WRITTEN BY: Anna Holton-Dean
You probably know Dan Threlkeld, chief meteorologist at Tulsa’s Channel 8 (KTUL), and even turn to him to help plan your day. He’s a trusted name with a passion for reporting the weather. But loyal Facebook followers have come to love reading Threlkeld’s daily posts on other subjects, one of which is his beloved rescue pup, Kate. So we asked him to expound upon a few of his favorite topics for our TulsaPets readers to enjoy.
Are you a native Oklahoman, and when did you move to Tulsa?
Yes, born and raised in Oklahoma. Lived here nearly all of my life. I have been in every county—there’s 77, you know. … I worked at the NBC station in Oklahoma City for 18 years, then came to Tulsa in 2004.
How long have you been a meteorologist and what drew you to it?
Thirty-nine years. I have been fascinated with weather since I was a kid. I love helping people. My hope is something I said will benefit a person, family, church or business. If I can provide accurate and timely weather information in a calm, no-hype way, then that brings me joy. It’s also a blast to help encourage students to consider reading and studying more about math, science and meteorology. I love planting brain seeds in young minds so they at least consider studying the natural sciences.
How did you come to rescue your dog, Kate? We lost Emma, our beloved Pug. She was part of our family for many years. Since my wife was retiring, and I spend much of my days and nights at work, I thought this would be a good time to add to our family.
We met her before she was ready for adoption at a pet adoption fair in the Jenks River West area. There was a booth set up by Lakes Area Pet Society, and she caught our eyes. She was the runt of the litter with big, brown, melt-yourheart eyes and so shy and gentle. We were told she would be ready for adoption in a few weeks and to stay in touch. We called a few weeks later and asked for more information. They were unsure of the breed but thought there was some Boxer and Labrador Retriever in her.
Tell us about Kate’s age and personality. She was born in July 2019. She loves to play and will bring you a toy and set it in your lap. Tug-o-war is her favorite. She will play as long as you are willing. She’s so gentle and looks forward to her daily walk. She’ll walk up to you and stare if it’s past 10 a.m. and she hasn’t had her jaunt through the neighborhood. We took her to obedience training at Top Dog in Broken Arrow, and that helped us so much to understand how to better communicate with her.
What makes a pet great in your opinion? It’s the relationship and comfort they provide. We feel better knowing someone accepts us on our good and bad days. No matter what is going on in the world, her little face is anxious to see you. Her overexcited tail shows she appreciates us and wants to be with us. They add a little slice of calm to our lives.
Can you share more about your Pug, Emma, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge? Emma, sweet Emma. She was a little female Pug who had two passions—sleeping and eating. She loved long naps in the sun, to chase a squirrel (she never caught one her entire life) and a good butt rub. In her older years, she slept more and ate less and was content to just watch the squirrels. She was just part of the family and, in reality, pretty much ran the house. She got very ill, and we had to have her put to sleep.
My wife thought it would be very difficult to come home afterward to an empty house. So on the day scheduled for her final appointment, I told her to pack her bags. We left the veterinary clinic in tears and left for a few days in Memphis. It was still hard to come home without her being there to greet us.
You post many drool-worthy, yet healthful, foods prepared by your wife. Can you tell us about her and your healthy lifestyle? Jo Ann was my high school sweetheart. I found out she was going to take biology, so I talked the Jr. High football coach, who taught biology, into assigning us as lab partners even before that school year began. We’ve been married 42 years.
My wife is a fantastic cook. She collects, modifies and creates recipes. Six years ago, we both wanted to begin a healthier lifestyle. Our daughter had gone whole food, plant-based (healthy vegan), and when we visited her, we were surprised at how filling and delicious her meals were. We thought we would give it a try, so we began and haven’t looked back. Being in Oklahoma, we have been keeping it quiet because of the negative feedback given to vegans, but a few months back, I mentioned it in a social media post. We were surprised at how positive people were. Our motto has been: you eat what you want, and we will eat what we choose. We don’t judge anyone. Life is too short to worry about what others eat.
Can you share about the car you restored? My car is a 1964 VW Karmann Ghia. It is Volkswagen’s attempt at making a sports car. The body was created by an Italian design firm to look fast, but the rest is all the same slow, economical, reliable and easy to work on Volkswagen Beatle. You could outrun me in a high-end riding lawn mower. It has taken five years, and I love driving it and folks asking what it is. It stays in the garage most of the time, but on sunny days, (I sort of know when it will be sunny), I get her out and take it for a spin.
