Steve Dale and Pet World

Steve Dale is something of a legend in the Chicago area; not that awareness of the man is only local, though. He has written “DogGone Chicago: Sniffing Out the Best Places to Take Your Best Friend” and “American Zoos”, been quoted in major newspapers and magazines, and is a contributing editor for both USA Weekend and Cat Fancy. Steve is on the Board of Directors for Winn Feline Foundation, CATalyst Council, American Humane Society, as well as Tree House Humane Society of Chicago. He has been awarded numerous awards, and in 2001 received the AVMA Humane Award, as well as the Syndicated Newspaper Feature Writer of the Year.

Dale is a certified animal behavior consultant, whose knowledge and opinions are sought throughout the world. In Chicago, he writes a syndicated column, “Steve Dale’s Pet World“, is the host of radio shows “Steve Dale’s Pet World” and “The Pet Minute”, and has appeared on all major Chicago television stations. His love of animals, passion for animal welfare and his dedication to all things animal leave you with quite an impression. In Chicago, he rose to become the voice for animals and pet owners through his work on WGN radio, and television. Interviewing and meeting with celebrities, politicians, experts, authors and pets, Dale initiated many needed crucial reforms and reversals. At times he was extremely influential in drafting or instigating legal approaches or opinions; examples are his work on breed bans, dog parks, the inanity of taxing rabies vaccines, acceptance of service dogs by taxicabs and hotels, mandatory spay/neuter issues, and the validity of TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) programs – to name a few.

Steve Dale worked with the Winn Feline Foundation to establish Ricky’s Fund, to gather funding for research on HCM (hypertrophic myocardiopathy) in cats, in honor of his beloved cat who died from the genetic disease. He helped found the CATalyst Council. He founded and co-chairs Alderman Gene Schulter’s City of Chicago’s Task Force on Companion Animals and Public Safety, as well as serving on many other committees. Over the years, Dale was involved with current events as they unfolded; 9/11 and the dogs involved, Hurricane Katrina with not only all the pets affected but also breaking the story about what happened to the dogs that were shot and killed after people were told to leave them behind at St. Bernard High School in New Orleans, and conversations heartily disagreeing with the practices of the well-known dog behaviorist, Cesar Milan, again to name a few.

Dale currently writes his Pet World column via Chicago Now, which can also be accessed also through his Facebook page,  Steve Dale. It was thanks in part to Steve Dale that the city of Chicago took a tougher stance on dog fighting/ He was on hand during the signing with Chicago’s Mayor Daley, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn last fall of stronger enforcements, which led directly to the results of the dog fighting bust detailed here in From Dart to AWL. There’s no question, animals’ lives have been made better thanks to a man by the name of Steve Dale.

In his words: “I really believe if we treat our pets better, one day we will learn to treat one another better.” *

*Farewell from Pet Central Show
 Steve Dale’s Pet World/About