New York's Second Dog Mayor Inaugurated: How It Happened

In New York, a dog mayor was inaugurated near the City Hall building on January 26. The new furry mayor of the city is a basset hound named Simon. He is the second four-legged mayor of the Big Apple, reports CityState.

Public defender Jumaane Williams performed the inauguration. Simon, promising to serve faithfully and faithfully, sealed the deal with a firm handshake. The duties of mayor were handed over to him by his dachshund Sally.

He was elected in an online vote last year. Pepper, a miniature chocolate dachshund, was sworn in as deputy mayor-Dogs.

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"My favorite part is that Simon, Sally and Pepper had no idea what was going on. They were just happy to be there. Dogs "We got a lot of treats that day," said Sophie Vershbow, Simon's owner.

Election race

Simon was elected mayor after a dramatic competition with Bertram, a Pomeranian.

The official winner was announced on November 12 after Bertram surrendered. The election took place on November 11.

"While Simon won the polls in our Facebook group and website, Bertie was far ahead in the Instagram poll," the dog mayor's official Facebook account said in a Nov. 12 post. "However, we have noticed many fake accounts on Instagram."

Election officials said the only way to defeat the bot ballots was to manually count 22 votes. Instead, the magnanimous Bertram decided not to subject the city and state to such a difficult and time-consuming process. He deferred to Simon.

Bertram was announced as the deputy dog ​​mayor. They were to be sworn in on November 19. Sadly, Bertie died a week later.

Who is Simon?

Simon lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. He’s seven years old. He’s a basset hound/cattle dog mix. Simon arrived in the Big Apple in 2021 through Hearts & Bones Rescue in Texas and was adopted by his foster mom, Vershbow.

Duties of the Mayor Dog

Simon enjoys long walks in the park and meeting with friends, but he faces the difficult challenges of being mayor.

He has made it his mission to advocate for more adoptions and advancement of the care system for vulnerable animals. Simon will be appearing at many city events. His job description includes being a positive role model for New York City's elected officials.

Vershbow hopes that during her two-year term as the mayor's dog's owner, she'll be able to help find homes for animals all over the city. But really, all the mayor's dog has to do is look cute. That's an easy task for Simon.

"There are so many amazing dogs like Simon who are still looking for their forever homes," Vershbow said.