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WMKV 89.3 FM

AND WMKVFM.ORG ON THE INTERNET

 “LIFE AFTER 50” COL FOR

FEB.1, 10, ON AIR

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MOST OF MY COLUMNS ON WMKVFM.ORG AND 89.3 FM ARE ON ISSUES, POLICIES AND NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS. TODAY I DIGRESS.

MY CANINE FRIEND AND COMPANION FOR 11 YEARS AND STAR OF MY RADIO SHOW, BRANDY, THE WONDER DOG, IS GONE.  SHE SUFFERED FATAL HEART PROBLEMS AND HER ABSENCE HAS LEFT ME REELING.

AS YOU KNOW AFTER I CLOSE MY SHOW ON AIR EACH WEEK, BRANDY, WHO SITS QUIETLY IN THE STUDIO UNTIL HER 15 SECONDS OF FAME, COMES ALONG. THEN I TURN TO HER, AFTER ANNOUNCING SHE IS THE ONLY DOG IN AMERICA ON RADIO WHO WHEN SHE HEARS THE CALL LETTERS OF HER FAVORITE RADIO STATION, BARKS ON CUE. SHE BARKS. WE CLOSE THE SHOW.

NO MORE.  SHE IS BY NOW IN DOG HEAVEN ALERTING AND TEACHING ALL OTHER CANINES HOW TO BEHAVE.

BRANDY, A LHASA APSO, I ADOPTED FROM A NON-PROFIT ANIMAL SHELTER CALLED, NOT SURPRISING, ARF, A NO KILL SHELTER IN AMELIA, OHIO. BRANDY WAS DESERTED BY HER OWNERS BECAUSE THEY SAID, SHE, THEN A PUPPY OF 5 MONTHS, WAS DUMB AND UNTRAINABLE.

AS SOON AS I SAW HER AT THE SHELTER WE BONDED INSTANTLY.

SHE’S PERHAPS IS THE SMARTEST AS WELL AND THE MOST AFFECTIONATE OF ALL MY DOGS I’VE HAD SINCE CHILDHOOD.

HOW MANY? WELL, HERE’S A SAMPLING, THERE WAS PAL, TOOTS, PEEPERS, MUFFY, BARON, MR. TOM, BUTTONS, BAXTER, COCOA, MUTT AND JEFF, AND TREKKIE, TO NAME ONLY A FEW.

YES, I AM A CONFIRMED DOGAHOLIC. I LOVE THEM ALL. EVERY WEEK HERE AT WMKV FOR THE LOCAL SPCA I RECORD A PROMO TO ENCOURAGE SENIORS TO ADOPT NOT A PUPPY BUT A MATURE DOG FROM OUR LOCAL SPCA SHELTER. IF THEY DO, THEY WILL BENEFIT IN WAYS TOO NUMEROUS TO DEFINE.

BUT I ALSO TELL THEM MANY SHELTERS, LIKE ARF AND SPCA, OFFER DOGS TO SENIORS FREE OF CHARGE IF THEY ARE ADOPTED INTO GOOD HOMES.

BRANDY WAS A BROADCAST DOG. SHE ROAMED THE STUDIOS HERE AT WMKV AS THOUGH SHE OWNED THE PLACE, BUT WHEN WE ARE ON AIR, SHE SAID QUIETLY INSIDE THE STUDIO, NEVER MAKING A SOUND UNTIL I TURNED TO HER TO CLOSE THE SHOW, ASKING HER TO BARK WHEN SHE HEARD OUR CALL LETTERS. SHE NEVER ONCE FALTERED.

SO FOR ONE LAST TIME, I’LL PLAY THE AUDIO FROM A YOUTUBE VIDEO OF BRANDY LISTED UNDER MY NAME, AJHORNBAKER, WHERE I ASK HER TO CLOSE THE SHOW BY BARKING ON CUE WHEN SHE HEARS OUR CALL LETERS, WMKV. FOR THE VERY LAST TIME, BRANDY, WMKV. (PLAY VIDEO OF HER BARKING ON COMMAND.)

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