Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took to social media on Friday to mourn the loss of his pet dog, Truman.
“We are heartbroken to have had to say goodbye to Truman today after his many faithful years at our side,” Buttigieg posted on Twitter. “He brought such laughter and mischief to our lives amid all that swirled around us. We miss him already.”
A chorus of Twitter users commented on the tweet, offering their support and pictures of their own dogs and other pets.
Buttigieg, who ran against President Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, has made history as the first openly gay Senate-confirmed Cabinet secretary in U.S. history. He and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, also have another pet dog named Buddy.
The two pups have their own Twitter following, accruing more than 81,000 followers on their page First Dogs of South Bend.
The former mayor of South Bend, Ind., has been known to make comments about his dogs, including promising in a 2019 interview to “still pick up” after them if he were to win the White House.
”Well, yeah, you know, the dogs don’t care,” Buttigieg responded when asked if he would be the one to clean up after his own dogs. “Either we gotta do it, or somebody does.”
When he was appointed to lead the Department of Transportation, Buttigieg also showed excitement after meeting Biden’s German Shepherd Major, further signaling his love for animals.
“First time I went in for an Oval Office meeting, Major was there and said a quick hello,” Buttigieg said in 2021. “We got along pretty well.”
“I know there’ve been some stories about him,” he added. “But my interactions with him have been great.”