New York City has welcomed a new mayor, but this one isn’t replacing Eric Adams.

Simon, a rescue mix of basset hound and cattle dog, was inaugurated as the city’s second dog mayor on January 26, taking his oath outside City Hall in downtown Manhattan. The event was graced by notable local leaders, including Council Member Erik Bottcher and State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who is also in the running for human mayor.

Public advocate Jumaane Williams officiated the “oaf of office,” where Simon promised to serve with “dog-nity” for all citizens, ending the ceremony with a strong shake of the paw. He takes over from former Mayor Sally Long Dog.

Pepper, a mini chocolate dachshund, has also been appointed as Simon’s chief deputy.

Exciting Election

Simon clinched the mayoral title after a competitive event against Bertram, a Pomeranian, with the results declared on November 12 after Bertram conceded. The elections were held on November 11.

“Although Simon led in our Facebook group and website polls, Bertie had a significant advantage on our Instagram poll,” read a post from November 12 on Simon’s official Facebook page. “However, we identified suspicious bot-like accounts that skewed the polls at specific intervals.”

Election organizers mentioned that the only way to resolve the bot issue was to manually count the 22,000 votes. Instead, the “gracious Bertram chose not to put our city through a complicated and exhaustive process, conceding the election to Simon.”

Bertram was subsequently named Deputy Dog mayor-elect, and the two were scheduled to take their oaths the following week on November 19. Sadly, Bertie passed away shortly thereafter, leaving the community “saddened and heartbroken.”

In January, the dog mayor’s office announced Pepper would step up as the new Deputy Dog Mayor.

“With many other pups in the line of succession unavailable, Pepper stepped up eagerly to advocate for all New Yorkers, regardless of leg length,” stated the dog mayor’s office.

Meet Simon, NYC’s New Dog Mayor

Simon, a 7-year-old mix of basset hound and cattle dog, lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He made his way to New York in 2021 through Hearts & Bones Rescue from Texas and was taken in by his foster mom, Sophie Vershbow, as detailed in his official bio.

Simon loves long walks in the park, hosting friends and fosters, and helping to keep his mom’s writing projects on track.

Vershbow expressed to YSL News her desire to use Simon’s position to raise awareness about animal rescue and adoption across the city during his two-year term.

“There are countless dogs just as wonderful as Simon still searching for their forever homes,” Vershbow emphasized.

History of Dog Mayors in NYC

The dog mayoral election was initiated by Stephen Calabria, who now leads the Honorary NYC Dog Mayor Election. Calabria was motivated by an article he read about a dog mayor in Littleton, Colorado, in 2022.

“My initial thought was that this could be a great fit for New York,” Calabria noted.

He brainstormed the concept with friends and defined the purpose of the elections as an opportunity to highlight pet fostering and dog adoption, which he considers a “crisis” in the city, while also adding elements of “satire, comedy, and just pure fun.” With a background in political journalism and experience in the U.S. Senate, along with running podcasts for New York’s legendary Comedy Cellar, he envisioned merging these worlds through the dog mayor elections.

“It appeared as a cute and effective way to advocate and create positive change for a vulnerable population,” he said.

Candidates for the election were selected based on their online and public visibility for greater reach, and voting occurred via Facebook, Instagram, and the dog mayor’s dedicated website. Calabria explained that careful measures were taken to ensure real voter participation in the election process.

“I am incredibly grateful to everyone involved who views this as a fun and meaningful way to bring about change,” Calabria expressed.

The Future of the Dog Mayor

According to Calabria, Simon faces important responsibilities ahead as mayor.

“He has committed himself to advocate for enhanced fostering and adoption in New York City’s challenging animal care system,” he noted. “Simon will participate in numerous city events, and his overarching role is to set a positive example for both human and canine elected officials in New York City.”

Calabria also hopes to host dog mayor elections every two years.

“I realized that to make this project effective, it needed to parallel governmental processes, because then the humor comes naturally,” he said.

Dog Mayors Across the Country

Simon is not the only canine mayor in the United States. In August of the previous year, Khaleesi Sherbrooke, a Great Pyrenees, was elected as mayor of Cormorant, a tiny town in Minnesota. Additionally, a golden retriever named Max serves as the mayor of Idyllwild, a quaint mountain community in Southern California.

This story was updated to correct a typo.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter. Follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.