The City of West Hollywood’s Picasso Pets event will kick off with the swearing-in of the City’s honorary Pet Mayor, Winnie Erickson, on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 11 a.m. at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

The free Picasso Pets event will provide an opportunity for pet parents to meet Winnie, participate in pet-friendly activities, and receive event souvenirs while supplies last. Please note that the pet caricature portrait activity has reached capacity for this event, but pet pawrents are encouraged to enjoy a wide range of pawsitively amazing festivities in the park.

Pets must always remain leashed and under the control of their human. No ruff housing! In case of rain, the event will be moved indoors to the Doheny Room located on the second floor of the West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center (which is adjacent to the surface level of West Hollywood Park).

The City’s Pet Mayor is a program approved by the West Hollywood City Council in 2022. As part of the program, the City’s Mayor may choose to have their pet (dog, cat, or another animal companion) serve as the Pet Mayor during their mayoral term. The City’s Pet Mayor program intends to enhance support for the West Hollywood community’s animals and animal guardians and help bring awareness to the City’s ongoing efforts and initiatives focused on animal welfare.

The City’s Pet Mayor will include pawsome responsibilities including taking part in events and initiatives centered on the well-being of pets in the community. The Pet Mayor will also be tasked with attending appropriate meetings and events, which may include attending fundraisers in support of animal rescue organizations, wishing folks bone-appetit at dog-friendly establishments in West Hollywood, and other forms of community engagement.

Winnie, the beloved four-legged incoming Pet Mayor found her furever home with City of West Hollywood Mayor John M. Erickson when she was adopted from Wags and Walks. While Winnie may be nine years old, don’t let her age fool you — she’s got the energy and spirit of a puppy.

Whether she’s attending Zoom meetings or keeping an eye on Mayor Erickson’s French fries, Winnie is always by his side, providing unwavering support and companionship. Despite her advanced years, she’s still as lively as ever, thanks in part to her frequent naps while the Mayor works tirelessly to ensure her comfort and well-being.

Winnie’s talents extend beyond being an adorable sidekick; she’s also a fantastic dancer, bringing joy and laughter to those around her. Mayor Erickson and Winnie share a special bond, with Winnie serving as not only a faithful companion but also a source of inspiration and joy to others in the community.

From her humble beginnings as a rescue dog to her current role as the Pet Mayor of the City of West Hollywood, Winnie’s story is a testament to the power of love, companionship, and the incredible bond between humans and animals. As the Pet Mayor, Winnie will continue to spread happiness and positivity wherever she goes, proving that sometimes, the best leaders come with fur and four legs.

Winnie is enthusiastic about her new role and is committed to helping others who have been in her previous situation find their furever homes. Wags and Walks will be present at the event to showcase some dogs and puppies available for adoption. Please note that on-site adoptions will not be available; however, resources and information will be provided. Wags and Walks is dedicated to advocating for wrongfully stereotyped bully breeds, medical dogs, and mamas/puppies that are often overlooked and at-risk due to overcrowding. For more information about Wags and Walks, please visit: https://www.wagsandwalks.org.

The City of West Hollywood has been on the forefront of animal rights and protections for decades and the City’s commitment to animal rights is one of its legacies. The City has consistently worked to enact leading-edge animal welfare legislation. 

In 1989, the West Hollywood City Council passed Resolution 558 making West Hollywood a “Cruelty-Free Zone” for animals. This action was then followed by West Hollywood’s move to secure animal care service policies that included a no-kill policy for stray and abandoned animals. The City also focused its efforts on raising awareness about the availability of thousands of abandoned animals at shelters waiting to be adopted, even sponsoring local adoption fairs at City parks — a tradition that continues to this day.  

In 2004, the West Hollywood City Council passed an Ordinance to ban the practice of declawing cats, thereby making West Hollywood the first City in North America to ban this procedure. In 2008, the City of West Hollywood adopted a Resolution supporting Proposition 2, which led to a statewide standard in the caging of chickens; in 2009, the West Hollywood City Council took a stand against puppy-mills and the sale of dogs in local stores that came from such mills. The City of West Hollywood’s Ordinance prohibiting the sale of fur established that it is “unlawful to sell, offer for sale, display for sale, import, export, trade, or distribute any fur product by any means anywhere within the City of West Hollywood on or after September 21, 2013.” This Ordinance was approved by the West Hollywood City Council in November 2011 and, in August 2015, the Ordinance was amended.

The City of West Hollywood invites canine members of the community and their humans to sniff out a spot and romp around at the City’s two dog parks at West Hollywood Park. A small dog park and large dog park are located on each side of the park’s basketball courts and each area features expanses of open space with shade trees, small mounds and turf terraces, and water stations. In addition, the City operates the William S. Hart Park and Off-Leash Dog Park located at 8341 De Longpre Avenue.

For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s Pet Mayor, please contact Jennifer Del Toro, the City of West Hollywood’s Community and Legislative Affairs Supervisor, at (323) 848-6549 or at jdeltoro@weho.org. For more information about Picasso Pets, please call (323) 848-6534 or email recreation@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment by visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.