A process of preparing a dehydrogenation catalyst comprising about 10 to about 75 weight % CuO, about 5 to about 50 weight % ZnO, about 1 to about 30 weight % ZrO 2, and about 5 to about 40 weight % alumina, the process comprising the steps: a) forming a slurry by peptizing alumina having a dispersibility of at least about 50% or greater in an acid at a pH between 2 and 5 and a temperature of about 20°C to 30°C, wherein "dispersibility" refers to the percentage of alumina that is less than 1 μm in size after peptizing at a pH from about 2 to about 5, b) forming a slurry of zirconyl nitrate and water at a pH of less than about 1.5 and a temperature in the range of about 20°C to 30°C, c) mixing the slurry of a) with the slurry of b) to provide a mixed slurry and maintaining the pH of the mixed slurry at less than about 1.5 and a temperature in the range of about 20°C to 30°C; d) forming a solution of copper nitrate and zinc nitrate at a pH of less than about 1.5 and at a temperature in the range of about 30°C to 50°C, e) mixing the solution of d) with the mixed slurry of c) and maintaining the pH at less than about 1.5 and raising the temperature to a range of about 30°C to 50°C to create an acidic slurry containing copper nitrate, zinc nitrate, zirconyl nitrate, and alumina; f) forming a basic solution of sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate at a temperature in the range of about 30°C to 50°C, g) forming a heel of water in a separate vessel at a temperature in the range of about 30°C to 50°C, and h) simultaneously adding the acidic slurry (e) and the basic solution of f) to the vessel with the heel of water of h) so that a precipitation reaction occurs at a pH of about 6 to 7 and at a temperature in the range of about 30°C to 50°C to provide a precipitate slurry. a) forming a slurry by peptizing alumina having a dispersibility of at least about 50% or greater in an acid at a pH between 2 and 5 and a temperature of about 20°C to 30°C, wherein "dispersibility" refers to the percentage of alumina that is less than 1 μm in size after peptizing at a pH from about 2 to about 5, b) forming a slurry of zirconyl nitrate and water at a pH of less than about 1.5 and a temperature in the range of about 20°C to 30°C, c) mixing the slurry of a) with the slurry of b) to provide a mixed slurry and maintaining the pH of the mixed slurry at less than about 1.5 and a temperature in the range of about 20°C to 30°C; d) forming a solution of copper nitrate and zinc nitrate at a pH of less than about 1.5 and at a temperature in the range of about 30°C to 50°C, e) mixing the solution of d) with the mixed slurry of c) and maintaining the pH at less than about 1.5 and raising the temperature to a range of about 30°C to 50°C to create an acidic slurry containing copper nitrate, zinc nitrate, zirconyl nitrate, and alumina; f) forming a basic solution of sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate at a temperature in the range of about 30°C to 50°C, g) forming a heel of water in a separate vessel at a temperature in the range of about 30°C to 50°C, and h) simultaneously adding the acidic slurry (e) and the basic solution of f) to the vessel with the heel of water of h) so that a precipitation reaction occurs at a pH of about 6 to 7 and at a temperature in the range of about 30°C to 50°C to provide a precipitate slurry.