“WINDY” IS ALWAYS IN GARY LEZAK’S DAILY FORECAST
By Stacy E. Smith

She stopped wagging her tail about a year ago and it has been several months since her last bark, but Windy Lezak is as happy as a clam and pretty darn healthy. For a dog that is several months past her 16th birthday (about 76 years old to you and me), that is really something to howl about.

Channel 41 Chief Meteorologist, Gary Lezak, has made no bones about his love for animals, especially his affection for his very public canine family, grand dame, Windy, and his youngest, Stormy. The two dogs have not only been an integral part of in Lezak’s life at home, but his work as well. It all began with Windy in Oklahoma, long before the Kansas City chapter of his life.

Having a canine sidekick was not meant to be a gimmick. It really came about purely by accident. Gary adopted Windy from friends that had only owner her only about a week or so when he went to dinner at their home. It was love at first sight for Windy and Gary and his friends noticed the connection right away. The couple’s life was a little hectic anyway with a new baby and all. They thought their new pet could be an outside dog, but still maybe a little more than they were able to deal with at that time. It seemed that their dog was destined to be Gary’s dog and Windy, as she came to be called, quickly became a part of his on-air banter. You see, Windy evidently didn’t like being left home alone and showed her frustration by destroying things in Lezak’s house while he was at work. Gary started recounting her antics on the air: “She ate …” “She tore up …” “Windy ate my remote.” Then someone suggested that instead of leaving her at home Gary should bring Windy to the studio with him. The rest is history.

Windy has been one of the hardest working dogs out there, making an average of sixty appearances a year with Lezak; over seven hundred in her career. That may very well be what has kept her in such good shape for so long. Windy and Stormy had a three year period when they made appearances together, but Stormy makes appearances alone these days – it is too much for Windy at her age. Windy was particularly good at public appearances according to Gary, because she was never really distracted by the kids when they went to schools. She was always completely focused on him; ready for whatever Lezak asked of her. It seemed to come to her naturally. She has been on Animal Planet’s “K9 to 5” as well as Oprah. She has even judged chili cook offs with Gary, although she was never allowed to taste any chili herself.

Windy has been through it all with Lezak. He recounted a few things that were particularly memorable to him: “I just remembered our first four days in Kansas City, way back in 1992. We stayed at the Doubletree hotel in Overland Park (they allowed dogs back then). We stayed there while I was looking for a place to live. Windy was always the perfect dog to have in a hotel, because she just never barked unless I asked her to speak, or if someone knocked on the door. She did terrorize any delivery person though.” Lezak, now free of cancer, also remembers how important Windy was to him during his treatment: “Windy came to visit me in the hospital when I was going through my chemotherapy treatments to help cure me of cancer. I am now 6 years cancer free, and Windy was there through all of the tough times. She really helped a lot when I was not feeling good at all. When I came home from the hospital after my first treatment – each treatment was five days in the hospital – I remember Windy lying with me in my bed that first night with her paw on my hand. It was so special!”

Windy is pretty much retired now, but has full days that begin with her potty ritual (Gary carries her down the hill behind his house to a flat spot for her to go so she doesn’t have to negotiate the steps). Then they come in for her supplements; she gets a liquid seaweed supplement called Limu Plus which Gary puts into a bowl with some bread to soak it up. He feeds her the juice-soaked chunks of bread that she obediently eats. The look on her face is more like a grimace of a child that knows “this is for her own good.” Windy then gets one coral calcium tablet and 3 cosequin tablets. Lezak believes that this regimen has been instrumental in controlling her arthritis and keeping her feeling well. There must be something to it since she seems to get around pretty well. She even plays a little bit with Stormy between naps (although not as much as Stormy would like, no doubt). Lezak says, “Living with Windy has been a great experience and now that she has aged to over 16, Windy has even become more special. It only takes a few minutes every day to make sure she feels good and is enjoying her life…” He also had some words of wisdom for pet owners hoping to keep their pets happy and healthy into their senior years, “No human food, ever! This is one thing I have made sure of through the years. I taught both Windy and Stormy not to beg, and they only eat their dog food. This, combined with teaching them discipline, and now with Windy's Limu Plus, Coral Calcium, Cosequin regimen, has likely lead to Windy's good health in her old age. So, teach discipline, and keep their diet consistent.”

Windy turned 16 on November 10, 2005 and Gary had a birthday party for her complete with a retrospective DVD showing Windy’s accomplishments throughout her life. It certainly wouldn’t have been complete without outtake scenes of Windy’s commercial announcing Gary’s arrival to Kansas City television. Gary’s non-compete clause hadn’t expired in time for him to do promos himself, so Windy was all too happy to step in and take the spotlight.

The spotlight for Windy has also included the annual Pet Telethon on 38 The Spot which takes place next month. Gary and his long time canine partner-in-crime have hosted the Telethon together since it began. The Telethon was actually how Gary met and eventually adopted Windy’s heir apparent, Stormy. She was one of the adoptable dogs featured on the Telethon and two days later found herself a new home in the Lezak household. Stormy has taken over much of what Windy was responsible for over the years and will most certainly carry her torch her torch with Gary for many, many years to come.