On The Road With Mac And Molly - Pets & Animals On Pet Life Radio (petliferadio.com)

This year marks the 60th birthday of Sparky the Fire Dog, the cartoon Dalmatian mascot of the National Fire Protection Association. Celebrations have been and will be held this year at sites all around the country. In the first half of our program, we’ll hear about some of these events and we’ll learn more about Sparky. Like many of the advertising icons that were introduced in the 1950s (from Tony the Tiger to Speedy Alka Seltzer) Sparky’s looks have changed considerably over the years. In recent days, he’s bulked up a bit and he’s become much more colorful. Today, he hosts his own website, has a Facebook page, and makes personal appearances all over the country. His likeness is seen in Sparky costumes, Sparky Valentines Day cards, Sparky birthday kits and Sparky robots. Sparky’s also finding himself the recipient of some pretty remarkable honors. One great example: a few months back -- on Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan, Sparky was named a non-commissioned officer, a staff sergeant. This recognition w