Dr. Jillian Johnson—a chiropractor and owner of Farmhouse Chiropractic, a Tampa-based mobile practice that involves treating humans and animals (her slogan is “chiropractic care for you and the horse you rode in on”)—recalls being a fervent animal lover since she was a kid, first getting on a horse at age 2, and how crucial animals of all kinds were during a childhood marked by her family moving every two to three years because of her Dad’s construction business. 
Johnson (aka Dr. J) recounts what became a pivotal experience when she was nine and her horse was struggling with a nagging injury: her Dad’s chiropractor heard about the problem, adjusted the horse, who instantly showed improvement. In Johnson’s telling, even at that tender age, she decided she might like to become a medical professional that treats animals, though up until pretty deep into her 
college career, she had thought this would mean becoming a veterinarian. She describes switching gears to be schooled as a chiropractor, then subsequently undergoing training in animal chiropractic–she is one of only about 1300 doctors who are board certified by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA), a national certification only veterinarians and chiropractors are eligible for. Despite the rigorous training and exacting standards behind Johnson’s rather rarefied occupation, she expresses frustrations with this being 
a field that’s poorly regulated, noting many people exploit the system, sometimes brandishing “certifications” that bear various degrees of legitimacy. Regarding some of the details of her practice, she observes that it’s commonplace when adjusting a horse to also adjust its rider, and that in the course of her career, she’s additionally treated dogs, cats, pigs and rabbits. (www.farmhousechiropractic.com)
ALSO: I spoke briefly with Jaime Manfra, owner of Service Learning Micro-School, in Palm Harbor, FL. She outlined a bit about the school’s academic philosophy, including its emphasis on cultivating students’ community engagement and public service. Toward that end, Manfra described how the school and its students have organized a Halloween-theme event on October 20 in Palm Harbor, as a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Pinellas, for the second year running. (www.servicelearningschool.com)
COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Animals” (http://brianregan.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Nashville Cats”
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
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