The other night, a friend of mine from Cincinnati told me that there was a town across the river in Kentucky that had a dog for a mayor. Like most stories that people in bars tell about animals, this one turns out to be true.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. In 1998, the townspeople held an election for a dollar a vote, and ended up with a mutt named Goofy as mayor. Goofy’s opponents included three humans, a pig, a donkey, and two other dogs. When Goofy died, they elected Junior, who serves the people of Rabbit Hash to this day.

As luck would have it, a fellow has recently made a movie about Rabbit Hash and its civic leaders: Rabbit Hash, the Center of the Universe.

According to the film’s synopsis:

Partly a slam on the corruption of Kentucky politics and part fund-raiser for a run down church, the election was nonetheless very real. A dollar a vote…the candidate that raises the most money wins…“just like a real election."

I was still a little confused about the town's political system, so I called the Rabbit Hash General Store for some answers. Mary-Ellen Pesek was kind enough to help straighten some things out.

Q. Did you participate in the election?

A. My dog did. Since I’m an employee, I took myself out.

Q. Is there any other governmental authority in the town?

A. There’s a Vice Mayor, a Brittany Spaniel.

Q. What do they do?

A. Not much. They usually just lie on the porch.

Q. How many people are there in the town?

A. There’s two guys on motor cycles. And me. And I think there’s a woman in a house. So, four. Oh, that live there? Three.

(Ms. Pesek later admitted that the town is under the jurisdiction of Boone County.)