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My dad was Jewish. He died in 1984 when I was 14 years old. After that, I was raised by a Black man named Dennis Brown, who became my real father. The stories I heard growing up about slavery and the Holocaust are painfully reminiscent of what is happening to animals around the world every single day.

I first wrote and recorded “Where is the Geneva Convention for Animals?” in March 2014. At the time, I was already deeply involved in animal welfare. With the rise of social media, I began seeing more and more footage of animals being tortured, abused, and killed for countless reasons.

The Geneva Convention was created in 1949 to protect prisoners of war from being tortured. Yet animals, who are completely innocent and did nothing wrong, have no protection and are shown no mercy.

Even our enemies get treated better than innocent animals do. I started asking myself: Where is the Geneva Convention for Animals?

Welcome friends from around the world.

Before I get started, I dedicate the DriveWithCompassion Substck Letter to Mookie and Rocky, two of my dogs I lost in November within 12 days of each other.

I want to congratulate my introductory subscribers. You are a free member for life.

This is Scott Smith, aka Dr. Harp Seal from South Florida, originally from New York. There will be a link at the end of this post to explain who Dr. Harp Seal is for all the new folks. As most of you know, I created the DriveWithCompassion(dot)com movement for stray animals living in the streets of Puerto Rico and around the world. I also created the online Facebook communities “BabyLady Smith,” “Everybody Loves Sammy” and “Dr. Harp Seal.”

Please make sure to share Dr. Harp Seal’s Letter on your platforms and with your friends and families. There will be something in it for everyone. Click “Read More” below.

Read more…

Sometimes you just walk out of the house and your life changes forever. You don’t remember your life before that day. That’s what happened eight years ago, on May 10th, 2017, when I first encountered Lucky on the street in Puerto Rico. This boy took my breath away. I was electrified by him from the onset. Lucky and I share the same heart.

Let me tell you our story:

It was a ordinary Wednesday evening on May 10th, 2017 in Puerto Rico. I was feeling kind of restless and hungry and went to a local eatery for a sandwich. As I was eating, I started gazing out the window very spaced out and preoccupied. I felt agitated and unsettled. Then I noticed this sweet boy in the cover picture with me living alone on the street.

Grasshopper loves to find little spots to get all nestled in. Today, he chose to get sandwiched into his dog bed upside down; he is a very creative nester.

My favorite thing about Grasshopper is that he’s very happy about being happy. What I mean by that is when he feels happy, his mind recognizes the moment, and then he becomes happy about that too. In other words, his happiness has two levels. How cool is that?

I rescued Grasshopper on June 23rd, 2021, off the train tracks in North Miami Beach. Now, he is the leader of the pack and the love of my mother and sister.

We are all just a bunch of crazy grasshoppers over here.

By the way, the dog bed is made of faux fur. We would never have fur in this household, and we recommend the same for all of you. Also, remember, please Drive With Compassion. There are stray animals in the streets.

Sincerely,

Scott Smith

Five years ago today, Sammy decided to never wake up again on Thursday morning on January 30th, 2020… He was the love of my life. He was my little Budski. That’s what I called him in our private life. My family and close friends knew that. I used to write about his nickname sometimes as well. So, a lot of you probably have heard that name before.

I landed in Florida on March 28th, 2019. The first and last drive we took together was on October 23rd, 2019. He loved our little car rides together. Then on January 30th, 2020, Sammy decided never to wake up again. My little Budski was gone like the wind.

Of course I was with him everyday. But, he always loved our rides together from back in NYC and Puerto Rico. I was so busy in Florida running back and forth between 2 houses, and working full time that I let the quality time slip through our hands.

It never feels like we have the time, but that always changes when we lose a loved one. Then we realize we DID have the time. The rides we took together were just 15 minutes or so, but they made his world. Everyone has 15 minutes to spare.

I lost Sammy just a few weeks before Covid turned the world upside down. In his honor I’ve converted all of the coronavirus downtime into quality time with my wolfpack.

I had plans for Sammy, the wolfpack and myself in our new life in Florida. Unfortunately, life had other plans for him. The wolfpack and I march on in the name of Sammy, Patrick and BabyLady.

Take the rides now. There is No Tomorrow

Puerto Rico can have a Fresh Start with a Stroke of a Pen:

The U.S can afford anything it desires. The only catch is that it has to be a priority to them. Whatever the U.S. wants, the U.S. gets. If the United States wanted to go to war with Iran, how fast would they find a few trillion dollars? If Greenland would be willing to sell itself, how fast would the U.S. find billions of dollars?

Let’s look at two actual examples:

1. When the U.S. wanted to invade Iraq in 2003, was money an issue? Nope. A blank check was thrown at the war. And Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. According to Brown University’s highly respected Cost of War Project, post 9/11 wars have cost trillions of dollars, and worse, killed hundreds of thousands of people.

2. In 2008 during the banking crisis, congress came together in a blink of an eye and authorized a $750 billion check for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, aka TARP. It was literally a bailout for the banks and the auto industry. Additionally, the Federal Reserve pumped more than $4 trillion of stimulus into the economy from 2010 through 2014.

Remember, the U.S. can print its own currency. They can create money faster than a magician can say “Shazam.” It’s time for the U.S. government to wave its magic wand at the 3 million plus American citizens residing in Puerto Rico. We have a humanitarian crisis for both people and animals over there.

This is not a U.S. bashing article. I’m presenting an opportunity to bring Puerto Rico back to financial life.

The people of Puerto Rico have suffered enough. “No Mas” they said taking to the streets in July of 2019 with the biggest protests in the Commonwealth’s history, forcing the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló. The protests were a long time in the making. Puerto Rico has been plagued with corruption (from healthcare, to education, politicians themselves and recently, a FEMA arrest was made), reckless spending and policies set forth by the U.S., stifling their economy for decades.

It’s been over 2 years since Hurricane Maria pummeled Puerto Rico. Financial relief has been slim and slow. Over 250,000 people have left the island since the hurricane hit. A total of 600,000 people in the last 10 years. Maria’s damage is estimated at $100 billion. A staggering figure. Just to put that in perspective, the annual GDP for Puerto Rico is about $100 billion.

That’s on top of Puerto Rico being in the financial doldrums since 2006 thanks to Congress abolishing section 936 of Puerto Rico’s corporate tax code, a law that gave huge tax breaks to U.S. corporations in Puerto Rico. When it expired in 2006, manufacturing and big pharma started leaving. The island has been in a recession for 13 years now.

Puerto Rico is $75 billion in debt with another $50 billion in underfunded pensions. Bankruptcy negotiations are still pending. In July 2019, the oversight committee and bondholders apparently struck a $35 billion restructuring deal. The Fiscal Agency of Puerto Rico did not agree with one word of the deal. Additionally, some bondholders are calling the selection of the oversight committee unconstitutional. So, it’s anyone’s guess how this will play out.

It’s time for U.S. to step up for the people of Puerto Rico. No longer should the U.S. allow Puerto Ricans to die on the front lines of American wars, as they have for more than 100 years, and not be permitted to vote in the general election. Nor should they remain financially shackled by the Jones Act, established in 1920, costing Puerto Rico over $500 million a year. The cost of living in Puerto Rico is the same as the average state in the U.S. Yet, If Puerto Rico were a state, it would be twice as poor as the poorest state of all, Mississippi. How can any society have a balanced budget with that logic?

Pretense and Solution –

The U.S. should write a check to Puerto Rico in the amount of $125 billion. Wipe out the $75 billion in municipal bond debt and fully restore the $50 billion in underfunded pensions. The monies should be distributed directly to the bondholders and pension accounts bypassing all politicians and oversight committees. $125 billion is not a lot of money for a $22 trillion economy. To be precise, it’s 1/20th of 1%. Essentially nothing.

Let’s use the 2008 banking crisis as a precedent. The U.S. deployed almost $5 trillion to prevent the oncoming 2nd Great Depression, which was caused by Wall Street’s gambling addiction to derivatives and mortgage backed securities. That’s not even including the massive budge deficits they were running, which would take the figure well over $10 trillion. But, for the sake of argument, let’s use $5 trillion as the example. $125 billion is only 2.5% of $5 trillion. Aren’t the people of Puerto Rico worth that?

Dr. Daniel Nina, professor of Business Administration and Social Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico Humacao Campus explains that whether Puerto Rico becomes a state or not, or receives some sort of bailout, they have to become more self reliant. Puerto Rico imports 85 percent of consumable goods. At the turn of the 20th century Puerto Rico was only importing 15 percent. For the past 120 years they’ve been moving in the wrong direction, forcing them to become more and more dependent on the rest of the world. According to professor Daniel, Puerto Rico’s agricultural and household chemical sectors are fully self-reliant. Other important sectors of the economy are nearing self-reliance. Ultimately, Puerto Rico must become more self-sufficient in most sectors of its economy in order to prevent becoming a welfare state again.

In order for this to start to happen, the 100 year old Jones Act needs to lifted permanently. It’s blatant protectionism for American shipping companies at the expense of consumers. In this case specifically, the people of Puerto Rico. In addition, Section 936 of Puerto Rico’s tax code should be reinstated to incentivize manufacturers and pharma companies to come back to Puerto Rico. This would put them on equal footing with the rest of the United States. It would give the Puerto Rican people a fresh start to rebuild their economy.

So, the hundred-billion-dollar question is: When will Puerto Rico become a priority for the United States?

I rescued Lucky off the street in Puerto Rico on May 10th, 2017. This picture was taken a few weeks after that. If I told someone who did not know this story, they would not believe it.

This beautiful boy in the picture is unimaginably strong, fast and smart. He’s also an escape artist as many of you remember. But, he always comes home because at the end of the day, Lucky and I really love each other. He usually pulled these antics when I left the house. Lucky has serious separation anxiety with me.

Then, I had to leave him behind in Puerto Rico for 6 months while I got set up in Florida. That did not help matters at all regarding his separation anxiety. Once I brought him over to the states, Lucky continued his escape artistry tactics in both of the houses we have lived in here in Florida.

About 2 months ago, he was surrounded by police on my front lawn and a big animal control truck was parked outside my house. I got hit with a citation, multiple warnings and neighbors who were pretty upset with me. Lucky has definitely accelerated the aging process for me.

But, I am reminded every night when he’s laying next to me, I will always be lucky in love with Lucky. This is a once in a lifetime love story.

Please remember to DriveWithCompassion. There are strays animals in the street.

One of the founding principals of Marshall Arts is to use the enemy’s strength against them. Don’t try to out muscle someone stronger than you. Use their own weight against them. When your enemy is charging at you, step aside and push them in the direction they’re charging.

With four planes and box cutters, 19 hijackers turned the 800 pound gorilla (the United States) upside down on September 11, 2001. They destroyed the Twin Towers, severely damaged the Pentagon, and crashed a plane in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board.

Let’s remember, in February of 1993 there was a terrorist attack below the North Tower of the World Trade when a truck detonated killing 6 people and injuring 1000 people. A freaking disaster to say the least.

But that wasn’t good enough for the terrorists. Other terrorist organizations learned that traditional bombing attacks would not work because New York City’s infrastructure was too strong.

So not only was 9/11 a life changing experience to the United States, but, it was a break-through for terrorists. They knew that success was found not by going up against the 800 pound Gorilla, but by going with him. In other words, use their own strength against them.

Terrorists organizations having been practicing that same methodology here and around the world. The San Bernardino attack in California. Some of terrorists arrested in conjunction with that attack admitted they loved America’s loose gun laws. It was easy for them to kill a-lot of people. In July of 2016, a 31 year old terrorist took a rented cargo truck and ran over 86 people at a firework’s celebration. In October of 2017 in NYC, a terrorist sped down a bike-only path killing 8 people and injuring 11.

9/11 opened the floodgates of terrorism.

The take away for me is to be cognizant of my surroundings. If I’m in a crowded place, I am aware of that. I don’t get lost in the experience anymore. Same thing with concerts, which I don’t go to, but if I did, I would have some safety rules for myself. Look at the Ariana Grande concert in May of 2017 at the Manchester Arena in England, a suicide bomber killed 19 People and injured 50.

My own personal timeline with the Twin Towers:

1. In 1975 I went to the Twin Towers with my father (hard-hat and all) as construction was in it’s final chapters. The landlords were inviting commercial real estate brokers to start marketing office space to their clients.

2. In 1994, I interviews with Wil Raub at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 103rd Floor. I did not get the job due to lack of experience. Wil was killed on September 11th, 2001. He was a nice man. He told me never offer to work for free on Wall Street.

3. I commuted through the Twin Towers to NJ everyday from 1995 util the summer of 2000. I spent a lot of time in those towers even on a social bases.

4. I lived at 300 Mercer street, a mile north of the towers when they were destroyed. I was never able to return home again. My apartment smelled like burned rubber tires.

When I think of the B-line experience I had walking through the towers in 1976, to living near the towers when they fell on September, 11th, 2001 it all seems surreal. 19 years later surreal.

Thanks for reading

I was walking Rocky last night (April 4th, 2023) at about 7:30 pm. It was still light outside. All of a sudden one of my neighbor’s dogs managed to push through the enclosed fence at his owner’s house. He was about 40 feet from us at that moment. I knew that I only had a few seconds to avert a disaster. Being I could not outrun the oncoming dog, I lifted Rocky up to my chest level. When the dog finally reached us, I kept spinning in circles so he would not have a clear path at Rocky. But, each time he jumped up his claws landed on my back.

Rocky was squirming like crazy in order to get out of my arms and face the dog head on. And that is exactly what happened. Now, my adrenaline was sky-high as I knew this dog could easily tear Rocky apart. So, I jumped right in the middle of them and landed on my back. There was a lot of wrestling going on and both of their claws were landing all over me.

Then, I noticed something, the neighbor’s dog while wrestling and acting aggressive, was never actually biting Rocky or me. Every time that I pushed his head away with my hands or feet, the dog just turned his head away. No biting. No teeth.

We got very lucky last night. This could have easily been a trip to the emergency room for Rocky and several weeks of hardcore recovery.

To learn more about the history of Rocky and myself, click here: I was there – Rocky Remembers

Lucky can always escape outside no matter where we live, or what house we live in. He’s truly an escape artist. But, because we love each other like crazy, after he escapes, he just waits for me right outside the front door. Lucky has serious seperation anxiety with me. Sometimes, I have to talk to him before I leave house and let him know that I will be home soon.

Yep. I’ll always be lucky in love with Lucky.

Please remember to Drive With Compassion. There are stray animals in the street.

I don’t live with an attitude of gratitude anymore. I’m not a grateful person like I was during my Everybody Loves Sammy and Dr. Harp Seal days. All of that changed when Patrick and Sammy died and then the carnage of Covid. 

But, that doesn’t mean that I don’t remember how grateful I was when Mookie Daddy was returned to me. I left Puerto Rico on March 28th, 2019. A week prior to that I adopted Mookie out to a family in Puerto Rico. I was absolutely heartbroken as I loved him more than anything. 

When I arrived in Miami with Sammy, Henry and BabyLady, I realized that adopting Mookie out was a horrible mistake. In other words, did it really matter if it was 4 small dogs instead of 3 small dogs? – No. It would not have made a difference at all. But, I didn’t  know that until I got to Florida. Upon that realization, I was totally crushed by that mistake on top of being heartbroken in his absence. When you adopt an animal out, it’s kind of like death. Meaning you will never see them again. 

4 months later in August, the family that adopted Mookie called me and asked if I would take him back. I got the call while I was at work. I was so shocked that I almost fell out of my chair. The mother was going in for surgery and between recovering and her kids, she was not going to be able to take care of Mookie anymore. One week later on August 10th, 2019, my sweet little Mookie was back in my life. It was like death had been reversed. 

Mookie is the sweetest boy in the world with his little kisses and tail wags. He has the best disposition. Mookie is so happy that sometimes he just rolls on his back waving his front paws up and down. He used to do that in Puerto Rico with me. Mookie remembers how happy we were and that happiness has been reinstilled upon us being reunited. There’s a very special bond between Mookie and myself. And that bond is unbreakable and unshakable. 

Mookie and Dad, together Forever.

Please Drive With Compassion. There are stray animals in the street.

They say America is the Land of the free. Home of the brave. But, in reality, America is the land of the guns and home of the dangerous. You can’t go school anymore. You can’t go to a supermarket. You can’t go to church. You can’t go to a mall. You can’t go to nightclubs. You can’t go to college. You can’t go to concerts. And now you can’t even go to parades anymore. Maybe the Metaverse will save the world.

21 year old Robert Crimo lll opened fire on a crowd at a 4th Of July parade in Highland Park, IL. – Crimo killed 7 people and injured over 30 others. Two of the 7 killed were husband Kevin McCarthy, 37 yrs old and Irina McCarthy, 35. They had a 2 year old son. He’s now an orphan. Guns take lives and destroy lives. 

The United States is 4% of the world’s population and yet owns 46% of the world’s guns. That is some deadly math right there. Of course they are going to see more gun violence and deaths than other countries.

Even if there were no bad guys, no mentally ill people and no terrorists, there are way too many guns in circulation. And there are way too many types of guns that should never have been in circulation in the first place.

It’s time that we protect “Actual People” over the Second Amendment. I am Not mystified by the founding fathers. I don’t care what they said or meant 230 years ago. I will choose humanity over the 2nd Amendment every day of the week. Humanity is more important than rights.

The United States is 4% of the world’s population and yet, owns 46% of the world’s guns. That is some deadly math right there. Of course we are going to see more gun violence and deaths than other countries.

The Solution –

We need to look at the gun industry the way we do with Motor Vehicles and cars. You want to be able to use a gun, get a license. You want to own a gun, get it registered. You want to operate a gun, then get some required gun insurance. Just like we do with cars. The age limit also needs to be raised to 25 years old. 18 to 21 years of age is too young. They’re still in college for Christ sake.

Let’s look at Japan for example. They have a population of 127 million people and yet they rarely see over 10 gun deaths in a year. The US has twice the population of Japan. So technically, the US should only have 20 gun deaths a year. But no. The US has over 40,000 gun deaths a year. Below is how Japan does it:

“If people want to own a gun, they must attend an all-day class, pass a written test, and achieve at least 95% accuracy during a shooting-range test. Then they have to pass a mental-health evaluation, which takes place at a hospital, and pass a background check, in which the government digs into their criminal record and interviews friends and family. They can only buy shotguns and air rifles — no handguns — and every three years they must retake the class and initial exam.”

Furthering The Solution:

1. NO ordinary citizen should be allowed to own any firearms other than a regular handgun that shoots 6 bullets, one at a time. No clips. No magazines.
2. We need to ban all assault weapons and any other weapons that can facilitate high capacity magazines.
3. The US needs to initiate a buy back program for weapons that have been banned, just like Australia and New Zealand did. We have to get those guns out of circulation.
4. Require all gun owners to carry gun insurance.
5. Allow the gun manufacturers to be sued.

Does this sound extreme? – It’s not. It’s common sense. You know what’s extreme? – Non stop mass shootings.

Sincerely,

Scott Smith

Rocky, Lucky and Polar Bear left Puerto Rico and landed in Miami two years ago this month. I had not seen them in 6 months. I was getting concerned about whether or not I would be able to bring them over to Miami. But in September of 2019, I pulled off mission impossibile and had the whole pack back together. All 7 of us, including Sammy. It was the biggest touchdown of my life.

Upon that touchdown, I put a video together called the “Pack is Back” with all 7 of my dogs. It was the last video that Sammy was in before he tragically passed on January 30th, 2020. In the coming months, I will put another video together with my surviving pack including newest member, Grasshopper.

Please Drive With Compassion. There are stray animals in the street.