteers can be trained to teach feral and fearful
felines the behaviors necessary to make them candidates for
adoption. In a matter of hours, feral kittens have been shown to
show friendly behaviors and approach the trainer allowing the trainer
to pet them.

This procedure can be taught to friendly but fearful felines helping
them be more interactive with humans while in the shelter
environment, and with new adopters to ease the transition from the
animal welfare organization to the animal's new home.

For more information on the seminar or to register online, visit
www.spca.org. Accreditations include CEs of 6.5 hours for Texas
Animal Control Officers.

WHEN: October 24, 2008
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: SPCA of Texas
2400 Lone Star Drive
Dallas, TX 75212

COST: $85.00 (includes lunch)


Jesus Rosales-Ruiz, PhD is a behavior analyst who earned his
doctorate at the University of Kansas. He is an associate professor
of behavior analysis at the University of North Texas, and the
advisor for the Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with
Animals (ORCA) which conducts behavior and training research with
animals in natural settings outside the laboratory. He mentors
students who conduct research in animal behavior and training. He is
a popular instructor at Karen Pryor's ClickerEXPO.

Angela Drake Rentfro, better known as "The Cat Lady", is in the
process of completing her Master's degree at the University of North
Texas (UNT) in the department of Behavior Analysis. She will be
defending her thesis research titled From Feral to Friendly:
Shaping "Tameness" in Felines in Fall, 2008. The development of this
systematic procedure for "taming" feral and fearful felines has the
potential to save lives by increasing friendly behaviors in feral and
fearful felines so they can be adopted into loving homes. Angie
completed her undergraduate degree in Behavior Analysis at UNT in
2001, and is now pursuing her doctoral degree in Applied Gerontology
at UNT.





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