Vermont voters elect therapy dog for mayor
What better way to represent the small town of Fair Haven, Vermont, than choosing a therapy dog as the face of the town and official mayor.
Winning by 25 votes, 3-year-old Murfee, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and certified therapy dog, was elected to this role on Super Tuesday, according to WCAX.
Fair Haven is in western Vermont and has a population of 2,952 across more than 17 square miles.
The town has elected a pet as mayor for the last two years in order to engage the community and raise money for new playground equipment at Fair Haven Grade School.
My kind of town: A dog has been elected a mayor of Fair Haven, Vermont. Murfee, a 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel won. It was a tight race in the election. Murfee edged out the incumbent, a 3-year-old Nubian goat named Lincoln, by 25 votes.https://t.co/EmEcBJ3Icd pic.twitter.com/k1fVhCEvB3
— Channa Prakash (@AgBioWorld) March 5, 2020
Seventeen other pets were on the 2020 ballot, including the incumbent mayor named Lincoln, a Nubian goat.
"At a time when politics can be contentious, the mayoral race in Fair Haven brings the community together for a common cause. It's also a great way to teach our kids about civics and how important it is to vote in our local elections." — Fair Haven Town Manager Joe Gunter to CNN
Elementary schoolchildren were allowed to vote. In fact, almost half of the 664 voters were elementary schoolers, quite the voter turnout.
Students from a Fair Haven, Vermont school had a Super Tuesday of their own. They got to vote for the town's pet mayor. NE-001WE pic.twitter.com/cHQTp7rAcC
— CNN Newsource (@CNNNewsource) March 4, 2020
Murfee will divide his time between making appearances at fundraising events throughout the town and paying therapeutic visits through Caring Canines Therapy Dogs of Southern Vermont.
“I was excited. I think Murfee has proven he can raise money for the playground fund since he raised $570 with his bake sale,” shared Murfee's owner Linda Barker.
According to Barker, Murfee’s reaction to winning was a woof that roughly translates to, “Does this mean I get extra treats?”
