The Senate lost its most popular member, a dog named Dakota, last Wednesday. Former Sen. Kent Conrad's (D., N.D.) dog died after a two-year battle with lymphoma.
WDay TV reports:
The bichon frisé was a fixture on Capitol Hill, since its adoption in 2008. Conrad picked up Dakota from a rescue shelter when the dog was 10 years old.
Dakota was popular in Washington, dubbed the 101st senator by some.
Conrad told the Grand Forks Herald that Dakota was a "fighter" who brought a sense of calm to the Senate.
"He went to work with me every day," Conrad said. "People just took to him. To have an animal in that setting, it warmed people up. It made them feel more at home."
"In some of our (budget) negotiations, colleagues would call and ask if I could bring Dakota," Conrad said. "He calmed everyone down."