Mayor of Talkeetna, AK mauled by Dog

Our best wishes and prayers go out to the Mayor of Talkeetna, AK. It happened Saturday night as the Mayor walked through town. After the attack the Mayor retreated to safety and did not come out of hiding to get treatment until after 11pm.

The Mayor suffered a fractured sternum, a punctured lung and a large gash in his side.

Ok if you followed my Alaska adventures you know that the Mayor of Talkeetna is a yellow feline named Stubbs because he has no tail. Mayor Stubbs is 16 years old and has been the honorary Mayor of Talkeetna for 15 of those 16 years.

As Mayor Stubbs claws his way to recovery at a Wasilla-area vet, let me review a bit of history for you.

Stubbs was discovered in 1n a box of kittens in front of a local general store about 16 years ago. The store manager decided to keep him and named him Stubbs for the missing tail.

About a year later residents were unhappy with the slate of candidates in a mayoral election and thought the cat at the local general store seemed smart enough to hold the job. They banded together with a grass roots write in drive to make Mr. Stubbs the candidate of choice. ..The cat won and like Mayor Menino of Boston, Mayor Stubbs has been running the show ever since.

Mayor Stubbs’ life hasn’t been all catnip and cream, although his constitutes love him, this isn’t his first brush with trouble. About 5 years ago two teenagers with a BB gun shot the Mayor in his backside. One of the BB’s is still there.

Three years ago he hitched a ride on a garbage truck. He finally jumped off at an Alaska Railroad Crossing and had to make his way on foot the 1/2 mile home.

Two years ago he fell into a cold fryer vat at the West Rib Pub. He spent the night at the vet’s when a Dawn dish soap bath couldn’t get him totally clean. He has a reputation of being an adventurous guy. Which, of course, goes with being Alaskan.

In spite of his past mishaps, Mayor Stubbs has never had injuries as severe as he received in this mauling. The Canine Assassin is in hiding and has not been picked up yet by Animal Control but a report is expected to be filed this week. Cats are considered “Free Roaming” but dogs are subject to leash laws.

Reports are that the breathing tubes have been removed and Mayor Stubbs is breathing on his own and has even eaten a little food. He will be allowed visitors sometime today (Thursday). Looks like Mayor Stubbs will be recuperating for quite awhile although we are happy he is alive.