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Steve
Dale began hosting "Pet Central," on WGN Radio 720,
in June, 1997. His weekly pet program airs Sundays from 8-10pm.
Steve
credits his gig at WGN to Tom Peterson and the late Bob Collins.
Steve appeared on Collins’ morning show several times when
Peterson – in particular – encouraged management to
hire ‘the pet guy.’ They did, and the rest is history.
So,
credit or blame Tom Peterson – former long time WGN Radio
news director.
It’s
WGN history that Steve so much appreciates. After all, he grew
up in the area, and as a kid listened to Uncle Bobby as well as
the likes of Wally Phillips and Roy Leonard; and Harry, Vince
and Lou broadcast the Cubs. He dreamed that he too would one day
wind up at the world’s greatest radio station!
Steve
says he was very much influenced by listening to Chicago radio
greats as a kid; favorites included Steve King, Joel Sebastian,
Clarke Weber, Fred Winston and Dave Baum.
His
dream came true back when he was in college. After working across
town as an intern with Old Uncle Lar’ (Lujack) and Little
Tommy Edwards (that’s right he was there for early versions
of ‘Animal Stories’), Steve worked as an intern at
WGN Radio. His job was to log commercials for Wally and Roy, as
well as the Noon Show. Of course, Wally and Roy had no idea who
the kid was in Master Control checking off commercials. But Marilyn
Miller, Wally’s producer did – and today, all these
years later, Steve so much appreciates her kindness.
After
finishing up at the University of Illinois, Chicago – where
he majored in mass communication, and minored in biology and psychology,
Steve worked around Chicago area radio playing music on the air.
He even worked at the same suburban radio station as Dean Richards
at one point.
A
couple of years later, he snared a gig at the old WCFL Radio as
a news writer and part time producer. He eventually became a full
time producer, even producing Dean Richards for a time.
Steve
remained at the station through three formats, eventually overseeing
“The Bob and Betty Sanders Show,” and becoming the
executive producer. He even filled in on the air.
Much
of his free time was spent ‘hanging out’ at the Lincoln
Park Zoo, where he was a docent and editor of their volunteer
newsletter.
When
‘CFL changed format one more time, Steve was out of job…but
Sandra Pesman at Crain’s Chicago Business said
‘you still have to eat,’ and hired him as a restaurant
critic. He was covering show biz from Chicago for USA Today
and People magazine, and welcomed into the Chicago
Tribune Friday section, where he authored a weekly entertainment
column and also composed feature stories. Over a period of seven
years, Steve was also responsible for nearly all the stories on
pets and zoos on the feature side of the Chicago Tribune.
Along
the way, Steve was included as a semi-regular with Wally, and
appeared as a guest on Roy’s show many times.
By
now, Steve had begun to write for the American Kennel Club
Gazette, Dog World and various pet publications.
The
highlight of Steve’s life happened in July, 1988. He married
Robin.
Following
a vacation to the Galapagos Islands, Kim Okabe, an editor at Tribune
Media Services offered Steve a chance to try out for the TMS syndicated
newspaper pet column. Writing the twice weekly column transformed
Steve’s life.
Steve’s
won numerous awards for his TMS “My Pet World” columns,
including the Editor & Publisher 2001 Feature Column of the
Year Award, beating out many famous names. Both the Dog Writer’s
Association of America and the Cat Writers’ Association
have awarded Steve Best Newspaper Column and Best Newspaper Feature
many times. In 2003, he won the American Kennel Club Distinguished
Service Award. In 2004 he was the recipient of the Cat Writers’
Association Shojai Mentor Award.
Steve
says his greatest honor was in 2002 then being the youngest person
to earn the prestigious American Veterinary Medical Association
Humane Award; he was presented the award in front of thousands
at the AVMA annual convention in Nashville, TN.
Backing
up to 1997, Steve began “Pet Central” at WGN, which
he has many times been awarded honors for Best Pet Radio program.
However, if you ask Steve, far more important than any award is
being offered a venue to make a difference.
“Pet
Central” played a direct role in the development of dog
parks in the city, called Dog Friendly Areas. When an alderman
wanted breed specific legislation in 2000, Steve’s listeners
helped convince the alderman there can be a better way. Steve
was directed to create a Blue Ribbon Task Force to re-write the
animal control act. He did, and breed specific restrictions were
avoided.
In
2005, Steve worked with the Illinois State Veterinary Medical
Association to defeat a proposal to tax the rabies vaccine. In
2005, Steve teamed with the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association
to host Mardi Growl, a benefit to support the LASPCA (the largest
shelter in Louisiana), which was destroyed after Hurricane Katrina
and the monetary depleted VMAT, veterinary disaster emergency
response teams.
In
1998 Steve authored 
Doggone
Chicago: Sniffing out the Best Places to Take Your Best Friend
(Steve’s authored several other books as well, including
American
Zoos). DogGone sold so well, Steve authored
an updated version a few years later (with Janice Brown).
From
1995 to 1998 Steve was a regular on the WGN-TV morning news. He’s
appeared with purring or barking partners on all of Chicago’s
TV stations, as well as on numerous programs on Animal Planet;
and on “National Geographic Explorer,” “Pets
Part of the Family on PBS, Fox News Channel, Balance-TV in Canada,
on Japanese TV, and Reuters.
Through
his national newspaper column, Steve organized a campaign in conjunction
with the American Veterinary Medical Association called Pets for
Afghan Kids. When President Bush asked for kids to each send one
dollar for the Afghan kids, Steve wanted to include ‘kids’
with four legs or feathers. He promoted the campaign in his print
columns, and on the air, raising thousands of dollars.
In
2002, after his Devon rex cat Ricky died of feline hyperthrophic
cardiomyopathy, Steve initiated a fund at the Winn Feline Foundation
to raise money to learn more about this very common and frequently
fatal heart disease in cats. He’s raised more than $65,000;
as a result research has begun to matter. A gene for HCM has now
been discovered in Maine Coon cats. (Click
for more about Ricky.)
Steve
is a certified as a behavior consultant by the International Association
of Animal Behavior Consultants. He’s presented talks at
all the major veterinary conferences (Western States, North American,
various state conferences, AVMA, American Association of Feline
Practitioners and others), the Conference of the Association of
Pet Dog Trainers, and at several shelter conferences.
Aside
from continuing his TMS column for over a decade, he edits Pawprints
(a publication in conjunction with Merial and the AVMA) which
is available for veterinarians to offer clients online and in
their offices; and he’s a contributing editor at USA
Weekend.
Among
Steve’s most recent initiatives, Steve is working hard to
promote twice annual wellness exams for pets; and he’s also
teaching kindergarten classes for kittens.
“Being
able to matter, being able to make a difference and impact national
and local policy is important,” says Steve. “What’s
most important is that I know my WGN show has helped
many people keep animals they otherwise might have relinquished.
By helping animals, I am also mattering to the families they live
with. And best of all, I’m doing it all at the greatest
radio station on earth.”
