Life is what you make it. You can sit home and feel sorry for yourself or you can be creative, motivated and enjoy every day. We prefer the latter.
Friends have asked what we're always busy doing each week. So in addition to enjoying our jobs, and going to dinner with friends, we squeeze a lot in during a week.
Sometimes we work dog rescue stuff on
weekends, like transports of dogs from one place to another. Last week I did a home visit for a new adoption and checked
references for another potential adopter. I (Rob) also act as back up webmaster for one of the rescues.
Tom enjoys yoga and catching up on Forensic files stories (he's fascinated with that stuff while I cringe!) and lately a TV show out of New Zealand where psychics are called in and solve cold cases.and he's always reading about Tudor history, architecture and politics. In fact, anyone that knows us knows we're both passionate about equality for all people.
We both also go on paranormal investigations. We've recently went on one at the Belmont Manor that yielded answers from two ghosts.
I'm revising my first book
(Ghosts and Spirits) that I "Retired" last year, because I've learned so much since I
published it. Also promoting the new book that came out 2/14 - "Pets and
the Afterlife 2." Once I finish updating book 1, then I can start doing
intense edits on book 5: My Experiences with Ghosts of the British
Isles." Also planning for my appearances at Pet Expos and other places to give talks and promote the books.
I'm
an avid reader of comics and mysteries and books about dogs, and love
my superhero TV shows like Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, Legends and Gotham). We
both love the TV shows: Grimm, Lucifer, Second Chance and Amazing Race.
Of course, I also train the kids at night in agility
stuff after dinner about 4 nights a week, we take dog walks and even find time
to work out! So, life is busy and full (aches and pains included) and it is what you make of it. So go out an enjoy yours!
Crusoe as an Easter Bunny.Cr: celebritydachshund.com
In honor of Easter, Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund dressed up as the Easter Bunny to celebrate. Below is a short video of him.
WHO IS CRUSOE? My
name is Crusoe and I am a miniature black and tan dachshund. But don’t
take ‘miniature’ too much to heart. I was named after Robinson Crusoe
for my deep sense of adventure and my natural ability to instill
fascination in the public eye. My tagline is “the wiener dog who thinks
he’s more of a celebrity than he really is”, but I think at this point I
pretty much am a celebrity! You can read about me in the news here. On multiple occasions vets have said I am the most muscular wiener dog they’ve ever seen. Just sayin’.
As dog dads, and past vacationers in Puerto Rico, we're disgusted with the treatment of dogs there. People are dumping dogs and letting them die on beaches. As in the U.S. South, residents of Puerto Rico refuse to spay and neuter animals causing over population and agonizing deaths. What the hell is wrong with people? - Rob and Tom
Here's the Article:
Leopoldina Roubian feels like her phone rings as often as a 911 emergency call center.
She and her friends rescued over 1,100 abandoned animals in Puerto Rico last year, mostly dogs.
People leave animals in boxes on her doorstep. They call her when they
see stray dogs, who are all over -- on beaches, in parks and by the
roadside. And then there are the puppies left to die in vacant houses or
dumpsters.
"This last year has been horrible," says Roubian, known to most as "Leo" or just "dog lady."
Many animal lovers have heard of Puerto Rico's "dead dog beach,"
a stretch of sand and jungle on the island's southeastern side where
people dump their dogs. But the truth is Puerto Rico has become "dead
dog island," Roubian says.
Related: I've lost over $200,000 on Puerto Rican bonds The financial crisis has made it worse
The problem is getting worse as Puerto Rico's economic crisis
deepens. Roubian never leaves home without pet food because she finds
strays daily. Her property has become a makeshift shelter. She lives
with over 20 dogs and sometimes pigs, cats and horses too.
Puppies left in a box in Rincon, Puerto Rico.
No one knows exactly how many strays Puerto Rico has, but a 2010 documentary about the plight is called "100,000" for a reason.
"If people care, they dump the dog in areas like Rincon [a popular
surfing town] where people and tourists are around," says Roubian. But
many don't care -- or don't have the money to care. They leave dogs by
the road or in the trash.
People who flee the island...leave their dogs
People are literally fleeing Puerto Rico because the island's economy is so bad. One in 10 people is out of work. The island's government has run out of money and is $72 billion in debt.
Over 10% of the population has booked a one-way ticket out (mostly to
Florida, Texas and elsewhere in the mainland U.S.) in the past decade.
Sometimes people just leave their homes and lock their dogs inside, never to return.
Volunteers say the island's no-kill shelters are full and that animals
taken to many facilities are put down. That's why nonprofits such as Barks of Hope (which Roubian spearheads) and her partners ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) and Defensa Animal de Rincón try so hard to rescue animals first. Related: There's a big sale on Puerto Rican homes Machismo culture makes the dog problem worse
Roubian is a fairy godmother to Puerto Rican animals. But she has tough love for humans who don't care for their pets.
"Your dog is beautiful. Why does it have balls?" she frequently asks people on the streets.
Part of the reason the dog crisis is so bad is that Puerto Ricans don't
spay or neuter their dogs. It's a machismo thing. Puerto Rican men
don't want to cut off a dog's manhood. The trouble is when dogs get
abandoned on the streets, they breed and breed and breed.
"Puerto Rico has so many problems," laments Ivette Cruzado, an engineer
and professor who spends her spare time volunteering with ARF in the
surf city of Rincon. "This is a stubborn culture."
Not enough veterinarians in Puerto Rico
The government is also at fault, volunteers say.
Veterinarians are willing to come help -- for free. They offer to treat
and neuter strays, but technically, they are forbidden from operating
under Puerto Rican law.
The vets would need a license issued by a Puerto Rican board. The process is cumbersome and there are no longer any veterinary schools on the island.
"Maybe they think it would take business away from Puerto Rican
doctors, but these animals aren't going to any vets at all," says Denise
Gilbert, who moved to Rincon, Puerto Rico with her family several years
ago. She has adopted 12 dogs and 15 cats.
A simple stroke of a
pen by the Puerto Rican government to accept veterinary licenses from
other U.S. states or grant temporary permits to visiting doctors could
make a big difference, Gilbert says.
Former governors -- both
liberal and conservative -- told CNNMoney they were aware of the problem
but it fell to the bottom of the "to do" list. The current government
has made some efforts to partner with the Humane Society, but the problem is vast. Related: Who is behind one of the biggest scams in history? Dogs fly from Puerto Rico to New York
As word has spread about Puerto Rico's stray dogs -- including many
pure bred Shih Tzu and Maltese -- people in New York, New Jersey and
elsewhere have started to step up and adopt the animals. Or just get the animals to no-kill shelters.
Volunteers like Roubian and Gilbert often wake up at 3 a.m. to drive
dogs to the San Juan airport on the other side of the island so they can
board morning flights to New York.
American Airlines (AAL) flies dogs under 50 pounds to New York and other locations for about $50 to $80, a dramatically reduced rate.
Many American Airlines workers have embraced the cause. They clean the
kennels the dogs are transported in and return them to the Puerto Rican
volunteers so they can be used again.
Volunteers wish other airlines like United (UAL) and JetBlue (JBLU)
that fly those routes would offer discounts as well. United and JetBlue
didn't respond to CNNMoney's request for comment for this article. Related: Why I put billions in Puerto Rico How to resolve the crisis
CNNMoney spoke with numerous volunteers in Puerto Rico who rescue
animals. All of them had a similar wishlist, primarily made up of three
things:
Roubian's average veterinary bill is around $5,000 a month. She never
turns away animals, but she dreams of the day when this crisis ends and
she gets happy phone calls again.
"I don't know what it is
about Puerto Rican dogs, but they are the best," Roubian says as her
latest adopted pup, a Chihuahua, licks her face.
************************************************************ If you are interested in adopting a Puerto Rican dog or supporting the rescue efforts, you can learn more about Barks of Hope here, Defensa Animal here or Animal Rescue Foundation here. These three groups partner together. *************************************************************
This is an amazing (video) Story: Eric & Peety: How a Rescued Dog Transformed a Life (5 mins.). Thanks to Kim for sharing it and making us aware of it. If you have a dog or cat, you'll understand. If you know a dog or cat, you'll get this. If your life is in a bad place, think of adopting a dog or cat and make them your life, because they'll make it better. We work for 2 dog rescues, and are dog dads so we know.
Eric and Peety (from Humane Society Silicon Valley)
Eric
weighed over 300 pounds, had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and
his doctor told him he would be dead in 5 years unless he changed. They
suggested a dog. Eric went to the Humane Society Silicon Valley and said
he wanted an obese, middle-aged dog, so they would have something in
common. What happened next transformed their lives.
If you think that violence isn't committed against gay people - it happens every day. Here's an example that just happened in Atlanta, Georgia on March 17th.
Man Pours Boiling Water on Gay Couple WSB-TV Channel 2, Atlanta
ATLANTA —
A young couple is recovering from severe burns after police say a man threw burning water on them -- because they are gay.
The victims told Channel 2’s Nicole Carr that they were sound asleep,
resting after a long day at work, when they were attacked.
"The pain doesn't let you sleep. It's just, like, it's excruciating, 24
hours a day, and it doesn't go anywhere,” Marquez Tolbert said. “It
doesn't dial down, anything. It's just there."
Tolbert believes that the second and third-degree burns along his neck, back and arms are scars of hate.
"Why else would you pour boiling hot water on somebody?" Tolbert asked.
The 21-year-old and his boyfriend, Anthony Gooden, were severely burned
last month when the men say Gooden's mother's boyfriend walked in on
them sleeping in Gooden's College Park apartment and poured scalding
water all over them.
"I can barely think straight because the burning, the stinging is everywhere,” Tolbert said.
The hateful ass that burned the couple
Tolbert spent 10 days at Grady Memorial Hospital undergoing surgery that took skin from his thigh to replace skin on his back.
Gooden got out the hospital on Friday.
Martin Blackwell, 48, remains in the Fulton County Jail, charged with two counts of aggravated battery.
"Martin pulled me up and said, 'Get out of my house with all that gay,'" Tolbert said. "I couldn't stop screaming.”
One of the birthday traditions we have with our canine kids is to take them to Petsmart and walk around sniffing for treats and toys they like. So, since Franklin the Dachshund's
12th birthday was this past weekend, we took him on a birthday shopping
trip. He immediately went to the aisle of treats, followed by
the aisle of toys. For some reason he had no interest in the aisle
filled with collars and leashes, pee pads and nail clippers... so we
focused on what he did like. He sniffed peanut butter flavored
bones and antlers before settling on a "bully stick." For those of you
who don't know what that is, it's basically the dried out "part" of a
bull. Why dogs like it, we have no idea. But they're a big seller and
many of our dog parent friends say their kids like them, too. So,
Franklin got one, and of course, Dolly and Tyler had to have one,
because it's like birthday cake to them (We'll take an actual cake,
thank you).
Franklin's stop in the treat aisle
Franklin also sniffed out and picked Dog to Dog peanut butter squares, jerky treats and a couple of other things. While in the store, Franklin met another senior Dachshund, too, so they
gave each other a "hello" sniff and Franklin got back to the important
business of picking out more treats.
"I want these treats, Daddy Rob!"
After the treat aisle, Franklin decided on a yellow
stuffed duck toy that had a scrunchy bottle in it. Of course,once we got
that toy home, Tyler the Dachshund claimed it as his own. Why? Because
all of the toys are his! At least he thinks they are. So, Franklin had a fun day out on his annual birthday trip.
This weekend we were 2 of 9 members of the Inspired Ghost Tracking team to lead 3 groups of people from the general public through the historic Belmont Manor in Elkridge, Maryland on a paranormal investigation.
(For Information about Inspired Ghost Tracking, visit: www.meetup.com/inspiredghosttracking/ or inspiredghosttracking.webs.com/)
The Belmont Manor started a paranormal program in 2015 with IGT members, where we give lectures and hold public ghost investigations. This was the third investigation we've done and there were about 26 people that paid for the event. All proceeds go directly to maintain the historic mansion and we do it because we want to educate the public and allow them the chance to investigate.
Belmont Manor
The IGT Team included Margaret, Ronda, Dana, Amy, Jimmy, Greg, Randy, Tom and Rob (me). The event was about 3 hours long and started with an introduction to the types of equipment used in a paranormal investigation from basics like a flashlight (used to navigate in the dark, and also something that ghosts can turn off or on, because they're beings of energy), to a digital recorder, camera, electromagnetic field detector (to detect energy/ghosts), an infrared camera that shows temperature changes (ghosts absorb the heat energy from the atmosphere and create cold spots), and other equipment.
We split into three groups. Ronda, Tom and I led one group and we had a LOT of experiences. Here's what we found: 1) The Ghostly Little Girl - In one room (we won't say which) we sensed a little girl. Tom and I have sensed her before. Last time she told me her name was Amanda or Amelia and that she died at 6 of the flu. The ghostly girl also told me last time she loved to hear tof those things.
Ballroom that used to have the piano Amanda enjoyed hearing
How did we get details on this ghost? Ronda brought a small ball with lights and a battery that light up when touched. She placed it on the bed in the room and it sat unlit until we started asking the ghost questions. Ronda asked the little girl's ghost if her name was "Amanda" and it lit up. Then asked if her name was "Amelia" and it didn't light up. Ronda then asked if she was 14, and it didn't light up. She asked if she was 6 years old and it lit up. Next, Ronda asked Amanda if she died of the flu and felt pain in her chest. The ball lit up. Other questions were asked, but there was no response. When Ronda asked if she liked hearing piano music the ball again lit up and stayed lit for some time.
2) The Portal - A portal is a doorway of energy to another place. In one of the bedrooms during a previous investigation many of us on the team sensed a portal, and we learned that it went out to the cemetery in the backyard. What's interesting is that those who are sensitive (not mediums) can stand where the portal is located and feel tingling in their feet or legs. Several people in the group experienced it.
(Randy (right) and Margaret)
3) The Grumpy Male Ghost - In another room, we previously sensed that a man died of a heart attack, Troy and I both got that impression and Ronda also felt it. During this investigation, people in the group sensed a tightness in the room (the energy). Ronda and I worked together and I was able to channel information about the male ghost that died here. I learned that his name was Andrew Lyons. He was a merchant and he managed the barges that went up and down the Patapasco River. Horses were then used to drag the lumber to the mansion. He came to the Belmont Manor to sell timber as they were building a barn, That's where he experienced a heart attack and was brought up to that bedroom where he passed away. However, his ghost never left and remains griumpy because he couldn't contact his family. Of course, if he crossed over, he would have joined them by now.
Greg demonstrating the Ghost Box
4) Ghost Box - At the end of the investigations the three teams met back in the main meeting room for a demonstration of the ghost box. The ghost box is basically a radio that scans all stations and stops for an instant on a station to highlight a word, in response to a question asked by an investigator. It works because ghosts have the ability to manipulate electronic things to give messages.
There were a lot of great questions from people in our group and it was an amazing experience to get confirmation of details from the little girl's ghost.
For information about the Belmont programs contact: Cathy Allen at callen@howardcountymd.gov or Mary Venske at mvenzke@howardcountymd.gov. Phone 410-313-4632.
To learn more about how ghosts and spirits check out the book "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead" by author/medium/paranormal investigator Rob Gutro. Available on Amazon.com in e-book and paperback
Since everyone laughs at the stupidity of people and the postings
earlier this week were a hit, here's Part 1 of 2 that features more
people that can't do their jobs!
This is part 2 of Examples of Stupidity from Lazy Workers
9. It's not my job to line this ad. - It's supposed to say "The Martian" (movie)
Yesterday, March 18th was Franklin's 12th birthday. Franklin is a red, smooth-haired Dachshund with a huge personality. Franklin is the elder of our trio of canine kids and has a strong personality. When he's hungry he'll let us know. When we're preparing
his dinner he now sits where the bowl goes and whines until we put it
down, basically telling us to "hurry up!" He has recovered fully
from his Sept. 2015 spinal surgery, where he had a ruptured disc that
temporarily paralyzed him. He can walk and run and goes on walks with us
daily. His spine is curved to the right though, so if you look at him
from high up, his little long body looks like a parenthesis. "("
Frankln posing
He still loves barking a birds, squirrels and bunnies and still chases
them in the back yard, trying to add to his "kill list." Yes, he caught
quite a number of them in his day.
Franklin looking for squirrels
As Franklin has aged, he's
become more independent from our other kids, Dolly and Tyler. That could
be because little Tyler is so closely bonded with Dolly and always has
to be around her. Hard to know. Or Franklin, in his older age just likes
his quiet time. Regardless, he's our lovable little "monkey," or
"puppachino" Happy Birthday Franklin! Love, daddies Rob and Tom, and your siblings, Dolly and Tyler
Since everyone laughs at the stupidity of people and the postings earlier this week were a hit, here's Part 1 of 2 that features more people that can't do their jobs!
This is part 1 of Examples of Stupidity from Lazy Workers
Our 5 year old Dachshund Tyler only seems inspired to sing whenever he hears sirens from fire engines or emergency vehicles. Since we live near a fire station, we hear them whenever they go out. That's when we sit in rapt attention listening to our little Tyler sing. Recently, we caught him on video singing to a siren while on the sun porch. It will make you smile. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/brdKMEQ2Yy8
I'm a simple guy who enjoys the simple things in life, especially our dogs. I volunteer for dog rescues, enjoy exercising, blogging, politics, helping friends and neighbors, participating in ghost investigations, coffee, weather, superheroes, comic books, mystery novels, traveling, 70s and 80s music, classic country music,writing books on ghosts and spirits, cooking simply and keeping in shape. You'll find tidbits of all of these things on this blog and more. EMAIL me at Rgutro@gmail.com - Rob
Sometimes we work dog rescue stuff on
weekends, like transports of dogs from one place to another. Last week I did a home visit for a new adoption and checked
references for another potential adopter. I (Rob) also act as back up webmaster for one of the rescues. 
