Mitt Romney's Dogs

Would you strap the family dog on top of a car for 12 hours? Would you feed, water, and potty the dog? Mitt did, and didn’t; see this video before you vote.

As the 2012 Presidential campaign heats up, dog owners may want to consider if candidate Mitt Romney’s trip with a dog strapped on the roof of his car reflects good judgment.

We were looking for information on how Mitt Romney feels about pets.  You probably already know what Rick Santorum thinks about dog ownership but this report on Santorum and PAWS in TheDogPress lays it out there, photos and all.  The sad fact is that none of the candidates measure up as dog friendly like those in Presidential Pets

The Boston Globe reported in 1983 that the Romney family made a 12 hour drive from Boston to Canada with Seamus, the Irish Setter, in a crate strapped to the roof of the station wagon.  ABC revived the story in early January when Newt Gringrich released a web ad with a video and story about Mitt Romney’s poor judgment.

Romney’s response was “This is a completely air-tight kennel, mounted on the top of our car.”  Dog owners perked their ears at the “air-tight” phrase but when Mitt Romney defended his actions by saying “He was in a kennel at home a great deal of time as well. It was where he was comfortable” it made their ruffs stand up.  That sounds like the dog was crated a lot.  View the video below and a few more facts that have been pretty well buried in the press.

As usual, there’s more to this story than meets the eye.  Did anyone climb up there to take the 75 pound dog out to potty during the trip?  The answer to that sounds like “NO” according to Romney’s own website that describes his oldest son noticing a “brown liquid running down the rear window of the family’s station wagon” whereupon Romney pulled off the highway into a service station where he borrowed a hose to wash down the dog and the car.  Offered as an example of Mitt Romney’s managerial skill and expediency, his site says it typifies “emotion-free crisis management."

The widely reported “dog on the roof of his car” has been characterized by many as animal cruelty.  PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk called the incident "a lesson in cruelty” and stated the obvious “it is common sense that any dog who's under extreme stress might show that stress by losing control of his bowels: that alone should have been sufficient indication that the dog was, basically, being tortured."

Here’s one of many Romney videos of the story which has come alive again.  Watch and decide if it is important enough to consider when casting your vote.

In his defense, Romney’s wife Ann says Seamus was their first dog.  He was allowed to sleep on the bed, and hang his head out the car window.  One portrays a loving owner; the other again shows poor judgment.  Dogs love to ride with the wind whipping their face and ears.  They don’t know about losing an eye from bugs or flying gravel but thoughtful owners do.  According to AboutMittRomney, the Irish Setter strayed a lot so a few years after his ride to Canada, he was given to Mitt’s sister in California.

A succession of specific purebreds followed.  Ann Romney says “We are a dog family. Casey was our Bichon, McKenzie our Golden, and Marley our Weimaraner. Marley had 8 puppies, which Mitt delivered all night for her one summer.  When she died last year, she was in Mitt and our arms, and we all cried. Yes, we love our dogs."

Is Rick Perry out or waiting for the VP nomination?  He signed HB 1451, one of the worst animal rights laws in any state.  Got to Politics Index and learn more about President's Pets and other candidates. Related Article: Santorum Will Fail

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