Who Let the Dog Out?

If someone on the street asked you about Bosco Ramos, the name most likely wouldn’t ring a bell. If you lived in Sunol, California in the 80’s, you’d have a better chance of recognizing the name since Ramos was the mayor of the aforementioned town. In fact, he was elected in 1981 and was in office until his death in 1994. While this might be a singular occurrence, it probably wouldn’t be the craziest event in American history. I could go on to tell you all about the absurd experiences America has had to live throughout its years like how they ended up capturing the island of Guam or the amazingly destructive life of Thomas Midgley Jr., but I’ll let you discover those stories on your own.

This story is going to be all about celebrating the great legacy of Bosco Ramos.

As much as I would love to believe that Bosco was meant to lead the town of Sunol, doing so would make me an optimist, and in 2021, that would be fatal. Ramos was a mixed black Labrador and Rottweiler that ran for mayor as a “Re-pup-lican” with the campaign slogan “A bone in every dish, a cat in every tree, and a fire hydrant on every corner”. He competed with two other [human] candidates, and because democracy is basically America’s superpower, the dog won the election and everybody welcomed his landslide victory (well maybe not everybody, I suppose the two other candidates weren’t too happy with the outcome…) Even if his candidacy was meant to be a joke, who wouldn’t want your mayor to be human’s best friend? And that’s how Bosco became the town’s most loveable, and fluffy, mayor.

Though most people would be suspicious, or at least weary, of your government representative being so often seen in the local pubs, Ramos was often welcomed with open arms in these establishments. Nobody would dare judge the mayor’s extracurricular activities! But no worries, Bosco was a sober leader and a very easy-going mayor as long as you gave him food and pets. He’d also often be seen doing his good Samaritan duties when certain patrons would have too much to drink. Ramos, the good mayor he was, would walk his tipsy citizens home. How many mayors can say this about themselves? It’s safe to say that Bosco was a dog of the people, for the people.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that mayors, especially human ones, should have some sort of understanding of the political workings of society. Some even contribute to this political environment by, for example, simply stating that the climate crisis is, in fact, real; hence, good leaders participate in promoting their beliefs. Since Bosco Ramos is, in my humble opinion, a good leader, he has also done his part in the fight for democracy. In 1990, the Sunol mayor participated in a rally with local students that were protesting at the Chinese consulate. Opposed to certain people with all bark and no bite, Ramos bared his teeth for democracy.

After 13 years in office, the beloved Labrador was no longer able to perform his mayorly duties and sadly passed away soon after. While Basco Ramos didn’t exactly change the world, he definitely served as a symbol for democracy. If all political leaders would take a page of out of the doggy’s book on politics, maybe there’d be more peace, or maybe there would be a fire hydrant on every corner, who knows?

In the wake of his departure, the town was not ready to easily forget their best leader, so in typical Sunol fashion, they decided to honour their beloved mayor with a bronze statue and a stuffed dog that pees beer in one of their local bars.