Three dogs and a dozen humans stood in furry solidarity with dogs worldwide at a demonstration against Mitt Romney today outside Madison Square Garden, where the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is currently underway. The group "Dogs Against Romney" say they want to draw attention to an incident involving Mitt Romney and his family dog that happened when Romney was still working in the private sector. In case you haven't heard, the story goes like this: In 1983, Romney and his wife took a road trip from Boston to Ontario to stay at their family cottage on Lake Huron. They also brought along their Irish Setter, Seamus, who spent the entire 12-hour trip in a carrier strapped to the roof of their station wagon.
Somewhere along the way, presumably stressed by the extreme conditions he was subjected to, Seamus loosed his bowels, soiling himself, the crate, and the rear of the vehicle. Romney then pulled over at a service station, "borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway." Taking a cue from the enemies of Romney's rival Rick Santorum, there is a push in some circles "Romney" a verb meaning "to defecate in terror."
Romney has dodged allegations of abuse since the incident came to light in a 2007 Boston Globe piece, but protesters are hoping this demonstration will "ensure pet lovers are aware that Mitt Romney is mean to dogs." UWS resident John Davenport told us, "There's a great web of life and dogs belong to it as much as humans do. I think this says something about Romney's capacity for empathy…it says something about him and I hope he doesn't win." The group has gained online momentum since Romney announced his candidacy, and have over 25,000 "Likes" on Facebook and close to 2,500 followers on Twitter.
During Romney's tenure as governor of Massachusetts he signed legislation that increased penalties for individuals who abuse animals and also designated September 2006 as "Responsible Dog Owners Month." Nobody we spoke to was aware of either of these actions, or about Romney's family pet history (the family has had at least four dogs, including one Romney helped give birth to eight puppies.)
According a press release, Dogs Against Romney doesn't endorse one specific candidate, but the choice for president is clear for DAR member Kitty Hendrix: "Barack Obama for sure. He decided to take Bo shopping, bought some treats, sat at a table together and then went home. That story wasn't really out there in the press but that story was, for me, the best juxtaposition against the Romney story."
