Laura T. Coffey—the author of “MY OLD DOG: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts,” which touts the virtues of adopting senior shelter dogs—recounts going to school (including college) in the Tampa Bay area and her extended stints at what’s now The Tampa Bay Times as part of the career path that lead to her current job as a writer, editor and producer for the website of the “Today” show, Today.com. 
She explains how she teamed on the book with photographer Lori Fusaro, whose gorgeous photos punctuate the vignettes Coffey has written, spotlighting elderly dogs that have extraordinary stories and/or their humans who themselves often have extraordinary stories. Coffey elaborates on some of those stories, including that of David Rosenfelt and his wife Debbie Myers, who live with 21 older dogs 
(and that number has been as high as 42!), and actor George Clooney, who was so nervous about the initial visit going well with his potential adoptee, a cocker spaniel named Einstein, that 
he rubbed turkey meat balls on his shoes. Although there is an array of dogs covered in “MY OLD DOG” across such sections as “Finding The Good Life,” “Healing,” “Helping,” 
“Retiring With Purpose,” Coffey addresses the link between these canines, and observes there’s now an adopt-a-senior-dog movement, not just in the U.S., but internationally. Coffey touches on Neko Case, who wrote the book’s forward, and Dr. Marty Becker & his daughter Mikkel Becker, who wrote the afterwords. (www.lauratcoffey.com, www.myolddogbook.com/?team=rescued-pets-with-remarkable-second-acts)
ALSO: I was slated to speak briefly with RaeAnna Saks, founder of The Little Cats Rescue, but she was having phone troubles, and couldn’t be reached for the interview. In her absence I summarized what we likely would have discussed: That Saks is contending with some medical challenges that require her to temporarily alter the way the organization operates—including needing to find homes for about 30 of the cats who live there. But for those unable to adopt one or more of these cats, there are other ways to help, such as volunteering or donating. (http://thelittlecatsrescue.blogspot.com)
COMEDY CORNER: Greg Fitzsimmons’ “Adopting A Dog” (www.gregfitzsimmons.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Neko Case’s “I Want A Dog,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Norma Tanega’s “Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog”
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
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