Mendocino County Superior Court Justice Patrick Pekin makes it official

MENDOCINO, CA., 7/29/2026 —  Bodhi, a 120-pound Giant Alaskan Malamute and the mayor-elect of Mendocino, was officially sworn into office by Superior Court Judge Patrick Pekin on Sunday, July 19 at 1:08 p.m. The event at the Mendocino Dog Park was capped off by pie-eating, tail-wagging and the occasional bark. One source said the crowd exceeded anything ever seen on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The ceremony was the culmination of five months of work that began with a bit of guerrilla theater involving a small dog sticker that ended up touching the lives of thousands and capturing the imagination of a town and its visitors, something noted by multiple media outlets, including this one.