In early March, hundreds of people went to the polls in Fair Haven, Vermont, to elect a new mayor. The winner: Murfee, a 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, who beat out the incumbent, a Nubian goat named Lincoln, by 25 votes. It may sound unusual, but the town instated the honorary pet mayoral job in 2019 to raise money to fix up a community playground. (The town doesn’t have a human mayor.) The four-legged official acts as the face of the fund-raising campaign and makes appearances at local events. That means Murfee—a therapy dog who also visits nursing homes, schools, and hospitals—will be busy spreading joy for the next year. “At a time when politics can be contentious, the mayoral race in Fair Haven brings the community together for a common cause,” town manager Joe Gunter told CNN. “It’s also a great way to teach our kids about civics and how important it is to vote in our local elections.”