NEW YORK, N.Y. - A protest outside the Westminster dog show aimed at Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has drawn about a dozen demonstrators and a few pooches.

The half-hour protest Tuesday in New York by Dogs Against Romney took issue with Romney's oft-told story of travelling with his Irish setter. Romney said he put the dog inside a crate and strapped it to the roof rack for a 12-hour drive on a 1983 family vacation.

The protesters held signs that said "Mitt is Mean" and "Dogs Aren't Luggage."

American Kennel Club spokeswoman Lisa Peterson says putting a dog in a crate for car travel is the first step toward responsible dog ownership. But she says the second step is putting that crate inside the car.