An adorable golden retriever is the 'Mayo'r of a California town after a process which raised funds for an animal welfare charity.
The animal, who is known to his constituents as Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II, took office in 2014 from his predecessor Max I, who sadly passed away.
The unincorporated southern Californian town of Idyllwild started the tradition of electing a dog mayor seven years ago.
Phyllis Mueller is Max's owner and she refers to herself his chief of staff. She also answers her cellphone with the greeting, 'Office of the Mayor.'
A golden retriever named Max II became Mayor of Idyllwid, a small California town, in July 2014 and his constituents can't get enough of the cute canine
Max II, (pictured), is continuing the legacy of his predecessor Max I, who was elected Mayor in 2012 but sadly died, leaving his owner searching for a replacement
She told the Insider: 'We promoted this as an election you can buy, and we encouraged everyone to vote a lot.
'When we met Max in his infancy, he looked right at the camera, crossed his arms and did a pose. That's how he let us know, we said, there it is, that's the sign, that is the mayor.'
He is the the second dog to be elected for the town’s highest office since Mayor Max I in 2012, who was Idyllwild's first elected a canine.
That year, the nonprofit Idyllwild Animal Rescue Friends ran an election in the unincorporated town.
Max II is pictured with his loving owner and 'chief of staff', Phyllis Mueller, who found his breeder after looking through a golden retriever magazine
Mayor Max attends is the guest of honor at city events and festivals in Idyllwild
Max I faced stiff competition from 13 other dogs
