(KUTV) There's another dog in the fight for the Republican Presidential nomination.

His name is “Seamus”.

That’s Mitt Romney's Irish Setter who he infamously strapped to the roof of his car during a family trip years ago.

He's dogged Mitt Romney since the 2008 presidential race.

"Back in 1983, Romney took his family on a road trip to Canada. However, when he packed the car tighter than Clark Griswold, he made an executive decision to strap the family dog to the roof of the car,” Santorum says.

Yeah, it happened decades ago, but so what? 

If you ask Romney's arch rival, Rick Santorum – Seamus matters. 

"As far as Seamus the dog, look, all I would say is the issues of character are important in this election. And we need to take a look at all those issues and make a determination as to whether that's the kind of person you want to be president of the United States,” Santorum claims.

Evidently there are plenty who agree with Santorum.  

Check out "Dogs Against Romney," a Facebook page that boasts more than 40,000 likes and thousands of posts, including T-shirt slogans and posters that read: Mitt Romney says corporations are people and dogs are luggage.

For the record, Romney has said Seamus was safe and happy in his carrier atop the family car, and well loved.

He hasn't commented on this presidential go-around, but he did in 2008 when PETA accused him of torture. 

"PETA has not been my fan over the years. PETA was after me for having a rodeo at the Olympics and very, very upset at that. PETA was after me when I went quail hunting in Georgia, and they're not happy that my dog likes fresh air."

(Copyright 2012 Sinclair Broadcasting Group)Dogs Against Romney