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Latin America

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IAABC Latin America

The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) stands for high-quality education based on international standards. The Latin American chapter offers the opportunity to train and certify the Spanish-speaking community. The new accreditation for dog trainers (IAABC - ECA) in Spanish is a seal of quality for those professionals who demonstrate their theoretical and practical knowledge of handling and training dogs through a rigorous, anonymous and objective evaluation.

Our members enjoy learning together and interacting with their peers, bringing a global perspective to our community. Since its inception in 2017, the Spanish language community has grown tremendously and we continue to work at full speed. We have more and more members in Latin America and we are excited to be able to present, as soon as possible, the complete offerings of IAABC in both English and Spanish.

Alejandra López Irala

Latin America Regional Liaison


Alejandra Lopez Irala is a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, CCBC. She is the owner of Rasca y Pica in Buenos Aires, Argentina, whose goal is to help everyone learn about cats and highlight their welfare.

Her life focuses on the domestic feline so she can help people better understand and relate to their pets, leading to a stronger bond and a more rewarding relationship between animal and human.

She loves teaching others through writing, behavior consulting on all things cat related, including feline behavior. She is an active member of Pet Professional Guild, Member of International Companion Animal Network, and Fear Free.

Ale is passionate about continuing education and has completed university level veterinary extension courses, AVEPA, Karen Pryor Academy, NAC, Maddie’s Fund. She has a degree in Management as well as being a Veterinary Assistant for over 8 years and has worked many times at the University of Florida at Operation Catnip. She has worked in organizations, rescues, and with pet owners throughout Argentina and part of the USA. She is currently completing her degree in Environmental Management.

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Ale never spends a day without a cat, and is still surprised every time she sees one. She loves to use all her time and resources to take classes, attend workshops and all kinds of topics related to animal welfare in Argentina and other countries. After 10 years of hard work, training and research, she is proud to have co-created the First Feline Festival exclusively in Spanish.

Member Testimonials

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  • Here I get support, information and training on current, evidence-based knowledge. A great community of international consultants offers great exchange on each relevant topic to support each other helping animals, their owners or even organizations that take care of animals of different species.

    By Sylvia Czarnecki, Certified Horse Behavior Consultant

  • I am proud and honored to be certified by, a member of, and educator for the IAABC. I consider the organization to be the industry standard for well-rounded, quality, ethical animal behavior information that is disseminated in a supportive, effective, collaborative environment. The IAABC works very hard to produce not only quantity of educational resources, but also quality.

    By Katenna Jones, Certified Dog & Cat Behavior Consultant

  • As a member, I get to network with experts in my field all over the world. This allows me to expand my knowledge in cat behavior as well as shelter behavior. As the feline behavior manager in an open intake shelter, this opportunity to learn from the best has allowed me to ensure the mental health and behavior needs are met for the cats in our care. The IAABC is the "go to" place for people all over the world to find experts in animal behavior. As a certified member my profile is available for the public to view. Since I earned my certification, I've seen my private business almost triple.

    By Lisa Stemcosky, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant

  • IAABC has been an invaluable learning tool for both myself and staff. As a shelter professional, the webinars provide relevant and up to date information to be used in multiple formats. The online convenience allows for continuing education, minus the travel.The mentorship programs are nothing short of amazing, including the pricing . This organization is always looking forward and growing.

    By Amy Schindler, Shelter Behavior Affiliate

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