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.
Topics my newsletter will cover but are not limited to:
Every week, starting January 7th, 2026, I will post one story. Dr. Harp Seal’s Letter covers humanity in all its forms, covering both animals and people: animal welfare and rescue, family stories, gun violence, civil rights, Gaza, major news events, addiction, funny moments, inspiration, business, introspection, and even a little mad science.
On my letter, I will also include a short audio message, which most of the time will not be related to the weekly post. If you remember, I have done many audios on SoundCloud over the years. Sometimes, if a big story breaks in the news, I will cover it right then and there. From time to time, I will have my sister Brooke Smith write a post and or leave an audio message as well.
This will be the Most Authentic Letter on the internet.
I am not beholden to anyone, no sponsors, no advertisers, nor anyone else. I don’t know much about Rolex suits and Tesla shoes and stuff like that. I am a local and neighborhood guy who helps animals in the streets and writes a lot of stories. That freedom allows me to say things that people have struggled to say. And because of how much writing I have done in the last 15 years, I also know how to say things in the way they need to be heard.Why am I making this move? Great question!
I want to control my own writing path and future. In other words, Dr. Harp Seal wants his own platform. Substack gives me the opportunity to reach people directly over email, bypassing all the algorithmic nonsense. I will still promote my Substack posts on social media platforms. In other words, I will post a picture, a little snippet about the post, and link back to the full story on Substack.
After fifteen years of writing and storytelling, you are going to hear stories you did not even realize you were interested in until you heard them
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Options Paid Services:
Memorial Service for Pets — I write heartfelt tributes for your fallen pets. Sadly, I know about this topic far too well. I have written dozens of tributes for my community members over the years. Many of you saw them. Each tribute will live permanently on DriveWithCompassion(dot)com and will be shared across my social media platforms.
Professional Writing and Storytelling — Let me build stories for you and/or lift your existing content to new heights. I have developed this skill through writing over 25,000 social media posts, several thousand blog posts, and dozens of featured stories published worldwide over the past 15 years. There are no other stories like mine because of my unique ability to present them exactly the way they need to be told…
Sincerely,
Dr. Harp Seal, aka Scott Smith — (Who is Dr. Harp Seal?)