Rabbit Hash is a small town in the state of Kentucky (USA). Long ago, the title of mayor of the town ceased to belong to humans. A total of five canine mayors have held the office, with the last elected being a six-month-old French bulldog named Wilbur.
Strange town elects dog as mayor
In 2001, tourists visiting Rabbit Hash were surprised to see locals holding a parade in memory of Mayor Goofy.
Indeed, Goofy was the town’s first canine mayor, dying while still in office in 2001 at the age of 16. It wasn’t until 2004 that a black Labrador named Junior took over the post after an election. The election was resounding, attracting a lot of attention from the American public.
The dog Wilbur, the incumbent mayor of Rabbit Hash.
When Junior died in 2008, a dog named Lucy Lou became the town’s first elected “female mayor”. Lou served in office for the next eight years. The 2016 victory went to Brynneth Pawltro, a cheerful pitbull. In 2020, Pawltro ran for re-election but suffered a defeat to Wilbur.
The origin of the election of a dog as mayor
Previously, Rabbit Hash was a densely populated town on the banks of the Ohio River in Boone County. Today, the town has only about a dozen structures left, including an 189-year-old general store. It can be said that Rabbit Hash is like an old town, no new constructions are allowed to turn it into a tourist attraction.
Rabbit Hash has no many residents or public services to manage, no officials to elect, no city council to convene, and no police department to manage.
Therefore, the dog mayor election is like a public fundraising activity. Each vote is equivalent to one USD and the total proceeds will be used to pay for the repair and maintenance of the remaining buildings in the town.
In Wilbur’s most recent election win, funds raised were used to build the embankment separating the town from the Ohio River and to buy a new porch and stairs for a barn.
Wilbur’s campaign brought in nearly $50,000.
It is worth mentioning that the dog market elections caused an unexpected resonance and attraction to the public. At the time of the elections, almost every major media channel in the United States reported and made voting activity quite lively. The dog election was even made into an hour-long TV special on the popular science channel Animal Planet.
In 2020, there will be no parades for the new mayor Wilbur due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the election still attracted attention in the media and social networks. Wilbur’s owner also received interview invitations from reporters in Germany, Canada and UK etc.
And what will be the specific duties of the mayor? Wilbur is simply taking regular walks in town, taking pictures at events and the reward for that effort will be delicious bones. Of course, the more adorable the dog mayor, the more interesting it will be, which will attract more attention and attract donations.