Mitt Romney and his grandson petting a dog (not Seamus) during a campaign stop in 2008. (Photo: Getty)

Mitt Romney may not have told the whole truth about the scandalous tale of his Irish Setter, Seamus, being strapped to the roof of his car during a 12-hour family road trip to Canada. According to a trusted Politicker tipster, two of Mr. Romney's sons had an off-record conversation with reporters where they revealed the dog ran away when they reached their destination on that infamous journey in 1983.

Mr. Romney's wife, Ann, has previously said Seamus survived the trip and went on to live to a "ripe old age." As of this writing, Mr. Romney's campaign has not responded to multiple requests for comment on this story. 

Seamus' story first came to light in a 2007 Boston Globe profile of Mr. Romney that told the story of the voyage to his father's cottage in the gated Beach O' Pines community on Ontario's Lake Huron:

"The white Chevy station wagon with the wood paneling was overstuffed with suitcases, supplies, and sons when Mitt Romney climbed behind the wheel to begin the annual 12-hour family trek from Boston to Ontario. ... 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.

According to the Globe, Mr. Romney told his family he would "be making predetermined stops for gas, and that was it," but one of his sons, Tagg, eventually noticed something was amiss:

As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. ''Dad!'' he yelled. ''Gross!'' A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who'd been riding on the roof in the wind for hours.

Mr. Romney responded to his dog's defecation by "coolly" stopping at a gas station where he "borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway" with Seamus strapped back on the roof.

The Globe initially presented the story as an example of Mr. Romney's "emotion-free crisis management," but the incident has enraged many animal lovers and caused many issues on the campaign trail. Seamus inspired an attack ad from Mr. Romney's Republican rival Newt Gingrich, a "Google bomb" coining "Romney" as a verb meaning "to defecate in terror," a mocking Tweet from President Barack Obama's advisor, David Axelrod, and, of course, an angry statement from PETA.

At a campaign stop in Pittsburgh the day after the Globe story ran, Mr. Romney dismissed the tale as a smear from PETA.

"You know, PETA has not been my fan over the years," he said. "PETA has been after me for having a rodeo at the Olympics and were very, very upset about that. PETA was after me when I went quail hunting in Georgia. And PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air."

Mr. Romney also argued Seamus enjoyed traveling on top of the car.

"He scrambled up there every time we went on trips," Mr. Romney said. "He got it all by himself and enjoyed it."

Mr. Romney and his wife clearly want the world to think that, despite defecating himself, Seamus had a pleasant trip to Canada and a long life in the Romney household. However, based on what Mr. Romney's sons allegedly told reporters about Seamus going on the lam in Canada, Seamus didn't like being strapped to the car enough to stick around for the return trip.