Mitt Romney ties dog to roof of car for 12 hour road trip

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

I am also one of those ancients who was alive in 1983

You always bring much needed levity . You always have such good timing!

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Maximo

At about the same time Mitt Romney tied his dog to top of his car, my father risked his life entering our burning house to rescue our dog. He was successful.

Bless your Dad . What a lucky family fur kid!

[CouversMom]

Originally Posted by Maximo

At about the same time Mitt Romney tied his dog to top of his car, my father risked his life entering our burning house to rescue our dog. He was successful.

Wait, what? I thought animals were thought of differently back then?

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by CouversMom

Wait, what? I thought animals were thought of differently back then?

I should clarify my agreement with the comment....in my opinion, things were different not in how we valued pets, but things like the most popular training methods, or what kind of stuff a dog had (we didn't have PetSmart, Petco, the Internet), what we fed dogs. Things were different, but my family still traveled with our pets inside the car. That was the point I was trying to make...inadequately.

[CouversMom]

Originally Posted by Maximo

I should clarify my agreement with the comment....in my opinion, things were different not in how we valued pets, but things like the most popular training methods, or what kind of stuff a dog had (we didn't have PetSmart, Petco, the Internet), what we fed dogs. Things were different, but my family still traveled with our pets inside the car. That was the point I was trying to make...inadequately.

Don't know if my sarcasm made it across... I was agreeing with you Things may have been different, but I don't think pets were thought of any differently.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by CouversMom

Don't know if my sarcasm made it across... I was agreeing with you Things may have been different, but I don't think pets were thought of any differently.

Gotcha! Now I understand.

My father and I discuss this topic a lot. For instance, he will look down at the boys snuggling in their beds and almost be reduced to tears because our previous dogs never had nice beds. I have to remind him first, our previous dogs always made themselves comfortable on our furniture, lol. Secondly, I don't remember seeing dog beds at stores in the 70s and 80s like we do today. Even the corner gas station sells dog beds today. Stuff like that is different.

[Ringo1]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Pets were viewed differently? I'm 43 years old, and I've treasured animals my whole life, from my earliest memory. I don't think his action had to do w/ an era-related belief.

William Wilberforce started the SPCA in England in the late 18th century....compassion for animals and how to treat them accordingly goes way back. The way we treat others, animal or non-animal, isn't as simple as a symptom of the times, in my opinion.

Agree. My family and I had dogs back then - while they didn't get the superior vet care, etc that mine do - NEITHER did they get strapped to the back of a car for 12 hours or whatever it was.

I don't care who you are or what party you belong to - this is just wrong - and I have to wonder about the compassionate character of a person allowing such a thing to take place.

1983 was not the dark ages people!

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by CouversMom

Here is an article from a Fox News contributer- a RIGHT wing news organization. This has nothing to do about right or left, but is about blatant animal abuse.

Yes, Fox may be considered right wing but they have many left wing contributing writers and commentators. Lenny is about as far left as you can get. I don't take anything I see on TV or in print as fact without a lot of investigation especially when the person has an axe to grind. Perhaps we should all check out our sources of information before becoming so incensed about issues. People who put out information that they got from someone who got it from someone else who was not a witness are no better than gossip writers.

It's a terrible thing to put a dog on a car roof but in my mind it is not an issue since there are many far worse issues going on right now that need to be dealt with now or many more animals are going to be suffering being both abused and homeless.

[FlDebra]

Originally Posted by Britster

I think it's messed up, for sure, but this happened in 1983!! Just another example of people making a huge deal out of something that happened years ago. We can dig up all kinds of skeletons from everyone's closets. The title kind of misinterprets the fact that the dog was in a CRATE, it's not like he was hanging from his collar on a roof top. Do I think it's a wise decision? No... I would never do it. But there is lots of things I wouldn't do with my dog that others still find completely acceptable. I am not sure it classifies him as an animal abuser. The dog was probably safer in a crate on top of the car than being loose inside the car during an accident, just sayin' (which is probably how 90% of American's dogs ride in the car). Again, I still do not think it's right. But I think this is going to be one of those things made into a huge deal from many many years ago and I am sure his family dogs have not rode on the rooftops since.

Britster -- you are once again the voice of reason!!!

Although we'd never do this now and especially not with our little Yorkies, it was a lot like the good old boys putting a dog in the back of their pick up trucks. I am against that too but I don't necessarily think people are evil for doing it. In 1983, we didn't put our kids in real car seats either. A few might have gotten one of those little seats with a steering wheel that were later found to be be more dangerous than no seat at all because they could break and injure the child. We evolve, we learn, we change..... If he did this today, I would be very upset. But I think it speaks volumes that they had to go back some 28 years to find a snippet of bad press to try to besmirch Mitt Romney's character! He must have a pretty clean record!

The interviewer tries to make a big deal about it being illegal but I doubt it was illegal 28 years ago! If we didn't even have children car seat laws back then, do you think we had laws against letting a large dog ride in a travel kennel atop a car? I don't.

Next thing I will pick up a paper and read that 28 years ago he did not recycle his trash, he parked 10 minutes past his meter time, he cut off the tags on his pillows...... NOT saying that it is right to allow a dog to travel in a travel kennel atop a vehicle. I would not do it and I am sure Romney would not do it now. But..... we have to draw a line somewhere.

How many here bought a pet store pup 5-10- or 20 years ago? I never bought a pet store dog because my mom owned a pet store and was against pet stores selling anything but pet supplies. I was lucky enough to be educated about this BUT I do not rant and rave about those who bought from a pet store many years before they knew the horrors of puppy mills. They know now and would not do it again -- good enough for me. I am going to give Romney the same benefit.

[McheleM]

Originally Posted by Princess10

A lot of people used to believe in spanking their kids with a belt.

Some people still do....

[McheleM]

Originally Posted by Maximo

Things were different in 1983, but I think of my family making the journey from Phoenix to Washington DC in 1976. The dog was in the backseat with 3 kids. When we moved from DC to Chicago, the cat was in the back seat with us. This was all before we were the crazy pet people we are today.

See, we moved from fort worth to Greenville (1hr drive) in February of 1983 and I remember my mom putting our 2 cats in the trunk, because she was allergic and couldn't have them in the front with us. They didn't make crates and cages then, not that it would have mattered, she was still allergic. If the dog peed or pooped on the floor, you rubbed their nose in it, or hit them with a newspaper. If the horse wouldn't move, you whipped it. Looking back, a lot of things that were done were extremely stupid and cruel, but as a child I didn't think about it or question it. Of course, I wouldn't allow it today. My dogs ride in the car with me and Allie often rides laying in my lap. People really did have different views 20-30 years ago.

[manina]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I read about this last week. I read that the dog was so terrified, it pooed itself , all over the kennel .

Also, it was reported first as a crate/kennel...which means all that 70mph wind was coming at the dog. After that, Romney's PR released a statement saying it was "airtight". Hmmm...if it was airtight, I'm pretty sure the dog would've suffocated.

I can't fathom isolating a dog in a cage on the top of a car, going 70mph - no matter what. And, imo, even though this was years ago -- it still speaks volumes about someone's character/values. I think the PR statement released afterward sends the wrong message as well. It's justifying something that in many peoples' minds, is not justifiable...no matter the circumstances, no matter the type of kennel.

what was he thinking !!!! When ever it was done, it was wrong !!

[jmdt]

I still can't believe there is a debate over this. At one time children were "meant to be seen not heard" right??? Would it be ok to put them up there for a 12 hr ride because there was no room in the car. Oh what about women, maybe there was no room in the car for them also. This is ridiculous. I don't care if it was Mother Theresa!!! Who does this???? And then not even to say "yes it was a long time ago and I made the wrong choice"...as we all have I'm sure... but to defend it???

Just nuts!!!.... A GIANT THUMBS DOWN!!!

[gidget529]

Originally Posted by McheleM

See, we moved from fort worth to Greenville (1hr drive) in February of 1983 and I remember my mom putting our 2 cats in the trunk, because she was allergic and couldn't have them in the front with us. They didn't make crates and cages then, not that it would have mattered, she was still allergic. If the dog peed or pooped on the floor, you rubbed their nose in it, or hit them with a newspaper. If the horse wouldn't move, you whipped it. Looking back, a lot of things that were done were extremely stupid and cruel, but as a child I didn't think about it or question it. Of course, I wouldn't allow it today. My dogs ride in the car with me and Allie often rides laying in my lap. People really did have different views 20-30 years ago.

Actually, from another ancient, they did have cat carriers in 1983 - we had one for ours! The cat was put in the carrier when transported to the vet, moving, visiting relatives in another state, etc.

I traveled quite a bit in the mid 80's and traveled w my Maine Coon in its carrier. Cat Fancy magazine existed then. I attended many cat shows where "crazy animal ppl" had many products for their pets.

If this gentleman had enough education to become a multi-million $ venture investor, he certainly had enough IQ, income and info to know you do not strap a dog to the roof of your car for a 12 hour trip, exposed to the elements. I have NEVER seen this done in all the mmmaaaannnnyyyy years I have walked this earth.

[Roccosmommy]

Originally Posted by Britster

I think it's messed up, for sure, but this happened in 1983!! Just another example of people making a huge deal out of something that happened years ago. We can dig up all kinds of skeletons from everyone's closets. The title kind of misinterprets the fact that the dog was in a CRATE, it's not like he was hanging from his collar on a roof top. Do I think it's a wise decision? No... I would never do it. But there is lots of things I wouldn't do with my dog that others still find completely acceptable. I am not sure it classifies him as an animal abuser. The dog was probably safer in a crate on top of the car than being loose inside the car during an accident, just sayin' (which is probably how 90% of American's dogs ride in the car). Again, I still do not think it's right. But I think this is going to be one of those things made into a huge deal from many many years ago and I am sure his family dogs have not rode on the rooftops since.

Very, very poor judgement at the least. Let's hope he hasn't owned another dog since Seamus.