Idyllwild’s second mayor passes at age 9

Mayor Max II died just after 11 p.m. Saturday, July 30, following sudden health issues. “Mayor Max is going into surgery at 9 PM this evening approximately. He has several crises in his body that are causing the removal of the spleen and potentially other organs. There is a possibility when they do the surgery they will find that there is no hope for Mayor Max’s condition and that his life will end this evening,” wrote co-owner Phyllis Mueller on Mayor Max’s Facebook page.

The first Mayor Max died in his sleep April 2, 2013, after suffering numerous health problems. He became mayor through an Idyllwild Animal Rescue Friends (ARF) fundraiser. After his death, the new puppy Mayor Max II, born May 6, 2013, completed the first mayor’s term of office through June 30, 2014, but ARF decided to allow the new mayor to continue without a term limit.

Chief of Staff Mueller issued this statement Monday:

“We are so deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected loss of our sweet dog, Mayor Max. Mayor Max is so much a part of me that I am having difficulty coping. Your outreach to us has been so comforting and helpful. As soon as I can, I’ll make an appearance in town if I think I can have any form of communication without crying too much.

“Mayor Max was a devoted public servant. All I had to say was, ‘We’re going to work!’ and he would jump up and run to the door. As I put his tie on, he would put his head down to put it through the elastic band. I then put on his vest and he would lift up his paw so that I could put it on him.

“The light in his eyes and the smile on his face every second he was in town just showed how happy he was with his job.

“As you know from his charter, he was devoted to helping make the world a better place by conveying unconditional love and doing as many good deeds for others as possible. He asks everyone to be kind and loving to each other and use love as the basis for everything you think, do and say. It’s possible to communicate anything from love, and when you want to be mean or get even, he asks you to hold back until you can have a loving heart about it and then communicate.

“I want to thank the community for the absolute joy we have had in fulfilling this role. The Deputy Mayors are sad too but they have been comforting us as we comfort them.

“I will figure out something about the future when I can work through some of this grief. We cannot convey the depths of our love for you, the community of Idyllwild, and Mayor Max’s friends around the globe.”