Rob Gutro considers himself a superhero. He doesn’t stop runaway trains, or leap skyscrapers. He doesn’t even wear a bodysuit.
But if he did, it would probably have a paw print on the chest.
Gutro
is an author, medium and paranormal investigator who helps people
recognize communication from their loved ones who have died — especially
loved ones of the four-legged and furry variety.
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Rob and his dog Tyler |
“I’m a big
superhero fan, a big comic book fan and I look at it (my ability) as a
superpower because I have an ability most people don’t have and I’m able
to provide proof and comfort to people,” Gutro said. “I think that’s a
pretty cool gift.”
Gutro is a special guest at a fundraiser
Saturday for Adirondack Save-A-Stray, a Corinth animal shelter that
finds homes for about 1,500 animals a year.
“He was at the event
last year and hit so many people right on with really telling them
things about their animals, about their life,” said Meredith Fiel,
founder of Adirondack Save-A-Stray.
“The people he read were blown away, they just walked away with their eyes glazed and their mouths open,” she said.
Gutro
discovered he could communicate with ghosts and spirits when he was 13
and his grandfather appeared to him — six months after his death.
He told his mother, who wasn’t surprised. Turns out, his grandfather, mother and a cousin all had the ability.
“I
found out she had same ability, but never used it,” he said. “She was
afraid of dead people and sometimes, there are days I’d rather just talk
to dead people.”
Gutro said he doesn’t use his ability to get
rich. By day, he’s a meteorologist in Maryland, and author of three
books, “Ghosts and Spirits,” “Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead”
and “Pets in the Afterlife.”
He wrote the books, he said, “to give
people understanding and comfort and learn to recognize signs people
and pets from our past give to us all the time.”
Being able to identify those experiences is what he will focus on Saturday night at the Save-A-Stray Benefit.
The
evening, which will be held on the ninth floor of The Towers, also
includes presentations by dog trainer Dan Rossignol, who will appear
with his Rottweilers; reiki and animal communicator Nancy Clifford; and
wildlife rehabilitators John and Diane Hime.
While Save-A-Stray helps all kinds of pets, this year’s focus, Fiel said, is on kittens and cats.
“We
have a bad problem with kittens and cats because people think they can
throw them out and that they can fend for themselves,” she said.
“We’re really trying to make a difference in spaying and neutering and finding forever homes for these cats.”
If you go
Adirondack Save-A-Stray hosts an evening of
spiritual expression, communication and psychic experiences at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday on the ninth floor of The Towers, 333 Glen St., Glens Falls.
The
event, a fundraiser for Save-A-Stray, includes cocktails,
entertainment, dinner, exhibits, a dessert buffet, a silent auction and
special guests author, medium and paranormal investigator Rob Gutro; dog
trainer and behavior consultant Dan Rossignol; and reiki and animal
communicator Nancy Clifford.
Tickets to the event are $30 in
advance or $35 at the door. They can be purchased at Save-A-Stray and at
locations throughout the area. For more information, call 654-6220.