Meeting in Chicago in October, 2005, The Winn Feline Foundation Board of Directors presentedwell-known radio personality and syndicated columnist, Steve Dale, a plaque commemorating his””tireless support and advocacy for the health and well-being of all cats.”” The award wasannounced by the Foundation president, Susan Little, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Feline), during aradio broadcast of Steve’s Pet Central on WGN Radio. Steve is also the host of a dailysyndicated program, The Pet News with Steve Dale and the hour-long Steve Dale’s Pet World,as well as his newspaper column syndicated in more than 100 newspapers, My Pet World.Further, he is a contributing editor at USA Weekend.
Celebrated for his tireless efforts on behalf of cats, Steve established the Ricky Fund at Winn in2002 in memory of his beloved Devon Rex cat, Ricky, who died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM). The fund has accumulated over $60,000 for research studies of this devastating disease,and has aided researchers in discovering the gene for HCM in one breed of cat, the MaineCoon. This stunning breakthrough achievement was announced on November 4 by a team ofresearchers at the University of California, Davis, The Ohio State University, and the BaylorCollege of Medicine.
The Winn Feline Foundation is the only international charity devoted solely to the advancementof feline health. It awards nearly $200,000 annually towards its goal of improving, prolonging,and enhancing the lives of all cats.