A Celebrity With Something to Bark

A Celebrity With Something to Bark
|
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

Here is a recent and favorite Crusoe video. A police officer with the coffee and donut! This creativity permeates the Cru's blog!

From Lassie to Toto, Rin-Tin-Tin to Benji, animal characters have been around since man first told a story. They have taken over our hearts, fueled the pet business, and changed culture. It's impossible to imagine my own childhood without the sweet tug of the anthropomorphic friends I loved in cartoons, TV, movies and books. From Bambi to Bullwinkle to my very own teddy bear, animal characters have taught me respect for life and how to love. Real or imaginary, I am a better man for earnestly hugging and holding an animal. Gratitude is my offering to all the animals who have instilled gentleness within me.

Today's world is still wonderful, but in this fast-paced age, entertainment and pop culture's quest for high demographic ratings are fostering less warm and cuddly times. The seeds of human empathy, compassion, and humor need to find stories to bring out the kindest qualities in young children. Certainly the 24/7 news broadcasts along with the clamorous clacking gong of living in the 21st Century have left little time for the warm and fuzzy, but I believe that everyone has a minute or two for a sweet smile, or a loving laugh.

Bloggies winner for "Best Blog of the Year:2015" Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund (www.CelebrityDachshund.com) has taken over the helm of all things endearing across the web.

Crusoe is a six-year-old black and tan dachshund who lives with a young couple In Ontario, Canada. I suspect that somewhere along the line an initial innocuous video was posted, numbers ran seductively high so the puppeteer behind the his furry companion started making outfits and writing stories that challenge everything you've ever imagined that's adorable. Crusoe melts the heart.

Whether he's Bat Dog fighting crime, a noted Italian Chef, or simply traveling around George Clooney's Italian Riveria neighborhood Crusoe always makes me smile. Travel and amazing outfits permeate his blog having visited Switzerland, France, Florida, NYC, and a ski resort this past year.

My first Crusoe video was when he was visiting the Caribbean -- swimming through the turquoise water -- dressed like a shark. Ok, it might sound silly but the ingenuity --the attention to detail -- along with the overt humor in these videos is second-to-none. His short videos are inspiring, full of love, and addictive. I'm not the only one who's watching. This frisky fella has garnered millions of views on his videos. His inventive blog entries have been shared across social media countless times. Certainly among his human competition Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund is an enviable force that draws loyal numbers of fans. Even the publishing world has noticed.

This week beginning in NYC, followed by LA, San Francisco, and down the line Crusoe and his not-so-celebrity "parents" are beginning a tour promoting his book which sees its release on on 27 October.

Based upon a preview of the publication, and the inventive and endearing videos the team has produced, I'm confident sharing the book with children and watching the blog's videos, or cooking up some of the book's recipes together would be a wonderful way to connect with a child or even a hard-boiled adult. If it's the little things in life that matter, this small dog is making a splash that can reignite the softer side in all of us.

Support HuffPost

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.

Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your will go a long way.

Support HuffPost