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NYSVMS stands for New York State Veterinary Medical Society, a non-profit founded in 1890. Its leaders were the pioneers of modern veterinary science as they were instrumental in advocating for the passing of the practice act for veterinary medicine, which passed into law in 1895, allowing veterinarians to join physicians as among the first licensed professionals in NY state. Their mission is to lead veterinarians in NY state in education, advancement, and protection of animal well-being, public health, and the practice of veterinary medicine.

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Photograph of Morris the cat with black text on yellow background.

Morris the Cat, a fifteen-pound orange-striped tabby with dark green eyes and a torn eyelid, entertained cat lovers everywhere as an advertising icon. What was Morris' philosophy on life?: "The cat who doesn't act finicky soon loses control of his owner." However, Morris' real life was not always as luxurious as in the commercials. This cute kitty, previously named Lucky, spent part of his life in the Hinsdale Humane Society Animal Shelter in Lombard, Illinois. One day in 1968, an animal talent scout of the Leo Burnett Advertising Agency named Bob Martwick discovered Morris the Cat in Hinsdale, IL. He had an audition for a role as the 9 Lives spokesman and Morris the Cat became a household name.

Morris the Cat’s most important role is advo-cat for animals in need. With help from the 9 Lives team, Morris the Cat promotes cat adoption and makes it easy for people to give cats a comfortable life with plenty of tasty and nutritious food. Morris the Cat visits countless schools and led large-scale campaigns for the cause, but the work is far from done. Morris the Cat, voiced by John Irwin of Masters of the Universe, is the advertising mascot for 9 Lives brand cat food, appearing on its packaging and in many of its television commercials. A large red tabby tom, he is "the world's most finicky cat", and prefers only 9 Lives brand, making this preference clear by means of humorously sardonic voice-over comments when offered other brands. Every can of 9 Lives features Morris' "signature".

Morris has appeared in other media over the years. He starred in the movie Shamus with Burt Reynolds and Dyan Cannon in 1973. He has "authored" three books about cat care: The Morris Approach, The Morris Method, and The Morris Prescription. Before he was rescued, Morris the cat was 20 minutes away from execution in a suburban Chicago animal shelter. Morris was later assigned round-the-clock guards to protect him from kidnappers. His picture still hangs on the wall of the local pound.

The mantle of Morris the Cat was later taken on by cats similar in appearance to the original after his term came to an end. There have been three different cats who have played the famed "Morris the Cat." The first Morris died in 1978. All three of the "Morris the Cat" animals were rescued from shelters. Morris ran in the 1988 and 1992 presidential elections on the Finicky Party platform, campaigning for cats everywhere to enjoy a standard of nutrition - by eating 9 Lives, of course. The current Morris lives in Los Angeles with his handler, Rose Ordile.

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The National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. The SCBI facility houses between 30 and 40 endangered species at any given time depending on research needs and recommendations from the zoo and the conservation community. The zoo was one of the first to establish a scientific research program. 

In 1889, President Grover Cleveland officially signed an act of congress into law creating the National Zoological Park for “the advancement of science and the instruction and recreation of the people.” Since its founding, the Zoo and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), have celebrated many milestones, from endangered species births, to reintroductions to the wild, to revolutionary scientific studies. One of the most public facing of these was the arrival in 1972 of Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, the Zoo's first giant pandas, that launched an on-going international collaboration with Chinese scientists to better understand and save the critically endangered bears.

Photograph of Mark McGinnis

Mark McGinnis is a career meteorologist who has worked weekend mornings for ABC 7 Chicago since 2016. He is also the owner of Fair Skies Consulting, a company that provides expert witness, weather risk assessment and mitigation plans, and weather data management services.

The Busy Beaver Button Company and Museum was featured on the ABC 7 segment “Chicago Made” on August 25, 2019, a series that highlights local businesses and creative minds. Owner Christen Carter discussed the company’s origins and their work manufacturing and historically preserving buttons, while Director of Operations Joel Carter created pinback buttons with McGinnis’s headshot during the live taping.

Photograph of Diane Pathieu

Diane Pathieu is an ABC 7 Chicago reporter covering the weekend morning newscast, as well as fill-ins for weekday news and traffic reports. She is a native Chicagoan, making her start in reporting in 2001 at KFXB-TV in Dubuque, Iowa and returning to her hometown to work with ABC 7 in December 2011.

The Busy Beaver Button Company and Museum was featured on the ABC 7 segment “Chicago Made” on August 25, 2019, a series that highlights local businesses and creative minds. Owner Christen Carter discussed the company’s origins and their work manufacturing and historically preserving buttons, while Director of Operations Joel Carter created pinback buttons with Pathieu’s headshot during the live taping.

Photograph of Mark Rivera

Mark Rivera is an ABC 7 Chicago news anchor and reporter covering the weekend morning newscast. He is a native Chicagoan who returned back to his hometown to work for ABC 7 in 2017. He previously worked for WTSP-TV in Tampa, Florida and WAND-TV in Decatur, Illinois.

The Busy Beaver Button Company and Museum was featured on the ABC 7 segment “Chicago Made” on August 25, 2019, a series that highlights local businesses and creative minds. Owner Christen Carter discussed the company’s origins and their work manufacturing and historically preserving buttons, while Director of Operations Joel Carter created pinback buttons with Rivera’s headshot during the live taping.

Red text surrounding blue illustration of the Capitol on white background.

Field trips are a staple of elementary school education, many ending in a memorable trip to the White House in Washington, D.C. At the end of school tours in the 1970's and 1980's, each student received a souvenir of their time in Washington, D.C. Field trips to the White House changed quite a bit after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Although tours are still given on a self-guided basis, tickets can only be granted through a petition to your local congressman no closer than 21 days prior to your planned visit and several security checks must be cleared. Before the events of 9/11, tickets were handed out at the White House Visitor Center and all a person needed to begin the tour was a ticket and validation stamp on their hand. At non-peak times, guests arriving anytime before noon on the day of their planned visit were guaranteed a trip through the famous residence on Pennsylvania Ave.

Photograph of Grumpy Cat on illustration of red heart with white text on a white background.

Tardar Sauce is an American internet celebrity cat, commonly known as Grumpy Cat. She initially gained popularity on the social news site Reddit, becoming an internet sensation because of her famously permanent “grumpy” facial expression, a condition caused by a combination of an underbite and feline dwarfism. Grumpy Cat’s popularity grew when her photo went viral as a cynical/negative meme, and she eventually became a pop culture icon featured in books, advertising, and novelties.

Sadly, on May 14, 2019, Tardar Sauce passed away at the age of seven, leaving behind her human family,as well as her fans across the world.

White text and illustration of chimney sweep on black background.

Dusty the Chimney Sweep was a children's book originally published in 1979 by Dee and David Stoll. The Stolls are both master chimney sweeps and married in 1978 on top of the Sears Tower. The picture book tells the story of Dusty the Chimney Sweep and his friend, Flicker Flame, who clean chimneys at Christmas time so that Santa Clause can deliver presents. The back cover is addressed from the Chimney Sweeps of America, who wish the reader "...a Touch of Good Luck!". This inscription is a reference to the superstition that shaking the hand of a chimney sweep will bring good fortune, in particular to a bride on her wedding day.