Twister Inspired Dog Names

While Jo, Bill, and the rest of the gang on the film, “Twister” use radar to track storms, Radar the weather dog is also tracking storms with Chief Meteorologist Travis Meyer, and the team of meteorologists on the 6-WARN Team. Every day on Trav’s Wild Weather Camp on KOTV, Radar and Travis help kids and other people stay safe during bad weather. Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the weather is often severe with quite a few tornado scares in the spring and summer months. 

But Radar is not just a television mascot. He is a star who is able to act in a fun show that has a very important safety message for children and their parents. In fact, not only does Radar run into a safe room and shut the door when the audience yells the word “tornado” he also knows how to bark in perfect time with the song, “Who Let the Dogs Out?”

This entertaining program is free, and Radar and the team travel all over the state helping area kids learn what to do when there is bad weather, whether it is a tornado warning, flood, or just a severe thunderstorm warning. Being able to show children these safety tips in a fun way with a cute and cuddly pooch like Radar makes it much easier to capture and keep their attention, so they will better remember what is being taught. 

But Radar was not always a movie star. In fact, he started out as a stray pooch living on the streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2009, the Beagle mix puppy was picked up by the animal control services and left at a local animal shelter. Luckily, the talent crew of KOTV Channel 6 News decided they needed a pooch to help promote their new Wild Weather Camp for Kids and the director of marketing, Joanna Shelton, found Radar at the shelter and knew he was the perfect choice. 

Joanna’s sister, Susan Shelton, just happened to be a dog trainer and was able to train Radar to do the awesome tricks he does and made sure he was kid-furiendly as well. He does some pawsitively amazing things during the live show such as saving a small child from a “flood” and helping a victim by licking their face and waking them up. After ten years of helping kids learn about the weather, Radar recently retired in 2018 but still visits local schools and pet stores to promote pet adoption.