All About the CWA Rescue Media and Adoption Success Track
Calling all animal rescue teams, TNR volunteers, and animal shelter staff! Join us for two fun days of learning, connection, and real-world impact for animals this November 6–7 at the Holiday Inn DFW Airport South, 14320 Centre Station Drive, Fort Worth, Texas.
The Rescue Media and Adoption Success Track of the CWA Annual Conference is designed for those who work in rescue, sheltering, TNR, and animal welfare.
Rescue Track Workshops will give you practical tools that can help more pets find loving forever homes. Among other things, you’ll learn how to create captivating pet profiles, take photos that get hard-to-adopt pets noticed, and use social media to connect adoptable pets with their perfect families.
Whether you’re a seasoned rescue professional, a dedicated volunteer, or just want to learn more about how to help homeless pets, workshops will inspire new ideas, strengthen skills to help you promote adoption, and build a stronger community for the animals who depend on us.
You’ll come away with ideas and strategies you can put to work right away!
The Rescue Media and Adoption Success Track is organized by the Cat Writers’ Association (CWA). But it’s not just raining cats. We will be joined by our Dog Writers’ Association of America colleagues. Rescuers of all companion animals-including birds, reptiles, pocket pets-are welcome!
We can’t wait to see you there!
See below for information about conference the location, workshop tracks, ticket prices, and FAQs.
One Conference: Two Conference Tracks
The 32nd CWA Annual Conference features one track for communications professionals and a second track for those who work in animal rescue, TNR, and adoption.
Communications Professionals Track – for Media Content Creators
cost: $200 CWA Members/ $250 Non-Members
The Communications Professionals Track is designed for those who write pet fiction, create art, work in journalism, manage communications, or create social media. This track includes access to the main CWA conference workshops and events (excluding the CWA Awards Banquet and Gala), as well as all rescue track workshops. If you’d like to attend this track, return to the main CWA conference page.
Rescue Media and Adoption Success Track – for Everyone Else!
cost: $75 General Public/ $47 for Rescue/Shelter Staff and Volunteers (with code “RESCUE”)
This track has two days of specialized workshops geared toward rescue teams, TNR volunteers, and animal shelter staff and management. Whether you’re a seasoned rescue professional, dedicated volunteer, or just want to learn more about how to help homeless pets, you’ll come away with ideas and strategies you can put to work right away. Meals are not included, but several restaurants are within walking distance. See below for workshop content.
REMINDER: The Rescue Track does NOT include attendance to the CWA Conference (Main) Communications Professional Track workshops or events, or to the CWA Banquet. If you prefer to attend these events, please go to the Main Conference Page.
Are you ready to register? Choose this button!
Workshop Content: Rescue Media and Adoption Success Track
Below is a Sampling of Rescue Track Workshops:
Lights, Camera, Adoption! Photography Secrets for Hard-to-Place Pets – Dusty Rainbolt, Teresa Patterson
A great photo can mean the difference between a pet who gets adopted this weekend or never makes it out at all. The stakes are highest for the hardest-to-place animals: black pets, seniors and those with disabilities or special needs. In this hands-on workshop, Dusty Rainbolt shares the practical techniques used by award-winning rescue photographer Weems Hutto that transform that shapeless void cats and dogs into a pet adopters can’t scroll past. And bonus: the same techniques that make black pets shine online will also help them stand out at in-person adoption events, where dim lighting and cage bars create their own challenges.
Swipe Right on Fluffy: Writing Adoption Profiles That Get Pets Adopted – Dusty Rainbolt, Mel White, Teresa Patterson, Mary Kane
Every animal in a shelter or foster home deserves a great first impression, and for many potential adopters that impression is a form with vital statistics on a website or social media post. The difference between a pet who goes home this weekend and one who lingers for months or years often comes down a captivating online profile. Drawing on 4 decades in both journalism and frontline cat rescue, Dusty Rainbolt, is joined by other writers with similar backgrounds to show you how to transform bland descriptions into compelling profiles that get attention, build emotional connections and help animals find homes faster.
Introduction to Cat First Aid – Arden Moore, Casey the Pet Safety Cat
Time for you to step up and be your cat’s BFF – that’s best feline friend. In a cat medical emergency, minutes matter. So does your emotional state as you approach an injured cat. Here to help you manage kitty uh-ohs will be Arden Moore, founder of Pet First Aid 4U, and Pet Safety Cat Casey. Together they will deliver an interactive, practical presentation on cat first aid. Discover what to do if your cat is choking or bleeding. Learn the quickest way to wrangle an injured cat to avoid being scratched. Find out a surprisingly effective way to give pills and liquids – and much more!
How to Tell a Feral From a Stray – Debbie Holzer
Debbie Holzer will explain the meaning of the term “community cat,” which describes any cat who lives outdoors; This includes feral cats who are completely unsocialized with humans, stray cats who are those who have been lost or abandoned and friendly with humans, and every temperament in between. She will describe the behavioral differences between truly feral, “semi-feral,” and fully domesticated cats, and how to identify each from observation alone. Debbie will then discuss how we can best help the variations of community cats, emphasizing Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for feral cats and others who are acclimated to outdoor life and can thrive outdoors with sterilization, vaccination, and daily feeding.
Cage Cards that Get Fluffy Noticed – Shado Wiley
A person arrives at the shelter, surrounded by animals looking for homes. How do you get a potential adopter to stop at Fluffy’s cage and want to know more? With only a handful of words to work with, a great cage card must grab attention, reveal personality and spark a connection. Learn how to make every word count — especially when helping seniors, shy animals, black pets, and those with medical or behavioral challenges — get that all-important second look.
More description coming! More presentations are being add to the Rescue Communications Track. As always, presenters and workshops are subject to change, but we can expect to look forward to:
Creating Adoption Packets and Education Material
Press Releases for Rescue Organizations and Animal Shelters
Going Viral for Good: Social Media that Gets Pets Adopted
Rescue Communications and Adoption Success Track tickets are now available. Just click below!
Questions? Please contact Conference@CatWriters.com.
ATTENTION: To help keep ticket prices affordable, CWA is seeking sponsors to support the Rescue Media and Adoption Success Track ticket pricing so more rescue volunteers, TNR advocates, and animal shelter professionals can attend. If your organization would like to sponsor the conference Rescue Track, please contact Conference@CatWriters.com.
Conference Location
Holiday Inn DFW Airport South
The CWA Conference will take place at the Holiday Inn DFW Airport South, 14320 Centre Station Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76155 United States
WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAY IN FORT WORTH? The Holiday Inn DFW Airport South is approximately three miles from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The hotel offers a complimentary airport shuttle service for guests and several restaurants are in the area. Reserve a room at the special CWA conference rate while supplies last! NOTE: The Holiday Inn DFW Airport South does not allow pets. Only documented service animals are welcome. The hotel strictly enforces a no-pet rule, and guests who bring animals on-site may face a fine.
Ticket Prices
Rescue Track tickets are just $75 and include access to two-days of Rescue Media and Adoption Success Track presentations (lunches not included). Are you a rescue or animal shelter employee or volunteer? Then you qualify for a special thank you for your service discounted ticket price of only $47. Just include the code word “Rescue” when you see the prompt.
Would you prefer to attend the full-price ($250) Communications Professionals Track? This track includes lunches, an evening meet-up, and access to both conference tracks. To register for the Communications Professionals Track/full conference, return to the main conference page.
Questions? Please contact Conference@CatWriters.com.
2026 CWA Conference FAQs
What is the Cat Writers Association (CWA)?
The Cat Writers’ Association is a international organization supporting evolving mediums and platforms that feature cats, including writing novels, journalism, social media, graphic design, fine arts, radio, television, videography, podcasts, websites, marketing, photography, illustration, cartoons, and more. Our goal is to improve the quality of cat information for the general public and to inspire, educate, and inform.
What is the CWA Conference?
Cat Writers Association (CWA) Conference is a celebration of creativity, connection, and all things feline. Our main conference track is geared toward cat authors, journalists, photographers, artists/illustrators, broadcasters, pod casters, veterinarians, and other pet professionals. This year includes our first rescue workshop track.
Where will the CWA Conference take place?
Both the Conference and Awards Ceremony/Banquet will take place at the Holiday Inn DFW Airport South, 14320 Centre Station Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76155 United States
When will the 2026 Conference take place?
The CWA Conference will take place all day Friday and Saturday, November 6 & 7. Registration opens at 8:00 am, and sessions kick off each day at 9:00 am.
What type of presentation and workshop topics will be featured?
The conference workshops will span two topic areas. The Rescue Media and Adoption Success Track content provides you with practical tools to help pets find loving forever homes. Communications Professionals Track topics are geared toward cat authors, journalists, photographers, artists/illustrators, broadcasters, vloggers, and business owners.
Are meals provided with the Rescue Media and Adoption Success Track conference price?
No, meals are only available to those who pay for the full (Communications Professionals Track) conference experience. Several restaurants are within a ten-minute walk from the hotel. The hotel’s onsite bistro serves breakfast and dinner only.
When is the last day to purchase tickets?
Conference registration will close on October 19.
Will there be a virtual component?
No, the 2026 CWA Conference is in-person only.
What if I purchase a ticket and then cannot attend?
We are unable to offer refunds. If you find that you are unable to attend the event, your ticket is transferable to another interested party.
May I bring an animal to the conference?
No. The hotel permits only ADA-defined service animals and pre-approved presenter animals in hotel rooms, at conference functions, and in meeting spaces.
May children and teens attend?
Children and teens under 18 may purchase tickets but must be accompanied by a paying adult chaperone. All attendees are expected to behave in a professional manner that is mindful of others. Parents or guardians of under-age attendees may access a copy of the CWA’s Youth Protection Policy here.
What is the Saturday night CWA Awards Banquet?
The Awards Banquet is a fun and elegant evening reception, dinner, and Awards Banquet Gala, where we honor achievements in the cat communications community. Arden Moore will present a Keynote Address, Reinventing Yourself in the Pet Industry When You Don’t Have Nine Lives. The awards gala event follows dinner, featuring presentation of the prestigious Muse Medallions and Special Awards. One ticket price includes attendance at the reception (held at 6pm) as well as the banquet gala and dinner (7pm). Formal attire is required.
Here’s to Great Memories from the 2025 Conference!
Thank you to our 2025 presenters.
~ Return to main conference page ~
