Thank you for this column, Mr. McGrory. Not everyone understands the depths of love our companion animals are capable of nor our fierce devotion to them. You brought tears with this piece.

Run free, Otis.

Sweet story.  Thank you.

So sad for Elizabeth, but a heartwarming and inspiring story for your readers, thanks for writing this.

What a wonderful story of love. I've become a cat man myself but never cease to marvel at how even just a few minutes with my Miss Hissy can make even a challenging day seem not so bad! Sounds like both Ms. Warren and Otis were very blessed. 

Look at the size of him. What a beauty he was.

I’m so very sorry to hear of Otis’ passing. He passed over the “Rainbow Bridge” as an animal who had happily and capably complemented his human family members. Animals are as children . . . giving so much more than they take. Otis had a wonderful family and I hope that Ms Warren and Mr Mann continue to include animals in their family . . . it’s the best way to heal after the loss of a friend. And with the upcoming Washington/Cambridge commute, animal companionship is a great stress-buster!

For a dedicated pet owner, who understands their individuality, importance and unconditional love, it is devastating to lose part of the family.

To the Warren family, I'm sorry for your loss.

puff puff puff piece

Losing a pet dog is devastating. Your dog depends on you and shows you unconditional love. They doesn't understand what's going on when their health fails, but they soldier on. I'm so sorry for Senator Warren.

Certainly anyone with a heart will feel poorly about Senator-elect Warren's loss of her long-time companion and friend.  I sincerely do.  But the aritcle begs a pair of questions.  When did Mr. McGrory start writing articles for Parade and why did this one get picked up by the Boston Globe?

Thank you, Brian.  I didn't know about Senator Warren's dog, but I understand her joy and grief, and I respect and admire her even more for being a dog lover.  

Thirteen, years ago, my partner, Jim, and I, got a mismatched pair of pet shop rejects from our friend, Dr. Jeff Giles, who owns Highland Animal Hospital in Needham.  Barkley was a salt and pepper Miniature Schnauzer who had neurological and liver issues his whole life.  He was never very good with young children, but he was lovable and cuddly with everyone else, and he tolerated my impatience with his special needs and loved me more than I deserved.  Thank the dog gods that Jim is a behavioral psychologist who works with kids with autism and was much more patient with our special needs dog than I was.  Jeff gave him to us, and he helped us when the time came to send him across the Rainbow Bridge three years ago this month.  

And now, Tiny Dancer, the five-pound Pomeranian other-half of the mismatched pair, is 13 and couldn't walk without arthritis medicine, or breathe well without cough medicine.  He has his good days and bad ones, but he still gets around.  He's the music mascot for www.jpconcerts.org, and comes to all our concerts, and he'll be at the Loring-Greenough House in JP weekends through Christmas helping us sell Christmas trees for St. John's Episcopal Church.  He flew down to Tennessee with me for Thanksgiving last week, and all through his journey, people were taken with him and wondered how something so small could be alive and not animatronic. We will care for him until the time comes to send him over that Rainbow Bridge, and until then, he will give us and others the unconditional love that makes me believe there is no coincidence that "dog" is "god" spelled backwards. 

Thanks again, Brian, and to Senator-elect Warren and Bruce, I offer sincere condolences.  Tiny Dancer is smaller than Otis's head, but he's willing to stop by sometime and give you a hug.  He's just a few stops away on the Red Line.  

Happy Holidays!  Ken, Jim, and Tiny Dancer

Thank you for this column.  I had no idea, as Elizabeth kept the loss of her beloved Otis private during her election.  Thanks for this very human/canine tribute. 

We have had dogs gets to the point where they had to be put down, and it's sad.  My condolences to the Senator-elect and her family.

We have 2 dogs now, and they bring much love and laughter to our house.   A pet is a member of the family, and their passing is always difficult and leaves a hole in the household. 

Thanks for a nice, non-political story.

I can't fathom the snide reactions to this article.  The writers must be flint-hearted Republicans still upset about the election, or people who've never lost a beloved pet, or both. 

Thanks, Brian, for an insightful, beautifully written tribute. 

So sorry to learn about this -- I've been through it myself, a beloved dog with cancer that first seemed to be responding to treatment, but then... -- it's heartrending.  Not to diminish the place that Otis had in Ms. Warren's life, but I have found (several times) that the best antidote to grief over losing a pet is to get another one -- I could never bear the dog- or cat-shaped hole in my life for very long.  Each one has enriched my days in different ways, without taking anything away from the ones who went before.  Indeed, they've kept the memories greener by offering comparisons to consider.

It's a very nice story.  I'm a supporter and a fan of Senator-elect Warren's.  Perhaps Mr. McGrory felt this article was to amend his ripping her apart not long ago in his piece, "Elizabeth Warren, a woman of few words." He began the article with this: "For the sake of Massachusetts, let’s hope that Elizabeth Warren gets better than this."  He concluded that article with these words: "But election night was lazy. Thursday was disrespectful. If Elizabeth Warren is better than this, and there is every hope and belief that she is, it’s time to start showing it now."

We lost both our large beautiful dogs to cancer just a year apart, not that long ago. One to lymphoma, the other to an unrelenting prostatic tumor. It was almost too much to bear, beyond devasting. Chemo did not work on the lymphoma, too far gone, but for our Brody, it did buy us 7 precious months with him.

Our condolences to the family. We are right there with you.

PS: That has got to be the largest golden I've ever seen, just about as big as our great pyrenees, Letty, 126 lbs., who succumbed to that lymphoma. So, so missed, we cannot describe.

So sad, a couple of weeks ago, my wife and I lay on the floor at the Vet's office with our beloved Faye and said our last goodbyes. She too had cancer, but she gave us 10 wonderful years and now she is at peace. 

So sorry about Otis, Elizabeth. We lost a beloved dog last Christmas and her absence made the house feel so empty. You don't realize how much space dogs take up: nails clicking on the floor, sighs and grumbles, thumping up and down the stairs, dog tags banging against the food bowl when they eat, and the feel of them, the warmth of them, how when it's been a really lousy day they alone can make you smile. 

Beautifully written article. Pets understand love better than most humans. As for euthanasia,I had to have my cat euthanized. I wish all of us could have the same privilege when life becomes a living death. His demise with me holding him was peaceful and painless. 

There is not a stronger supporter of Scott Brown than I, but someone who loves a dog like that is okay in my book!

Seriously?  This is a big piece of fluff and I'm a dog owner and dog lover!  I'm sorry for her loss but still don't like her and her politics!!

Unfortunately the wrong old dog is no longer with us.

For the Republican posters who had to be negative towards Ms. Warren even when she lost her dog, I would like to know how you could have voted for your candidate for President, Romney, who forced a dog to ride hundreds of miles in a cage on top of the car, who hosed off the diahhrea of the dog half way (dog was terrified) and made that same dog get back into the cage for the rest of the ride?

Brian,

this article would be an embarassment even to People magazine.

Ive always said that if you're the mother of teenagers you need a dog... someone in your life needs to love you Unconditionally!  Same for politicians I guess!  Everyone should have someone to love.

R u freakin kidding me?