Under the Unusual Employee Department: The mayor of Rabbit Hash, KY, a 12-year-old Labrador retriever, has died.

The Rabbit Hash General Store has confirmed that Junior Cochran died two days before his 13th birthday, according to Cincinnati TV station WLWT.

The town elected Junior mayor in November 2004. More than 3,000 votes were cast for him.

Rabbit Hash is proud of its dog mayor. It even has a Web site about it.

Will there be a special election? No one knows for sure. It’s possible Junior’s former contenders, Marty the mule and Charlie the chicken, may have a runoff. 

Tags: chicken, dog, mule, unusual employee