Will Canine Mayor Give Animal Constituents New ‘Leash’ on Life?
The voters have spoken, and the small town of Cormorant, Minnesota, has once again gone to the dogs—Duke the dog, to be exact. In a landslide vote, the 9-year-old canine was easily reelected to his third mayoral term earlier this week. Today, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk sent His Honor a congratulatory gift basket—complete with vegan chewies and toys—along with a request that he consider working with local legislators to enact animal-friendly laws during his next year in office.
As Ingrid notes in her letter, “Any official who passes animal-friendly laws helps to establish how important these protections are and gives other legislators something to paws and think about.”
Our proposed animal-friendly platform includes prohibiting dog chaining, banning puppy mills, subsidizing spay and neuter programs, requiring that dogs receive several long daily walks wearing comfortable harnesses, and establishing parks where dogs can socialize, exercise, and play.
We hope Mayor Duke and other city officials will take this opportunity to make life a little less ruff for Cormorant’s animal constituents.
What You Can Do
If you’re ready to make a lifetime commitment to an animal, adopt from an animal shelter and make sure you get your new “forever friend” spayed or neutered. Dogs should never be chained or left outside, and they thrive on long walks every day while wearing a comfortable harness—never a choke, prong, or shock collar.
For more information, check out our page on living with animal companions.
