TPOU
Texas Primate Owners United (TPOU) is an association of professionals and members, like you, formed with a focus on providing support services, while promoting responsible primate care, and fighting legislation that seeks to unfairly regulate or prohibit the ownership of primates.
Setting the Record Straight
Every couple of years a misguided so-called animal rights group bends the ear of a Texas state legislator and makes a compelling case that primates are dangerous beasts, and that any private ownership is cruel. To make their case these opponents have paraded photographs of wounded people through the legislature, representing that the wounds were received from primates. Upon closer examination, we have demonstrated the bad faith of these organizations showing that the photographs they present are wounds received by other vicious animals–like dogs or chimpanzees. learn more
Each year that opponents have attempted to deceive the Texas state legislature, TPOU has successfully demonstrated that their assertions are inaccurate. We have stopped each proposal so far, but the opponents of private ownership are regrouping and finding new legislative sponsors to champion their agenda. learn more
Meet the President
Our Founder and President is Margaret Hosseini-Browder, a long-time advocate for primates and other exotic friends. Margaret has intervened a number of times when opponents of private ownership have proposed legislation that would eliminate the ability to adopt primates and other animals (read a short excerpt from her book about her experience). Most primates are very well suited to living in domestic situations, and thrive when properly cared for. learn more
Experienced – Margaret Wrote the Book
Margaret is a published author, and shares many of her primate advocacy experiences in her new book A Trial of Faith: When the Devil Knows Your Name.
Read a 4-page excerpt from Margaret’s new book here>
You can purchase Margaret’s book and share all of her experiences on Amazon>
Fully Trained
Margaret is fully Accredited as Certified Non-human Primate Trainer under BehaviorX Behavioral Training Program (BTP) since 2011.
TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE
- Positive reinforcement (animal training): nonhuman primates
- “Clicker” training, force-free trainer, shaping, capturing
- Attaching cue (stimulus) to elicit behavior
- Stimulus discrimination & reliability
- Training simple and complex behaviors
- Voluntary (present for) sedation
- Injection training (all species)
- Cooperative feeding (all species)
- Shifting/gating (all species)
- Present body parts/tolerate clinical treatment (multiple species)
- Chute training (all species)
- Specialize in abnormal behavior recognition, intervention and
behavior modification - Environmental enrichment (capuchins, chimpanzees, macaques, baboons,
tamarins)
Behavioral assessments, observations and interventions (when/if needed), individually tailored environmental enrichment & enhancement plan, nutritional advice and comprehensive care to promote and enhance the behavioral and psychological health and well-being of one privately-owned
Train primates (chimpanzees – marmosets) to voluntarily participate in husbandry, management and clinical, and procedures, depending on specific training request.
- Design, implement, and modify shaping plans for all active training
cases - Encourage owners to utilize positive reinforcement based management
techniques first, before more aversive techniques are employed - Teach how to train animals to work cooperatively with them
- Develop, standardize, and maintain BTP database, training records,
and animal files - Work closely with veterinary staff and technicians for training on
clinical procedures that may be implemented or aided via training (e.g.
training present for sedation vs. darting)
Get Involved in Primate Advocacy
TPOU is a valuable primate community resource. We provide everything you need to be a responsible, caring and educated primate owner. join and support TPOU today >
