Author: Scott Patrick Smith

Happy Thanksgiving from the original crew back in NYC. On the right is Henry. He’s still with us.

We are a pack of 7 now. It’s actually 8 if you include me. We march on now in the name of Sammy and Patrick. From here on in, and for the rest of my life, we are now DriveWithCompassion(dot)com community. Of course Sammy (on the left) and Patrick are part of that community too. That will never change. After all, Sammy is the reason that we created the Everybody Loves Sammy online community. And that community is what made the DriveWithCompassion movement possible.

Lastly, yes, I am really this handsome. Lol. But seriously it’s true.

That’s our Thanksgiving story for today.

It was a random Thursday on November 19th, 2015. I was walking Sammy, Henry and Patrick at a local park in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. All of a sudden, a frail, sick and tick infested Pit Bull mix walked over to us and just sat down. I was taken aback at first as I was worried about my 3 small dogs. So, I took my 3 little ones and walked 20 feet away or so. The Pit Bull mix walked right over to us again and just sat down.

That is when it hit me. This animal was letting me know that he can no longer make it on his own. He had nowhere else to go. He was letting me know that he was at the end of the line. I remember acknowledging what he said to me. I took my 3 small dogs back inside the house and came back outside to be with this animal in need.

I told him that everything will be OK and the worst is over now. From there I created a story called “Happy Rocky Tuesday” about a stray animal who defied all the odds. It was a story of hope. I wrote about Rocky every single Tuesday for years. I love Rocky like a crazy man.

On March 28th, 2019 I left Puerto Rico and had to leave him behind for 6 months while I got set up in Miami. I was absolutely devastated. As soon as I landed in Miami, I had one Goal in mind; to bring my 3 big boys, including Rocky over to the states with me. In September of 2019, I got my boys back. Many questioned if I would actually come back for them during those 6 months. Apparently, they never get the memo that I would swim across oceans and move mountains for them.

Today, on November 19th, 2022, marked the 7th year anniversary of when I rescued Rocky off the streets of Puerto Rico. We are now happily living together in Florida as you can see Rocky frolicking in the picture here.

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

The world was not big enough for Lucky and myself to not find each other. This had to happen. I pulled him off the street in Puerto Rico on May 10th, 2017. We’re now living together in Florida.

I will always be lucky in love with Lucky.

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

Our good friend Barbara Makransky died 2 months ago in August. I found out last week when I was combing her FB wall after not hearing from her in several months. Our instincts pick up on people going silent. That holds true even in the digital world. She apparently died of a heart attack. Barbara and I were about the same age.

I first met Barbara back in NYC on West 34th Street at Macys. It was in 2012 and I was putting one of our Everybody Loves Sammy (ELS) videos together. Barbara had a little cameo appearance if I remember correctly. This picture was taken in 2014. The same year that I rescued Patrick. She got to meet the home team where it all began. Sammy on the right and Patrick are both gone now. Both of them died tragically just as Barbara did this past August. I will always treasure this picture of my friend Barbara Makransky and my home team. Barbara made the world a better place. She will be deeply missed.

No lives will go in vain. No pain will go unnoticed. Amen.

Sincerely, Scott Smith, Sammy and Patrick’s human dad and General to the greatest wolfpack in the history of the world.

He’s the greatest bear a man could ask for.

Polar Bear is a combination of a real life teddy bear, Snuffaluffagus and a polar bear from the Artic. How cool is that?

Polar Bear takes my breath away. I can’t see straight when I’m around him. He’s a combination of a real life teddy bear, Mr. Snuffleupagus and a polar bear from the Arctic. How cool is that?

Lately I’ve been calling him Daddy Bear because I love him like a crazy man and want to be part of his name.

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

$10,000 is a nice gesture and we thank the President for stepping up. But, it’s not even close to enough. Nobody should have to start their lives shackled with debt. We need to give these people their lives and futures back. All student debt needs to be wiped out.

People should Not get punished because they could not afford college. Everybody deserves an education unencumbered by debt or having to trade in their futures.

The fact that some people had to work 2 jobs putting themselves through school, or spent decades paying off their student loans does NOT mean the current and future generations have to take the same path. We can’t continue doing the wrong thing because of those that were wronged before us. Student debt was WRONG from the very beginning.

Guess what happens when young professionals are not drowning in student debt? They can buy cars, rent apartments and have more disposable income to buy things. Guess what that’s good for? The ECONOMY. Not to mention they’ll have happier lives. They deserve that. Don’t they?

It’s time to right this wrong. It’s time to wipe student debt out.

Henry is almost 14 years old now and has slowed down quite a bit. But, he still likes to see things. So, every night I take him for little rides around the block in his shopping cart. He just loves it.

The truth is Henry was always a homebody kind of dog. He never really wanted to be walked on a leash. Between that and him slowing down a little, rides around the block made a lot of sense.

Hey, the things we do for love, right?

Patrick was killed by a car 4 years ago on a Sunday afternoon in Puerto Rico. We had just finished shooting one of my updates from Puerto Rico videos.

Patrick sat patiently with me through the whole video. Most dogs would’ve gotten restless and simply run off to another room. But, Patrick always wanted to be with me. So, I put him in the video just so we can stay together.

When I called the videographer to tell him that Patrick had been killed, he almost thought I was joking or something. It had not even been 30 minutes since he left my house.

Time did not heal any of my wounds 4 years later. Patrick was killed in the most violent way possible. He was run over by the front and back tire of the car that hit him. All of this happened right in front of me. I literally died with him that day.

I know this is a depressing post. But, it is my truth. There’s No silver lining here. Sometimes your life gets destroyed and it’s just tough _hit. But even worse than that, Patrick lost his life in a blink of an eye on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

But, I am a very tough person and flipped the bird right back in life’s face. – In Patrick’s honor, I pulled three more stray dogs out the street and kept them all: BabyLady, Mookie and Polar Bear.

Here is my tribute video for Patrick and the introduction of rescue dog BabyLady. – We march on now in the name of Sammy and Patrick. Amen.

Remember, please Drive With Compassion. There are stray animals in the street.

Sincerely,

Scott Smith

As we approach the 4 year anniversary of Patrick’s death on August 19th, 2018, I am reminded that it was BabyLady who was sent to heal me back then.

It was the cry heard around the world when Patrick was killed. Animal activist and friend, Anitza Burgosarchilla heard that cry and offered me BabyLady about 2 weeks after the tragedy. I immediately took her in and the healing process began for she and myself.

Here we are 4 year later in Florida and look at her now. BabyLady is thriving and soaking up the Vitamin D in the Florida sun. Nobody can blouse like BabyLady. She also happens to be the only female of the pack and gets treated like a Queen.

The odds on all of us ending up together under one roof in Florida, were zero. But, it happened anyway. – Why? – Because this is my family. I can’t live without them.

Not bad for a little girl from the streets of Morovis, Puerto Rico. BabyLady that be.