Romney Strapped Dog to Car Roof

I guess he could do it because dogs don’t vote!!

he has fired himself to ever be elected to anything, even dog catcher! AWFUL

He should be put in a cage and strapped to the roof of a car and driven 500 miles and see how he likes it. Lost my vote.

pure stupidity…..and neglect….
what message does it send to his children! What was wrong with his wife for not speaking out!!!
His creditablity is out the window!!!!

It is safer for a dog to be in a dog carrier and securely strapped to the vehicle than what many people do when they let their pets hang out windows or ride in the back of their trucks. The carrier would act more like a seat belt than sitting free inside a car. Give the man a break

Um, it’s not safer, the strap could have been undone. Having the dogs head a half a foot out the window is not that dangerous. Not to mention it probably scared the dog.

I am speechless. He’s not getting my vote.

Maybe he should get Michael Vick as a running mate ?

What the heck is wrong with you people?! Everday I see semi-trucks full of cattle and pigs going down the highway in containers very similar to over sized pet carriers. These trucks are goings many hundreds of miles in all weather conditions, including the dead of winter! Why don’t you boycott the beef and pork industry?!
The animals, according to Ingrid Newkirk, must be stressed and tortured because urinate and defecate all over their containers!! How utterly stupid some of you people are!

Hey Ray, I don’t think you are getting the picture. The dog was tortured, whether you feel that the correct term you used was correct or not. We have a term in American society to explain this completely. It is “Scared ****less”. Get the idea? Stop trying to make this a “liberal” vs. “conservative” issue. The animal puts its full trust in the owner. It is the owners responsibility to be a good steward to that animal. Period.

Did this actually happen 23 years ago? If so, let it go…I would like to hear Rominy’s side before passing judgement.

Errol: You have a point. Those animals are also no doubt under undue distress. I recommend that you DO boycott the beef and pork industry.
John: I agree on both accounts. I was wondering when this event happened, since the date was not mentioned.
renae: You have a point (at least about the way *some* people let their dogs hang out of cars, or have their dogs roaming about freely in the back of a pickup). However, that doesn’t make the dog carrier idea any better.

Where is the photo evidence? Sounds like a “Mainstream Media who cried wolf” scenario. I dont believe it for a second.
Oh, and torture? I see dogs all the time in the beds of pickups and they seem to enjoy the wind blowing past their faces. I just read an article that you nut jobs want to protect of all things dirt and rocks for good so that someone strolling on a beach cant pick up a pebble for a momento. WE GOT DAMN ASTEROIDS SLAMMING IN TO OTHER BODIES IN SPACE FOR GOD’S SAKE! TSUNAMIS THAT CAN ALTER A BEACH FOREVER, QUAKES THAT RAISE CORAL BEDS 10 FEET ABOVE THE OCEAN!
ANIMALS EAT OTHER ANIMALS AND SOME PLAY WITH THEIR FOOD, TORTURING IT BEFORE THE KILL IT! EVER HAD A CAT THAT ATE MICE? AND YOU WANT TO MAKE THEM HUMAN? EVER SEE KILLER WHALES GOING AFTER A SEAL?

He is Clearly not fit to take care of the Country and should withdraw from the race.

Is this the type of man that some people want to see as President of the United States?? What he did to his dog is cruelty plain and simple. Just one more reason that I would not cast my vote for this man.

For heaven’s sake, this was 24 years ago, and I’m sure the complete story WAS NOT TOLD….this is stupid. If a story is going to be printed, make it something worth reading!!!!!

Just when I thought I had found someone I could vote for, I hear this. If true, he’s lost my vote. Not because I’m such a big animal rights person, but it’s just plain stupid.

Mitt’s act was not just cruel, it was dumb and unnecessary. The story reflects a lack of common sense, since the problem had other solutions. The number of empty seats inside the car was at least 1, and possibly as many as 3.
The Globe presents it as a story about crisis management, but the crisis was easily avoidable. We don’t need another president who blunders into crisis on account of poor planning. He’s supposed to be smart, but maybe his intelligence is of a shockingly narrow variety.
Lots of facts and proof here: http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2007/6/27/15342/6665/474#c474

Now I will not even consider Romney a candidate worthy of further attention.

Mormon? No, he is actually a Moron!

It’s a dog….get over it.

Complete idiot! Will not get my vote for anything, not even dog catcher!

Why is this even news? What a complete waste of time to even care. If people cared about their fellow human beings as much as they cared about their dogs this would be a much better place. Time to rechannel your energy, people.

A ride on top in the wind, ah come on, that’s truly doggie style…

Dogs ride in the back of trucks all the time…whats the difference? My uncle had one that would only ride on the hood.

Romney treated his family pet like a complete dog! How dare he? :)

Hey, maybe he was driving a Yugo and the choice was the dog or the kid. If he didn’t take the dog, the dog would have starved to death at home. Then nobody would have known.

The dog… “protested in a scatological way”… what a load of crud. As if the dog was making a political statement by defacating over a period of 12 hours. And again… how is it safer for a pet to be loose in the back of a truck? Strapping pet carriers to the top of cars used to be common. Why is stuff like this being brought up for a presidential following social norms from over 2 decades ago? Jake Tapper… you are indeed an idiot.

If this did happen 23 years ago, Jake Tapper shouldn’t be a reporter. That’s a big omission. I agree that it was a stupid thing to do on Romney’s part, but I sincerely believe he wouldn’t do that now.

This from Boson.com website on Romney:
“Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family’s hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon’s roof rack. He’d built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog.”
Why no mention of the windshield in this article?

Way to go Peta & ABC, another new LOW
in reporting facts from the bottom of the barrel.

Tagg Romney, the oldest of Mitt’s five sons, told the story to the Globe. The story was supposed to show how cool Romney was in a crisis (when dog poop ran down the back window Mitt calmly hosed the car down at a gas station). They were driving 12 hours to Ontario from Boston to vacation at Mitt’s family cabin – Mitt told the family (and the dog) “no stops except for gas.”

Yeah, and I really like the headline: “Romney Strapped Dog to Car Roof.” ABC news dropped the ball on weapons of mass destruction, the suppoed Iraq/Sept. 11th connection, but they’re on it when is comes to (mis)reporting something that happened 23 years ago.

I cannot believe you people. We have two dogs who travel together in their kennel either in the back of our truck or the back of an SUV, and they love it. they are in the comfort of their kennel and they are excited about going on a trip. And I can tell you, they are happier in the truck because they love the wind and they can see and smell everything going by. And just because the dog went to the bathroom does not mean it was tortured or scared. Dogs are dogs, and some of them go when they have to go. I have heard many people talk about their dogs going to the bathroom in their cars. Now, tell me which is better. The dog going to the bathroom inside the car or in their kennel. Some dogs just cannot be trained. Get over it people. Most dogs are not prissy and don’t have to have luxury accomodations on a road trip. Most are just happy dogs that are happy to be along for the ride. Irish Setters are strong dogs who love to be outdoors. They are not fearful dogs who need to be coddled. Now, let’s be a little more intelligent about what the important issues really are.

Stupid? Yes. But will it make him a bad president? It’s hardly relevant, especially since he’s probably long realized how stupid it was. If someone changes their vote for Romney based on this, it shows more than anything else that their decision was never based on anything that mattered in the first place. It’s for reasons of presidential qualification that I don’t know whether I’ll vote for him.

Dan, what does John Kerry have to do with this? That they’re both from Massachusetts????????

Interesting how these “vote” pages, about candidates manage to show up without the voting mechanism.
Happens a little too often to be perceived as “freedom of the press”.

Wow, I guess Mr. Romney’s record is SO bad that you have to go back 25 years to find some sort of “dirt” on him.

Jane:
Pretty amazing how someone forms such broad and sweeping conclusions based on such tiny, tenuous tidbits of information. If you bothered to read the article, it details over and over how kind Romney is to his wife, his children, his fellow students, his work colleagues…And yet — out of the entire week-long series, this is the one thing that gets called out, and in a completely dishonest way. How pathetic.
Per my post above, Romney’s treatment of his dog is a lot more responsible than the people who drive around with little MiMi sitting in their lap completely unsecured.

This is typical of the republican party and their abuse of animals. I know for a fact that Bush and Cheney have participated in CANNED HUNTS. Where was the outrage before their “election”?

Maybe strapping a dog carrier to the roof is not the first choice in pet transportation- but in my opinion if the only dirt anyone can bring up on Romney is from 23 years ago concerning a family vacation and a family pet incident- I think that speaks very well for his character.

Mitt is a real nut…this is just so cruel that I think “Cruelty to Aminal Actists Groups” should seek him out and fine him heavily for strapping his dog on the roof. A good vet will tell you not to let a dog lean out a window of a moving car for too long; not good for their eyes with the wind slapping the pets face. Maybe someone should tie/strap Mitt to the roof and let him make the trip from Boston to Canada.
I would love to see it..good job abc news for sharing this story.

Disclaimer: I am a Democrat.
I was commenting to my wife this morning how similar the media’s treatment of Romney has been to the treatment of Al Gore back in 2000.
The focus on statements such as the supposed “I invented the internet” (which Gore actually never said), or, for Romeny, “I’ve been a hunter all my life.” And now this misleading dog story.
The sad thing is that it was possible before the 2000 election, for those who dug into the facts, to see that George Bush was clearly much LESS honest than Al Gore, and (compare defrauding investors Enron style for Bush to making some small exagerrations for Gore). But the media never focused on Bush’s much more dishonest history.
And it is clear that Romney from the body of evidence that Romney is a considerate person, a family man, and that he has integrity. On the other hand, we have the “hero” of 9/11, Rudolph Giuliani, who has sordid business deals all over the place and who was much more inhumane to his own family than Romney ever was to his dog.
Mitt Romney is the media’s Al Gore. It’s laughable when the media attacks candidates like Gore or Romney for “ethical problems” when it’s own conduct is so far from what professional ethical conduct.

just shows what an idiot he is, and why would anyone vote for him as Pres.

Yeah, that’ll show him!

Seriously, people. Seriously. This is starting to sound like a mob mentality–like the people who want to go burn down a McDonald’s because they serve meat.

It was 25 years ago!! Besides, my dog always likes to hang his head out the door in the wind.

There isn’t a person on this earth who does not have skeletons in their closet. We never really know these political candidates. Hell, the media cannot even be trusted, and that’s where the vast majority of us get the information to form opinions about them. I say, who cares. Most dogs stayed outside in those days, winter and summer. It was a different era. A lot of things were done differently back then.
We can never know what kind of person we are voting for.

IF this is true, and it’s a might big “IF” given the age of said report, it’s deplorable. That said however, people make mistakes. 25 years ago animal activism was not what it is today. I dare say that 25 years ago few would have been outraged. For me, I won’t vote for him because I don’t agree with his politics. This alleged incident has no bearing. It’s ridiculous it’s even getting this kind of press.

Get on with life people. Being so critical of canidates is the reason we have such poor choices. If this is the worst thing he has done, then maybe he deserves to be president. As for anything PETA, they are a terrorist organization disguised as a animal group.

You ara all missing the point. This was the Boston Globe, obviously it never happened!!

The dog was in a carrier. What is the cruelty? Exposing the dog to open air? Dogs love the air whipping by the car, that why they always stick their heads out the window.
Some people need a life.

lets look back 25 years ago when many of you were picking your nose and eating dirt and dog crap, does that have any reflection on who you are today. every one of us made bad decisions in our lives, and to say that this man has not learned anything in 25 years is absolutely absurd, as is the reaction to this. 25 years ago, my god, your all acting like it was yesterday, give the man a break and go back to your mud pies!

Let “he who is without sin cast the first stone”. Come on people maybe it was stupid, but what have you done in the past that you would want to redo??

Tagg Romney, Mitt’s oldest son, told the story to the Globe. It apparently made an impression on him as a young teen for him to bring it up 23 years later.

Is this a Mormon thing?

Calm down animal rights lovers. It’s a dog for heaven’s sake. Is it any different than allowing a dog stick his head out a window of a moving car? No. When did we cross the rubicon in this country that pets should be treated like humans? They are ANIMALS. I swear this country is whacked.

I dont get it whats the problem here?

Jeffrey Dahmer also liked to torture animals before he turned that hobby to humans. Kinda like bush. So, um, if you are thinking of voting republican. Think again.

If this is the issue that sways you one way or the other, you shouldn’t vote.

Well crafted, Fletcher! How long did it take you to come up with that intelligent comment?

This is an outrage. How could anyone do this and think that it was acceptable?
You would have to be insane — or a very unfeeling persone.
John

Good Lord –it was 25 YEARS AGO PEOPLE!! Is this how far you have to dig to get good dirt these days? Man…Hillary will be in BIG trouble.

all you animals lovers out there that are condemning romney probably have done a lot worse than this morally and otherwise. the media really had to dig and go way back to find something on him.

Come on people…we’ve all done stupid, hurtful things, either ignorantly or intelligently, to animals at one time or another in our lives. Don’t cut the man short b/c he’s certainly not the only person who’s ever done this before. No one is righteous, no one.

At least if people are talking about this we aren’t talking about how Romney avoided the Vietnam draft and how none of his five sons serve in the military (but he’s for staying in Iraq).

I’m sure his thoughts were something like this……yeah I’ll put the dog in the car….no, on the roof….no in the car is better….but the roof will make more room. Just another example of his flip flopping around on what he does vs. what he says.

25 years ago? Yes he was wrong to do so.
But its over done and over 2 1/2 decades ago.

did Ghouliani’s wife staple it to the car?

for the love of god how many years ago was it… 25?? Does our media have nothing better to report on? how about those 5 seniors that died in a horrible car crash this week?? Maybe he tortured an ant with a magnifiing glass when he was 5 lets write about that too.

How the heck is this even considered news? Folks, I’m a dog-lover and I am no Romney fan, but this happened TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. People change! This has no bearing on Romney the candidate today!
Jeez, is this what this upcoming election is going to be like?

The dog, what about all the flies and mosquitoes that ended up on the grill and windshield.

Hmmm… he sounds VERY Republican to me….
not much sense, and very aggressive and down right STUPID solutions.

Romney, lets crucify Clark Griswald for dragging a dog that was tied to his bumper

Is it not good to strap animals to the top of a moving car?? My neighbor,s been doing it to their kids for years, and they Love it!!!!

Common ABC….get back to the important stuff. You dropped Paris for THIS ??? ;-)
Personally I would have ridden on the roof & let the dog drive; that would have been the ‘humaine’ thing to do.

Republicans like torture, so this story probably will endear Romney to the “base.”

Is Mitt going to strap the American people to the roof of his philosophical car and drive us to Armageddon?

Sandra, if he does it would be a fun and prosperous ride

I wasn’t voting for him anyway because he a Mormon. Now I see that his stupidity goes beyond believing fairy tales.

Why would Tagg Romney, who was 12 at the time it happened, choose to tell this story about his father?

He flipped a coin and Tagg won. He is the lucky one

There is nothing I like more then riding upon my owners car roof. Usually he sticks me in the front seat of his car where I have to poke my head out the window. I enjoy riding on that roof, as do all my friends, cats included. Rover

Not as bad as Bill Frist adopting and killing cats.

You people are idiots. I don’t care who the candidate is. I’m far more concerned about the dumb things they’re doing NOW than something dumb they did 25 YEARS AGO!

what a jerk…no vote from me, nor anyone that i know after i forward this page to their email addresses.

Transporting an animal like this is illegal in the state of MA so apparently someone at some point determined that it was cruel and passed a law. You can’t let a dog ride in the back of your truck either.
FYI: vets recommend you don’t let your dog put their head out the vehicle window either – they can get all kinds of foreign matter in their eyes.

I can see that the Democratic party is desperate to destroy this man, so they paid their operatives to find something that they could destroy him on.

My name is Prince and I am President of AWEROVR (Animals Who Enjoy Riding On Vehicle Roofs). Please stop this nonsense right now. Most of my dog and cat friends have fought for years to get up on that roof and now you are trying to stop those years of struggle. Getting up there, with our tongues hanging out…..well, it’s something you have to try. I, and my French Poodle Friend, Moni-ami, are both DD’s (Democratic Dogs) but if we could vote, it would be for this Rommney guy.

see i dont see the big deal, if you put enough duct tape down, there is no way a dog or any animal can fall off the roof while your driving, ive tried it millions of times

Needless to say this is all hear say. Has any one given any consideration or time for Mr. Romney to answer these charges. I am afraid that I will not vote for Mr. Romney based on his out look on certain issues which are facing this country right now. Not on something which susposibly happened 25 years ago. I would suggest people to get Mr. Romney’s side of the story so you can get all the facts.

1) Romney was too cheap to put the family pet in a local dog kennel for care, which rationale people who love their pets do when they travel.
2) And he certainly didn’t consider the “family pet” family, by sticking it on the roof.
3) Mormons like Romney believe that a God had physical sex in the flesh with Mary to conceive Jesus, and Jesus now lives in Arizona with 24 wives, and that the Jews established large cities in America before Columbus, of which there is now no archeological evidence to support, and Romney believes one day he too will be his own God like God and Romney will rule a universe or a planet like Earth as a God himself…and have sex with his female subjects like his God did with Mary . . .well then I think he is crazy, besides arrogant.

His magic underwear made him do it, that and a boatload of ignorance.

I like the Romney apologists here. It’s great to defend a nitwit who has reversed his positions on essentially EVERY issue just to be considered suitable by the political establishment for a presidential bid. Strapping dogs to the roof of cars is not something that sane people do; then again, sane people probably aren’t Mormon, either.

I guess the dog was either a rehablitated felon hoping for clemency or an advocate against global warming! This Romney guy is a pompous politial jackass! How in the world did he manage to be governor of Massachusetts?

I wish people cared as much about inhuman treatment of other people as they do about animals.

40 years ago my mom and dad made me stand between them in the front seat of our car with no safety straps at all, and back then car dashes were made of steel. Things like that were common back then, a dog in a kennel carrier on the roof 25 years ago was no big deal, Heck a dog in a carrier on the roof yesterday would be no big deal. **News Flash** Dogs like all that air.

What is with the ridiculous elongation of time? The man was an adult 23 years ago so his actions then are an undeniable indicator of his character.
Dogs are domesticated mammals that would be incredibly frightened in a cage on the roof of a vehicle traveling 50-70 mph for hours at a time. If Romney’s attitude remains the same towards the treatment of a family pet, it is no wonder the man maniacally proclaimed that he wants to “DOUBLE” Guantanamo. He’s most likely unable to feel empathy and wholly ignorant of expert opinion regarding geo-political blowback.

Hey Isome: have you ever seen fear in the eyes of a dog in the back of a pickup truck doing 70mph? No you haven’t

Hey Tony, are you unable to tell the difference between the BED OF A TRUCK and the ROOF OF A CAR?! huh’?
I didn’t think so.
The larger part of this issue, however, is that the man demonstrated a lack of common sense by that neandrathal act made in the early NINETEEN EIGHTIES (if the 23 year date is correct). It was NOT common to see dogs locked in their kennels and strapped to the roof of a vehicle. I wish people would NOT make things up.
We’re not talking about the 30′s, 40′s, 50′s or 60′s even. We’re talking about the RECENT past.

Do we know if this really happened? OMG who the hell cares, I’m sure all of you people being critical have not done anything 25 years ago that might have offended people. If this was Hillary you would be saying “great job, letting the dog feel free and getting it fresh air instead of it being cooped up in the car for 12 hours, she has my vote…”. The only reason you people are upset is because of who did it not what they did.

Speaking of animal cruelty, in all the discussion about health care, I’d like to hear candidates’ positions on the use of animals in research and what they’ve done to support/create incentives for alternative models. Animals make good stories, but let’s see coverage of a more comprehensive animal topic such as federal research funding of animal tests.

25 years ago – not yesterday people. Do you know what Bush and Clinton were doing 25 years before they got elected?

OMG!! You people are idiots..For one thing has this story been confirmed?? It says “according to the Boston Globe”, like they don’t have an agenda! Have a nice day!

Bad decision. Even 23 years ago there were kennels to keep dogs in while you went on vacation.

Carah: Tony owns a cat, and I’m taking my it on a 1100 mile trip starting tonight and he’ll have to ride in the cab of my tiny truck. This poor cat will be forced to endure 17 hours of loud music and conservative talk radio! I know, that’s criminal isn’t it?!

This type of attack was already predicted. Next will be: FRED THOMPSON HITS DEFENSELESS DEER WITH CAR TO AVOID KILLING 3 YEAR OLD.

The point was made earlier about how horrible this was. Did the dog complain/file a law suit? NO, the dog was absolutely thrilled to be with the family, how he got there was not a concern to him. Remember there was a windshield for the dog

How many of us exercised less than sound or compassionate judgment when we were younger? This is a non-story.

The dog peed probably because it was up there 12 hours. We take horses in trailers to shows all the time. What’s the difference??? Why are liberals soooo freakin stupid???

I guess you were young and immature, but knowing this, I still could never vote for you. Do you realize your mistake now? How would you like to be put in a cage on top of a car for 12 hours on the highway???????? Just think of the sheer insensitivity- the fright, the noise, the smell; I can’t believe your wife went along with it. I demand a public apology. Dawn Aura

This is just MOTS where the GOPs are concerned. Shrub used to delight in placing lit firecrackers in the mouths of live frogs and watching the poor creatures explode. And the ever gentle Dr. Bill Frist has admitted to “adopting” cats from animal shelters and using them to experiment on.
And we all know about the torture at Abu Ghaib & Gitmo!
Apparently, there’s something in the GOP water.

Yes it was mean and dumb, but it was also 25 years ago. Isn’t here more recent poop on his roof?

Do people actually believe everything reported by Boston Globe and ABC news? I am sure that most of the “he lost my vote” posts on here are not even real.
I am amazed that out of all noteworthy news that could discredit Romney, the Dem hit men at BG and ABC concocted a 25-year non-story. Give us a real hit job will ya!!!!
I am expecting to hear next that Romney is not fit to be the president because about 60 years ago he was wetting his bed.

Does he still have the dog?

Oh give me a break people. Yeah, he was really being cruel.
Would I do it, no. But jeez. It IS more dangerous for a dog to be hanging out the window…every year dogs get sucked out of cars or fall out during a hard brake, or whisked from the back up pickup trucks. A dog that jumps onto the driver can also create an accident.
We put our dog in a special doggie carrier when we traveled on the airplane. I am sure the dog did not like that, and she usually peed in there. But she was no worse for wear.
Grow up people.

What a complete, utter and clueless fool. And some of you clowns are defending what he did. Shows you low right wingers will stoop, don’t it? Get used to the fact that America is done with the GOP for the next century.

The faux-outrage from the leftwingers is predictable, I suppose. Well, let’s find out if it was legal to carry a dog in a pet carrier on the roof of his car in 1982. I have a hazy memory that the feds began requiring pet restraints in pickup beds back in the mid-80s, but since I didn’t have a pickup truck I didn’t pay much attention to it. Heck, somebody fnd out if it’s legal to carry your dog in a roof-carrier today.
In 1992 Bill Clinton got hammered because he smoked dope in college and lied about it when asked. Ever since lefties have left no rock unturned looking for dirt to throw at Republican politicians in retaliation. They’re not mature enough to admit that it was a fair hit: Clinton DID do illegal drugs and he got caught lying about it. Nothing they dredge up will ever change that. Now they’re shocked – “SHOCKED, I SAY” at something Romney did 25 years ago that may have been legal and common practice then (and might even be legal and common practice today!).

I am shocked! REALLY SHOCKED…at the overreaction to this non-story. The sanity of this country seems to be at an all-time low.
And for the record: for protecting his kids from a 12-hour car trip with a smelly dog I am changing my vote from Hillary to Romney.

I am no Romney fan, but the story seems thin at best. I guess its just another slow news day at ABC?
It is so sad that this kind of garbage passes for news today. Please tell me that you checked the sources out for this story beyond copying it from the Boston Globe…

I’m not sure I get this either. There’s no bigger animal advocate than I am but if this was done responsibly, I don’t see the issue.

Well, he didn’t show any more stupidity or insensitivity than the current WH occupant… he could be a strong GOP candidate!

He is a total alien – creepy from head to toe – this story doesn’t shock me in the slightest.

The use of the word “strapped” by the Boston Globe conjures up images of poor Fluffy being hog tied and suffering. Just as they intended. Mitt is Gov of Mass, and all the politics that entails, and the BG is running this now. Would this be news if it read,”Romney transported dog on car roof.”

For all the knuckleheads out there that are defending his actions, I would like to see how yoiu would feel about being stuck in a cage, strapped to the roof of a moving vehicle, driven down the highway at high speeds for hundreds of miles and hours on end. I am a Republican and from Massachusetts – HE JUST LOST MY VOTE!!!!!!!!

what is it with Republicans and animal torture? Former Senator Bill Frist “adopting” cats in need of good homes just to dissect them, Rudy Giuliani’s wife’s work in puppy vivisection for the pharmaceutical industy, and now this? Now that torture is legal for humans, just think what fun they’ll have if they win in ’08.

Normalhuman, there is a huge difference between voluntarily riding in the back of a pick-up and being locked in a cage on top of a moving vehicle. I mean REALLY! You cannot be that stupid and heartless.

Wow, if he treats his dog this way it makes me wonder how he’d treat the rest of Americans when he had them under his control. Scary. The sociopaths really are trying to take over the country.

Next story: Mitt wore diapers, wet his bed and sometimes used a pacifier!!! (59 years ago).
Why do people focus on stories like this? We need a strong and honest leader for our country. In that regard, this is a nonstory.

boy …we do it all the time as humans..its called a convertible or ragtop…..how about a motorcycle….my dog would have loved it. BTW another article pointed out he tried to install a wind screen.

I don’t have a real problem with it. I’m sure alot of these outraged people have done worse things.

Will someone please think of the children?
You people are arguing like leopards and seals! LIKE LEOPARDS AND SEALS. I just wish i had a dog.

who cares? it was a dog people not a human. get over yourselves people and over this story. 25 years ago people let their kids ride in the front seat of the car with no seat belt and there was no such things as air bags. this is a story that only moronic people will care about. would anyone do this now? probably not… but 25 years ago people did not treat their pet animals as they do now.
gotta go, puffy, my poodle, is having a snout job and doctors office just called and the snout job was a success!!! best in show here we come!!

Breaking News kennedy drove drunk of a bridge and a human female was killed!
jail time zero.
elected 50 times
rich…you bet

Who would vote for this jerk!?! You can learn alot about people from the way they treat their Mom, kids and animals. This guy’s a loser. Poor Seamus. We have a rooftop carrier for our car and sometimes the straps get loose and we have to tighten them. I feel uncomfortable with my luggage up there, I couldn’t imagine having an animal up there!

How is this any different than riding in a convertable or the back of a pickup truck? I’ve seen plenty of animals riding like that. Actually a convertible or pickup may be even worse because the animal is unrestrained and can jump out. I remember loving to ride like that as a child and also being unrestrained because there was no law back then for it. My parents must have been monsters who hated me! Not!!! With the way the highways and society is today though, I wouldn’t let my kids do that because of the high speeds, heavy traffic and sick people who might harrass or be cruel to the exposed rider.
That said, do we know that Romney actually did that? I would never put MY pet on top of a vehicle because all the wind can’t be good for the eyes or ears and the straps could break. That’s just common sense for most people.

Ok, so what is the difference between being locked in a container on the roof versus locked in a container in the back of the SUV or station wagon?
Either way he is confined to a small space and stuck in it.
What is the different between being in container on the roof or being able to walk around the back of a pickup truck? Or what if the container was in the back of a pickup truck?
People, no harm came to the dog, can we please remember that? Also, this was 25 years ago, times were a hell of a lot different, as I said in my last comment, there are a ton of things that are completely different today in society compared to 25 years ago. To condone a man for actions that are considered taboo in modern times, but not taboo and actually very common 25 years ago it foolish and a complete NON NEWS STORY.
and on a side note, I am from MA, and Mitt Romney can go for plenty of other reasons, this is hardly anything to be concerned about with him and it is disgusting the way this is being reported by ABC with a completely misleading sensationalized title to the story.
How bout we stick to the facts when deciding about a candidate, to say he would treat other humans or the poor badly because of how he treated a dog 25 years ago is asinine.
People go through life experiences and they learn from them, if no one screwed up once in awhile then this place would be pretty damn boring.
No one is perfect, and as it has been said already, I doubt there is a single one of you who hasn’t done something in your past that we could all choose to condemn you for your actions.

People are worrying about some pooch when our president is sending young men out to be killed in the middle east?!

I love dogs and now there’s absolutely no chance of me voting for him

There are two comments that need to be refuted that posters keep on repeating:
1. This is a bogus story.
No, this is a story that ROMNEY gave
the Boston Globe, an example of his
“problem solving” in dealing with the
dog poop.
2. This happened 20 some-odd years ago.
Yes, but Romney is using the story
as, again, an example of his genius.
Whether or not one is a dog lover, there is one thing that is known: dogs will generally not relieve themselves where they “nest”, unless they are left there for far too long, or unless they are extremely nervous. Neither case speaks well for Romney.
This story reminds me of Bill Frist bragging of how he used to buy cats and do medical training. If you don’t care about their actions, you might question their judgment in bragging about said actions.

now if we could just take that idea and apply it to the sleazy muslims down in GITMO

Most of you people are basing whether or not he should be President on something that happened 25 years ago. If he had molested a child, raped a women or murdered someone I’d say you have a point. What he did was no different that hauling a horse in a horse trailer. Get over it and get a life.

Again, this is NOT a tabloid story…it was actually a story Mitt Romney told a reporter, apparently proud of his leadership abilities. The Boston Globe ran a multi-day series on Romney, and it was a very informative, extremely detailed piece.
Perhaps reading the story first might prove instructive.
It’s generally easier to comment on something when actually familiar with the source material…

The stupid piece of crap couldn’t even stop for a few minutes to walk the dog?
And he is running for president?
What a dickhead, he’s on vacation and he forces his dog to defecate in its crate. That is cruel behaviour toward a family pet.
This guy doesn’t deserve any public office.

I suspect that most of the “outraged” people posting here wouldn’t vote for Mitt anyway, so their opinions really don’t matter. If they really are basing their decision for president on this “issue”, then I would rather they forgo voting altogether. What will be the deciding factor – the side of the head the candidate parts their hair on?
I have learned many interesting things reading this sorry list of comments. For example, I have discovered that because of my religious views, I believe in fairy tales, am insane, absolutely strange, most likely a criminal and definately a brainwashed slave. My wife will be no doubt interested to know that I probably beat her every night.
I have also learned that somehow, Mitt attaching his dog to the top of his car, in a car carrier, with a windscreen attached to it is somehow equal to John Kerry’s actions and statements back in the Vietnam era. I have learned that if someone does something that you would not do, that doesn’t mean they made a different decision, it means they are an idiot.
I have learned that “dogs are humans too”, at least as far as some folks here are concerned. How far are you willing to take this analogy? Most dogs are on a leash when taken for a walk, live outside in a dog house or other such shelter, and are fed dog food regularly. Is this how you would treat your child? Then again, most of you would probably rather “vote for a yellow dog than vote Republican” anyway. Your choice, it’s a free country.
As for me, I haven’t decided yet who I support – the election is a year and a half away for crying out loud! But I know one thing; the decision will be made on much more weighty matters than putting a dog carrier on top of a car!

Dumb move on his part, but do we really dismiss him as a viable candidate for something he did 25 years ago? I know people who MALICIOUSLY hurt animals and turned out to be upstanding citizens.

Also, this sounds like another political ploy to bash a pres. candidate; obviously, it’s working. Is there pics of this occurring? And don’t get mad at me, it’s just silly to make this public: did the dog die??? At least he could breathe.

25 years ago? Is that the best dirt the lefties can dig up on Mitt?

Somebody ought to take Romney and strap him to the top of a car.

Come on, folks. This is taking “gotcha” journalism to an all new low. The most important words in this non-story were “25 years ago.”

barking moonbats activate!! Didn’t the article say this happened 25 years ago. If you have to dig that far to find something to whine about, get a life already.

How this guy has even come this far boggles the human mind !! He is an opportunist, he say’s and does things according to what the majority wants. It scares me to know how empty headed people are to allow him this far !!

Reading the comments of those who defend Romney because it happened 25 years ago or other rationalizations to excuse him instead of questioning what kind of demented person would do such a thing clearly show them as members of the 28% who still support Bush/Cheney.

Why didn’t the dog talk to the local police after he returned from the trip? The dog could have alerted his relatives or at least talked to an attorney! Good thing the dog is dead and the statute of limitations has run out.

Had to be stress that caused the dog to defecate. Couldn’t be that the dog just had to go.
Seems to be a biased conclusion.
Once I had to put a cat in a carrier. Put the carrier inside my car to go to the vet. The cat urinated. Must have “tortured” it.
Now I know.
Not sure how what he did is any different than putting a dog in the back of a truck or in a convertible with the top down.

Ummm. Who cares?
It was over 25 years ago, right?
I guess nobody has ever made a mistake before – especially one relating to their pets.
I guess I shouldn’t ever run for President – I used to jump on my dog’s back when I was 6. I thought it would be fun, not cruel.
Give me a break, morons. Those of you who can’t read or wouldn’t vote for him anyway – feel free to shut the hell up.
If he made the drive in a convertible, would it still be torture?
Is there anything in this article that implies or outright states that he didn’t let the dog out and/or take it for a walk or two during a stop?
And I own a dog. Sometimes, they go to the bathroom because they are scared. Sometimes, they use the bathroom because they can’t hold it anymore.
To imply that this is ‘torture’ is silly.
Go read the article – he had built a windscreen to shelter the dog from the wind. Likely, the dog just had to poop.
So Romney pulled over, washed the dog, car, and carrier, and went about his way.
Neo-hippie crap is what this is, not anything else.
Screw PETA – they kill more dogs than they save or help. They operate an incinerator that they use to burn dogs remains, after they poison them of course!
Grow up, losers.
If THIS is enough to sway your vote, you are an idiot who doesn’t deserve the right.

Sounds like fun. I wouldn’t mind being in a cage on the top of the car for a long ride. Quite enjoyable actually.

Well, just like GWB torturing animals when he was a kid, now Republicans are supporting another vicious animal hater for the Whitehouse.
Bush can torture humans now in Iraq and GITMO, cause that’s how those sociopaths progress, wonder how long its gonna take Mitt if he gets into office?
Isn’t one torturer president enough for this century?

Which of you, 25 years ago, was not allowed to roam free in your parents car? If you were a parent, which of you allowed your children to roam free in the back of the car? We were allowed to sleep on the back window ledge of the car and climbed freely over the seats in the station wagon when we went on family trips. And who never rode in the back of a pick-up truck?
Restraints, car seats and seat belts weren’t given a second thought way back when.
So would that make your parents child abusers? Should the parents that allowed this behavior be imprisoned or financially punished for this child abuse?
So everyone who is a parent and allowed this kind of behavior from their children needs to voluntarily turn themselves in to local law enforcement so they can be charged with child abuse and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Glorified lumber huggers commenting on this irritate me more than anything. I’ve traveled with my dog in a dog carrier and strapped to the roof of a vehicle is far safer than the idiot who is driving around with poochie in their lap or running around loose in the car.
His Mormon background and political beliefs might well limit his legitimate chance at the white house. Strapping a dog to the roof is like the last reason to not elect him.

It appears that people don’t comprehend when they read, the article states this incident was 25 yrs ago.
Besides I wouldn’t trust ABC News with accurate reporting about Republicans.
I say show us a picture, only then I might consider it possible this actually happened.

I thought it was a rather stupid act. Why put’em on the roof when you can put’em in the trunk, or better yet, tie the dog to the bumper so it can get some exercise on the long boring trip.

If instead he drove a young woman off a bridge and let her drown he would be a respected leader. Mitt blew it big time!

As for the people who would like to see liberals treated the same way Mitts dog was, you are horrible excuses for human beings.
Likewise those that don’t mind the murder of unborn children. The most innocent of all life. Thank you for helping me make my case once again. Your right Mary Jo, Mitt did blow it big time, if he was a drunk and driving young women off bridges he might could have even have been a famous Senator.

How many idiots put their dog in the back of a pick-up truck or let it stick it’s head out of an open car window risking eye damage from flying road grit and debris and that’s just fine.

In response to Carla’s post: “The parents in our neighborhood staged an intervention, went to her door and demanded that she relinquish the dog to one of the group who had a special interest in that breed…”
Carla, inciting mob action to commit 1) Trespass and 2) Strong Arm Robbery (the taking of personal property under threat or duress) are not likely to help your misguided cause, but are likely to get you prosecuted (or worse, if the property owner also happens to own a gun…).
Use your head Carla. Have a “Save-The-Dog” bakesale and then take the proceeds and offer to purchase the property (dog/animal/chattel) from the lawful owner.
Go Mitt!
ps) my dog loves riding in the back of my pick-up truck…no seat-belt and ALL!

The fact that is was over two decades ago, speaks volumes as well. Is there anyone here that has done something 20 plus years ago that they wouldn’t do now… but because he is a canidate.. “I’m not voting for him” or “sorry, you lost my vote”… if that’s the case, I’m sure Mitt doesn’t need your vote. Like I said before, if this is the only reason you’re not voting for Mitt, then you probably don’t need to be voting for anything.

What’s the difference between carrying your dog caged on top of the car and carrying it caged in the back of a pick-up? Or how about letting it ride in your convertible with most of it’s body in the wind stream. My dog rides inside my truck with his head stuck out the window rain or shine. He loves it. Lighten up folks. If the gov made a mistake it was to not walk the dog often enough.

Perhaps there should be a pet lover running for president. The country seems to take better care of its pets than children. Why isn’t there a candidate recognizing this shift in priorities?

Are you people complete morons? He strapped a dog carrier to a roof. How exactly did the dog suffer? Because it was drafty? Would it be any less cramped in the cabin? If you put a dog in the back of a truck and drive, does he hide from the wind? No, he hangs over the side. The only thing you might say is that he was scared because he couldn’t see what was going on. Honestly, get over it.

Wow! Whoopee! That’s all you can find.
A dog in a shelter with a plastic screen he put together to protect his family pet during the summer. I hear the dog lived to `15 years (ie 105 years, must have suffered terribly).
At least he stayed true to his family and dogs, by taking them somewhere.
Oh, that’s right, libs don’t have families only spend fortunes on their pets.
Wow, all you can find after 30 years is this. Funny, when I worked on Ronald Reagan’s campaign in high school/college as he started to climb in the polls, it was the libs trying to throw Knifes like McCain’s doing all the time. Rise above Mitt, we believe in you. Ronald Reagan had to do it when he started making a move in the polls, now you will become the target.
Your the only credible Republican that’s stood by both his family and pets.
vr
DR

He killed the family dog!!!!!!! Oh my G&D I will never vote for him…
He put the dog on the top of the car, the dog died, (at least the story doesn’t say that the dog is alive) so he must have killed the dog.
(After all it is 25 years later, and dogs don’t live that long)
Come on all, what a bunch of morons losing sleep over something like this

I would never strap my dog to the roof of my interstate bound vehicle. How about you?

23 years ago I think people were driving w/o the use of child seats – does this make them child abusers?

And hearing this story would make you think he could exerise sound judgement because . . . ?

“How many accidents are caused every year by people that strap something stupid to the roof of their car? ”
I don’t know Ben…suppose you tell me.

Read the CNN article, it paints a different picture. Good old Seamus jumped on the roof and voluntarily went in the carrier. Mitt also modified it with a protective wind breaker (all for the purpose of torturing poor Seamus).

This just in…Mitt occasionally took his family to McDonald’s. Clearly his support of America’s obesity factory means he is complicit, and liable for shortening the lifespan of the next generation of voters. I anticipate his the campaign slogan for his 2nd term will read “Free Big Mac’s for Everyone!” as he will need the vote of those coming of age obese Americans.

Posted by Animal Lover:
“Man will be judged on how he treats animals and the planet. A good man does NOT harm either. A good man does NOT think, “it’s a dog, get over it” or “it’s an animal”. That is the kind of people we DOM’T need living on this planet any longer.”
Would that be in the scriptures according to Mother Gaia? I don’t remember it being in the Bible… And exactly what are you suggesting be done with “that kind of people” anyway?

No animal can go for 12 hours without relieving itself.

Hey, I don’t appreciate having my comments censored – so quit it!!! I’ll re-assert my initial observation: Mormon beliefs are CRAZY (research it online if you don’t believe me), so Romney has about as much of a chance of being elected US President as a Muslim like Obama – NO CHANCE! I don’t care if he eats his stupid dog, because I hate dogs! The only thing that pisses me off more than an annoying dog is an annoying dog owner! What I can’t figure out is why other Mormons would want Romney to run for president in the first place, when they must know that the media will expose their weird customs and beliefs to the world. What are they thinking???

S_Temper:
Romney didn’t decide to run because Mormons wanted him to; he is running because he chose to. Despite the fact that you find Mormon beliefs CRAZY, Mormons are not this monolithic block that moves in lock step after first checking with Salt Lake on everything. All one would have to do is compare Harry Reid and Orrin Hatch (or Mitt Romney) to figure that one out.
And yes, there are plenty of Mormons who are concerned with the media exposure that will occur because of Romney’s bid. Primarily they are concerned about people getting it wrong – and reacting the way you have. You never know, there may be people out there that might think some of the things you believe are a bit wierd. In the end it doesn’t matter much. Mitt can still run for president if he chooses – he doesn’t have to get a “mother may I” from the church at large (or church leadership) to do so.

Those of you calling him a moron and other assorted names: if you haven’t done anything stupid — anything at all — in the last 25 years, then you’re off the hook. Otherwise, you’re arrogant hypocrites.
People make mistakes. It’s what they do in the aftermath that defines them as human beings. Find me a story about Romney beating his dog with a club last week, and then I’ll be upset.
People’s arrogance astounds me sometimes.

1. Why is this even being talked about, this was 25 years ago.
2. Now I wouldn’t strap my pet to the roof, but Torture?? Come on! And in reply to the lady who was upset over the woman who took her dog to the vet in the trunk. Why does this bother you? Does it make any difference if the dog rides in the passenger compartment of the car, or the trunk. It is probably safer to drive with out a dog running around inside the car.
3. Why do we waste our time worrying about what religion Romney is? I think we would do better to worry about the direction our government is going and take our country back!!
IT IS OUR COUNTRY YOU KNOW!!

Squeenter’s guess is you won’t see stories from 10 years ago, let alone 25 about Hillary and probably other dems as well. The MSM goes along with the dems and blows all of their negative stories off. The bias of the press in this election cycle is clearer than ever and earlier than ever too. How much dirt digging are they doing on the Rs to come up with stuff like this??? Can’t wait for the October surprises they try to cram down the voters’ throats.

I would never strap my dog to the roof of my interstate bound vehicle. How about you?

First, I’d like to start off by pointing out that in the early 80′s most people didn’t wear seatbelts or use baby carseats. But we’re talking about a dog here…my dog loves to stick her head out the window for an entire journey! I really doubt that Seamus was miserable–it probably felt just like a ride in a convertible. Mitt is a dog lover and the fact that he brought the family dog on the trip showed that he loved it. When their dog couldn’t go on a trip with them Mitt and Ann used to drive their dog an hour away to relatives in the country just so that their dog didn’t have to be locked up in a kennel. They certainly had the money to board the dog and yet they took the time to do a 2 hour round trip at the beginning and end of their trip to make sure their dog was in a loving environment. I think that because Mitt is squeeky clean (He really IS…I know him) his opponents are showing their desperation with this supposed dog abuse.

Over 25 years ago? And it is just now making news? Geez—-gotta dig up the dirt for the uninformed—-no matter how old.

How do we know if the animal enjoyed it or was scared?Kids go on roller-coasters and scream,are they torturing themselves?Do they need a shrink for being masochistic?I think a 12 hr.ride then a long vacation running around in the Canadian fresh air is better for the dog than locking him up in a kennel with a bunch of strangers taking care of him.Would you put your kids in jail while you went on vacation.Even if the dog was stressed,everyone gets stressed.It’s part of life.My goldfish is a family pet,does it get scared when I shut off the light or turn on the vacuum?Perhaps I need “The Fish Whisperer” or some idiot pet psychic to analyse it current mental well being.This is the most ridiculous non-sense I have yet to read about a Presidential canidate.We have no way of knowing if the dog enjoyed his vacation or not.

For all you out there who think it is ok to treat an animal like this, get a life. Of course it is inappropriate and cruel. How can you people say it is just a dog/just an animal?They have the right to be treated fairly just as we do. I hold animals in higher regard than humans anyway, they for the most part are innocent, humans are wrecking this planet and treat others like s***. We are inferior to animals I believe. I am an animal lover and whilst he didn’t intentionally do it to be cruel, it was still an act of stupidity. If indeed the story is true, who knows, he would never get my vote!

If you think dogs should be treated like humans then perhaps they should be arrested for the 4.5 million bites that occur annually in the U.S.Perhaps they should be tried in a court of law for being the second largest cause of child injury in the U.S. 80% of all reported dog bites are by dogs familiar to the victim.The vast majority of dog attacks are done by dogs that are licensed and treated well by their owners.
You need professional help if you think dogs are superior to a human.You sound like someone hurt you emotionally and you have withdrawn from the human world.Therapy and the proper medication may help you resolve these issues.
A 12 hr ride on the roof in a shelter is not cruelty.You do not know if the dog found it invigorating or terrifying.A dog does not think like a human.It is not your child.It has a completely different set of senses in which it perceives the world and those senses are totally beyond your or my comprehension.If you were to die alone in a house your dog will eat you when it begins to starve.If abandoned by it’s owner and exposed to other dogs it will behave as it naturally should and run with the pack.The natural world is violent and unforgiving.The natural world is far more cruel and stressfull for any animal than a 12 hr.ride where at the end of it,it was fed,sheltered,petted and reunited with the family.The dog is an animal.Mental stress of a dog is got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve read in years.
You obviously glorify your dog because of your personal failures in your relationships with humans and keep pets to satisfy a deep loneliness caused by your inability to fit in with creatures that can speak words other than “ruff”.You think it is cruel because you personify the animal with human attributes and believe the animal to be the friend you never had through human relations.
I endured far more stress pledging a college fraternity than a 12 hr ride in a box.Try basic training for the Army if you think what Romney did was cruel.My drill sargeants came up with far more inhumane things to do to us than a ride in a box.If I had a choice to ride in a box on top of a car for 12 hrs.once a year in the summer,followed by a vacation, or go to work for 8hrs week/48weeks a year,I would chose the ride.
A dog is driven by the instinct to eat.Your dog likes you because you feed it.Plain and simple.Your dog didn’t pick you for your conversational skills or your personallity.You chose it because it filled a certain need within you.
Romney’s dog had a far more longer and stress free life than it would have had in the natural world where it would have to fight everday just to defend it’s meal.
Just because an animal is a family pet doesn’t increase it’s sensitivity to a new experience.It sees the family heirarchy as a pack order,and he feels he is at the bottom.He sees the head of the household as the Alpha dog,not as his buddy and friend.Any expert on dog obedience will tell you this.I don’t think the dog felt insulted or any resentment for having taking a long ride.
Most animals are scared of being placed in new settings or enviroments. Zoologists transport wild animals in similarly small cages all the time to relocate them to different preserves.Some of these trips take several hours and some are done hanging underneath a helicopter after being shot with a dart.That sounds much more stressfull than what Mitt’s dog went through.Would you say the zoologists are cruel because the animal was scared?Your dog is not some special creature from your fantasy world,it is a dog, just like every other dog,driven by instinct.Reacting as if in a pack.
If taking that ride was the worst experience in my life,I would consider myself lucky.

Ohhh please… I bet you self righteous liberal pricks all had a good laugh when Clark Griswald did it!
.

This happened 25 years ago people. Geeze if you gotta go back 25 years to get some dirt on a candidate, I think he needs to be elected.

Well, just when I thought Romney couldn’t get any dumber, he trumps that. Yes, he took the dog with them, but come on, a dog is trained to NOT urinate or defecate in their space, which is why crate-training is so effective. The mere fact that this dog did this shows that he was under a great amount of stress. While I’m not sure it would have amounted to cruelty back then, I really doubt anyone would get away with that now. Dogs can also get motion sickness, maybe Seamus had problems with that. Setters are also bigger and active dogs who need a lot of exercise and to be cooped up in a crate, no matter where it is, for 12 hours, even to allow for five minute nature breaks, is just being a bad dog owner.
And to the people who equate it to pigs and cow transport… You’re just as stupid as Romney. Dogs are (usually) family pets with emotional value who don’t end up on your grill or in your casserole at dinner. And do you really think the dog could in any way be reassured by voices from a car that was going probably at least 55 mph? Come on, I doubt he could even hear anything but the wind rushing past its crate. You should be strapped to the top of a car and see how much you can hear. Dogs have excellent hearing, but I seriously doubt it’s that good. Oh, and the comments about Chevy Chase? Anyone dumb enough to emulate that scene(or any part of a movie like that) has no business being President.
And yes, this happened a while ago, but please, did he have even less common sense back then?

What the hell do you use a dog carrier for anyway if it’s not used to transport a dog? You animal rights knuckle heads have NFI about what you’re taking about.
Yeah right, like you were going to vote for a Republican and now you’re not based on this dog carrying incident that took place 25 years ago. Uh-huh and I’m Santa Claus.

Pastor Yacky: Those loud pipes suck. They do not “save lives”.
Picture this: most of the motoring public are hermetically sealed in nearly sound proof vehicles and here you come along with your loud pipes passing one of these cars. You know when they hear the pipes? When you are abreast of them and it scares the living dog squeeze out of them. This could cause them to swerve into you as they exclaim “WTF was that!?!?”
Scenario Number 2:
You are approaching another sound proofed car on a two lane highway from the opposite direction. Which way do your pipes face? Forward or backwards? Most pipes are facing backwards. The sound waves are traveling in the opposite direction that you are going. Again, when does the driver in the sound proof car hear you? After you pass him.
Loud pipes don’t save lives, loud pipes suck. And they scare dogs in pet carriers strapped to car roofs. I want you to think about that the next time you ride.

It’s not like he strapped it to the hood like a dead deer. Remember when kids and dogs rode in the beds of trucks. no car seats, not even seat belts free to get up and walk tround even. when I was a kid, i would even ride on the bed of my uncles flat bed,no sides. Dogs would rather be in the fresh air rather than inside,thats why they stick their heads out windows.

Did it occur to anyone that maybe the dog was transported this way because of its irregular bowel habits?
The dog was an Irish Red Setter. The detritus eaters of the dog world.
Knowing the journey was to be a long one, and knowing the dog’s nature, Romney obviously didn’t want to have to stop every 20 minutes so the dog could relieve himself, lengthening the journey even more.
What’s more, if this was such a heinous act of cruelty how come no one stopped him and asked what was going on? On a journey of that length someone must have seen what was in the dog carrier. (Canada customs perhaps?)
I think he chose the safest and most sensible option. Driving with five boys AND a Red Setter, a large, ungainly and boisterous dog in the car would have been both stressful and dangerous.
Romney gets my vote!!

Gee-Romeny had a dog on the roof and you guys are going nuts- but you are they same nuts that keep Kennedy in power and in office, did you forget he left a girl in the back seats.

I am hoping that he would not do this act today, and I do agree that it was a misguided act lacking common sense. However, he was trying to bring the family pet on vacation with his family and that counts for something.
This is not a liberal versus conservative issue. It is a common sense issue. He lacked it, but I am going to guess he would not consider doing that today. And for the people commenting on the animals being hauled around inhumanely…you are correct; that’s not acceptable either.
One more thing I am an independent voting on the person and not the party.

I find it interesting that the same people who yell about a man putting a dog on the roof defended another man for burning a draft card. Priorities I suppose. After all, aren’t pets more important than freedom? Poor judgment to be sure but probably no more stressful than riding a motorcycle other than the confined space. One vet said that drying out the eyes is a possibility. Oh wait, dogs can blink which waters the eyes. Mountain out of a molehill.

Reading this amazes me at the level of intelligence of the people today. Won’t vote for someone because they are a morman, because they let their dog go on vacation on top of a car, because they are a republican, because they are a democrat, because because. Whatever has happened to common sense. I am a republican and have never voted republican because I was a republican. You vote for what is best for our country, our children, our future. It is “not just a dog” but before you criticize learn something about the animals you are supposedly concerned for. I come from a long line of animal lovers – ranching, rodeoing, house pets, deer hunter, elk hunter. What the hell – has everyone gone nuts? Maybe some of you need to eat more meat & spend time in nature with the animals.

So he had a carrier on top of the car. As long as the carrier was facing rearward and the temp wasn’t in the freezing range… So What?
I have seen a huge number of dogs riding loose in the back of some yahoos pickup truck that were probably in a lot more danger than that pooch was. Heck the pooch probably defacated\urinated on the roof because of a long trip rather than in any sort of protest to the accomodations.

anyone that is that insensitive to a member of his own family, which pets definitely are, is a disgrace to the human race, and certainly not fit to be commander-in-chief. I had been seriously considering Mr. Romney, so am very thankful that the truth regarding his personal behaviors has come out.

I wouldn’t put a dog on the top of my car, but having ridden in the back of a pickup truck, I have to say that I believe that the dog might have liked riding there.
I’d like to know what was going to kill the dog riding on top of the car any more than riding in the back of the car and getting rear-ended or having an accident while he’s unstrapped in the car? And how ingenious that he put a windshield on it?
How’s that any different than riding a motorcycle? He obviously was smart enough to attach the carrier so it didn’t fall off. And how does anyone know they didn’t let the dog out for potty breaks? It’s not like you can control when a dog has to go . . .
Don’t forget, also, that was a different time . . . before children’s car seats, seat belt laws, etc., etc.

I think it’s quite funny that both the author and at least one person commenting think that 1983 was the dark ages before there were boarding kennels and no child restraint laws. It wasn’t THAT long ago, people. We brought our first baby home from the hospital in a carseat that was essentially the same as those sold today and that was in 1981. I know they were around for at least a few years before that, too.
Boarding kennels have been around forever.
It wasn’t a different time. Mitt Romney did what was convenient for himself without much thought to what was best for his pet.

people think it is ok to abuse pets because they cant turn their abusers in and they think they wont get caught

what a ..it just goes to show that the level of ineptness in elected public officials…very shallow & …AND FYI OR DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT PETS IN THE COMMONWEALTH ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE…A GREAT MANY OF THEM(ESP REPUBLICAN) ARE REGISTERED VOTERS…

Regarding those here who ask us to give the Romney family a break because it’s perfectly safe to strap a dog to the roof of a car–I assume they would also condone strapping a baby to the roof of a car, using the same argument. And if a car was crowded, then I imagine they themselves would not mind being roped to the roof in a box and riding that way from Boston to Canada, provided they had a warm coat. Sadly, they are missing the point. Our job (as adult humans) is not simply to keep beings in our care alive, but to avoid terrifying them as well. There are many degrees of abuse. It is sad, to me, that I have to explain (to a few who don’t seem to “get it”) that we are outraged not because we thought the dog’s life was in danger but because of the demonstrated obliviousness to the dog’s well-being. Everyone knows that other animals experience fear and misery same as we do. For this reason, most of us do not strap our family members (or our constituents) to roofs and we would not dream of strapping our pets to a roof for ten minutes let alone 12 hours (driving full speed on super highways). What a mortifying experience for any living creature. Being “immature” is not an excuse either. Imagine if Romney said, “I used to be a child molester, but I was young and immature then.” There is a world of difference between immaturity—even ignorance and stupidity—and cruelty. I can forgive anyone of just about anything—but getting rid of innate cruelty requires serious work and serious repentance. Romney has lost my respect completely. Then again, next to Huckabee’s son, Romney looks saintly. Not to downplay this fatal flaw in Romney’s character–but Eagle Scout David Huckabee actually lynches stray dogs. This election is giving us glimpses not only of the mean-hearted and creepy but also, apparently, of the downright evil.
Let’s hope we have now reached the bottom of the animal cruelty pit, at least. Perhaps we can agree (since we’re in the 21st century now) that being an animal abuser, or siring one, should disqualify a person from leading our country.

This is ridiculous. One can hardly classify transporting a dog in a carrier on a roof as “torture.” Besides, if the dog had been inside the car or even in a pickup bed and traveling down the road at the same speed, he would have been subjected to the same sort of “torture,” yet you don’t see their owners being chastised for that. And “Seamus protested in a scatological way, going to the bathroom on the roof of the car”? What is this, analysis on bladder control? Maybe the dog just had to go to the bathroom. Give Romney a break. He’s the best candidate this country has right now. Go Romney. Tie that dog to the roof where it belongs.

im not voting for romney, cuz im not old enough

It was 25 years ago! Animal rights wasn’t such a big deal back then. I don’t think so many people decided to have dogs instead of children at that time, so people didn’t treat dogs as children back then. And yes, putting a lose dog in your car is much more dangerous for the dog and all of its occupants if an accident occurs than securing it on top. Anything that is not securely fastened becomes a projectile. And dogs urinate when they get excited about visitors, if the dog urinated on top of the car, its not a surprise because it was up there for 12 hours. It would have been weird if it didn’t urinate. I’ve ridden on the top/back of vehicles for HOURS and I thought it was a great experience. The dog probably had a blast.

i value animals more than most people,because animals dont know any better,and know whats going on like people do.

You cant say to a dog,hey your going to be in this cage at 60 to 70 mph for about 12 hours,ok and nothing is going to happen to you-

versus a human who knows robbery and rape is sick and does it anyway-

what a sick man-seriously,life is life,who doesnt care for a life itself???