[News] 50 Pound Boston Terrier Was A Local Celebrity, Passes Away.

It wasn’t an MBTA official, or a cleverly-dressed conductor. This individual stood a great deal shorter, yet commanded the attention of many.

His name is Endicott the Mighty, a 50-pound Boston Terrier known to many Westwood residents, and a celebrity in the city of Boston. At the age of 11, Endicott passed away last week after a short illness.

His owners, Dan Petitpas and his wife Susan Gellerman of Westwood, own a business in downtown Boston, Fantastic Transcripts, and brought Endicott to work with them every day since he was a puppy.

Petitpas joked that so many people knew to look for Endicott when searching for the Franklin train, he Susan needed to make sure they were going in the right direction.

“We’d lead 50 people down the wrong track if we picked the wrong train,” said Petitpas.

A Boston celebrity

Endicott the Mighty is named after the Endicotts, one of first families of Boston. The name is seen far and wide, from Endicott College to the Endicott train station in Dedham. John Endicott was a colonial magistrate and the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Petitpas said he was looking for a Boston name for their dog, particularly because the breed has such a strong connection to the city. In his research, he discovered that the dogs used to be bred on Boston Common—an irony, as the couple would walk their dog in that area.

“People came up 8-10 years after meeting him and say ‘Hi, Endicott,’” said Petitpas. “We would be on the Common an hour a day talking to people. I’m a shy person and I wouldn’t have talked to all these people if I didn’t have Endicott.”

Though a Boston Terrier, Endicott’s size was a cause for concern—along with a little investigation—as this breed typically ranges between 12 and 25 pounds. A DNA test proved he was a full Boston Terrier, but from a split litter of two Boston Terrier males. Gellerman said his size had many mistaking him for a pit bull, but that didn’t stop people from petting him.

“People would say ‘Oh my God, that’s the biggest Boston Terrier I’ve ever seen,’” said Gellerman.

Over the years, Endicott became a friend to many of the tour guides in Boston, and has even been featured in some newspaper and magazines, including the Boston Herald and Cape Cod Times. During the colder months, Endicott sported a variety of sweaters and coats, and was often recognized on his walks.