Tuxedo Stan

Tuxedo Stan was a black-and-white cat from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who in 2012 ran a genuine — if tongue-in-cheek — campaign for mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality. His owners, veterinarian Hugh Chisholm and his wife Kathy, launched the campaign under a "Tuxedo Party" banner not in the expectation of winning, but to draw attention to the plight of the city's feral and homeless cats and the lack of affordable spay-neuter and shelter services. The campaign struck a chord far beyond Halifax: Tuxedo Stan's dapper good looks and serious message attracted international media coverage, an appearance referenced on American late-night television, and donations that helped establish a charitable foundation and a spay-neuter clinic in his name. Although a cat could not, of course, hold office, the campaign succeeded in its real aim — pushing animal welfare onto the civic agenda and raising thousands of dollars for homeless cats. Tuxedo Stan was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2013, but his foundation carried on his work, and his legacy endures as one of the most effective and charming animal-welfare campaigns ever fronted by a cat.