Lorre Smith, the first TICA Savannah Breed Chairman, whose dedicated efforts helped launch Savannahs forward within the ranks of TICA at a rate more rapid than any other breed in TICA history.

In the three years since TICA first accepted Savannahs for registration as domestic cats, Savannahs have advanced from "Experimental New Breed Status" to "New Breed Status" and finally in May 2004, to "Advanced New Breed Status." Savannah Breed Section Members are currently working on advancing to the final level of "Championship Status" within TICA and expect to achieve this major milestone in the very near future.

The response of TICA Judges and the general public has been overwhelmingly favorable over the past few years, establishing Savannah Cats, with their elegant, exotic looks and interactive personalities as perhaps the most sought after companion animal in the world today.

Joyce Sroufe, considered the Founder of the Savannah Breed, who armed with little more than a vision, risked this experimental breeding and produced her very first litter of kittens in 1994 and officially introduced the "Savannah Cat" to the public.

Patrick Kelly, who presented the first Savannah Breed Standard to the TICA Board of Directors in February 1996, and continued to work diligently until 2001 when TICA lifted their moratorium on new breeds and accepted Savannahs for domestic registration and granted them Experimental New Breed Status.

Although Savannahs did not gain worldwide popularity and recognition until the late 1990s,  the first known Savannah (pairing of an African Serval and a domestic cat) was achieved in the early 1980s by Breeder Judee Frank.  The F1 female resulting from this unplanned