Wilton Manors' race for its first Dog Mayor is down to ten. A preliminary round of voting has narrowed the field, the city's final ballot is open now, and residents can vote online until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8. The city plans to announce the winner on Monday, Nov. 9.

The race is part of Fur the People, an event series the city's Leisure Services Department started this fall to celebrate the dogs of the Island City. The winning dog serves a two-year term.

How the campaign got here

The series opened on Sept. 10 with a Campaign Kickoff Paw-ty at Colohatchee Dog Park, 1975 NE 15th Ave., where owners learned how to enter their dogs. It continued on Oct. 22 with Bark the Vote and a costume parade at the same park, a chance for the candidates to meet voters in costume. Both events were free.

The preliminary round of voting produced the ten finalists now on the ballot. The city's ballot lists the candidates in the order their entries came in rather than by their first-round totals, and it shuffles the choices for each voter so no dog gets the top spot every time.

Meet the finalists

Each finalist has a bio and a platform on the ballot, written by the people who live with them. A few of the field:

  • Scruffy, a rescue who was left injured at a fire station as a puppy and is now the subject of a children's book about his recovery.
  • Fendi, a pug who visits an assisted living facility with his owner as part of a volunteer support team.
  • Oscar, a 6-year-old Goldendoodle whose owner plans to bring him to city events and local businesses if he wins.
  • Machi, a Maltipoo who was found as a stray sitting on a discarded couch near the railroad tracks and now lives in Wilton Manors.
  • Oso, a rescue bully breed whose platform is getting shelter dogs seen and adopted.
  • Romeo, a 5-year-old Bernedoodle who makes regular rounds from Townhouse Isles to Wilton Drive.

The rest of the ballot is Rowdy, Sully, George and Denver. George is a 4-year-old Goldendoodle who came to Wilton Manors at 18 months; Denver is a 2-year-old, 25-pound dog who came to South Florida from Denver, Colorado; Sully is described by her family as a snow dog living in the Florida sun; and Rowdy has ridden Brightline and gone shopping at the mall with his owner.

Why a Dog Mayor

The city describes Fur the People as a way to celebrate the community's four-legged residents. Both campaign events were held at Colohatchee Dog Park, the city's dedicated dog park. The Dog Mayor title is honorary and carries no say in city business. The human municipal election, for mayor and two commission seats, is a separate vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

How to vote

The ballot is an online form linked from the Fur the People page on the city's website, under Vote for Dog Mayor. Read the candidate bios, pick one dog and submit. Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, and the city says it will name Wilton Manors' first Dog Mayor on Monday, Nov. 9.

Questions about the series go to the city's Leisure Services Department through City Hall at (954) 390-2100.

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