Dog Mayor of Salem is Salem Main Streets' fuzziest annual fundraiser. We can't believe it has been almost seven dog years since Dog Mayor Gigi and Deputy Dog Mayor Bruce were elected!

Photo credit Lindsay Parker of Modern Pet Photography.

The time has come again for the pups to pull papers and declare their canine candidacy!

One dollar donation equals one vote. Vote as many times as you want for as many candidates as you want. Voting deadline is September 30th.

Funds go to our nonprofit organization Salem Main Streets. We enrich downtown Salem through free community events and business support.

The role of Dog Mayor of Salem is a public figure with no voting responsibilities but our current dog officials have enjoyed being an honored guest at multiple city events like ribbon cuttings and lead our annual Howl-o-ween Pet Parade. They have been given a dog bone key to the city and were given custom mayoral bandannas made by Salem Bespoke Boutique. Their official photos below were taken by Lindsay Parker of Modern Pet Photography.

Information on joining the race:

The role of Dog Mayor of Salem is a public figure with no voting responsibilities but our current dog officials have enjoyed being an honored guest at multiple city events like ribbon cuttings and lead our annual Howl-o-ween Pet Parade. They have been given a dog bone key to the city by the Human Mayor and were given custom mayoral bandannas made by Salem Bespoke Boutique. Their official photos below were taken by Lindsay Parker of Modern Pet Photography.

FAQs:

Does the candidate need to live in Salem?

Dogs must either live or work in Salem.

Can I submit multiple dogs?

More the merrier!

May I have another species as a candidate?

We will not stop you from being a rebel for a cause (especially since the cause is us!)

My dog is shy or reactive-can we still enter?

Yes please! We would love for them to have an election page but the inauguration is at the pet parade so that would be distressing. We recommend joining the fun but dropping out of the race (make up a scandal!).

How to make your candidate page: (different from last year)

On the main campaign page, click on the ADD A CANDIDATE box. Fill out using your PET'S NAME, don't forget to add a photo, and hit SIGN UP (if you already have a GiveButter profile and have any issues with this, let us know)! The next prompt will be a fundraising goal and a block labeled YOUR STORY. Fill your story block with fun facts about your pup. Take a look at last year's pages or Tango's 2026 profile for inspiration. You can edit any of this information later!

Send Elise an email with a hi-res photo of your friend at elise@salemmainstreets.org. This will be used for lawn signs. Please no text on the photo or AI.

Once you have a profile, feel free to start working your tails off on the campaign trail! Please kick off your campaign with a donation to Salem Main Streets ($25 suggested). This builds momentum and covers your lawn sign.

Learn more about what Salem Main Streets does so you can encourage donations. Did you know we are a nonprofit with two employees (Kylie and Elise) and 300+ volunteers? We run free community events like The Salem Farmers' Market, Salem Arts Festival (with Creative Collective), Salem's So Sweet (with the Salem Chamber), The Ice Scream Bowl, Santa's Arrival / Holiday Tree lighting, Holiday ribbons and wreaths downtown, New Year's Eve LAUNCH party, Annual Fashion Show, the October Info Booth, and the Howl-o-ween Pet Parade - all while also providing free support to downtown businesses and events.

The Dog Mayor of Salem has become our biggest fundraiser of the year. THANK YOU!

Thank you to our Dog Mayor of Salem sponsor Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry

Dog Mayor Of Salem 2026

Salem is a dog-ocracy

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