Axel, the beloved canine ‘mayor’ of Shandon, has died
Axel Hodges was a natural politician; he never met a palm he didn’t like.
The Bernese Mountain dog who in 2018 ran for ”mayor” of Columbia’s Shandon neighborhood has died. He would have been 10 in December. Axel died in his sleep Oct. 13, said his owners, former Gov. S.C. Jim Hodges and his wife, Rachel.
Almost every morning for a decade, Rachel Hodges woke to Axel’s big brown eyes and unshakable grin. Axel quickly established himself as a charismatic force in his community, and he knew how to solicit contributions in the form of pets and head scratches.
In 2018 during a contentious election cycle, Jim and Rachel decided to formalize Axel’s status as the de facto leader of their Columbia neighborhood by putting Axel’s face on campaign signs and posting them in the yards of their friends and neighbors who they knew would appreciate the joke.
“We just thought it would be fun to do something fun and bring the temperature down a little bit,” Rachel Hodges recalled.
Axel received a handful of write-in votes and even got a letter from the S.C. Election Commission certifying that he did, indeed, receive numerous write-in votes for multiple offices.
Another Shandon resident, Ann Summer, honored Axel with an obituary, writing, “Axel was a dog with many talents, one of which was opening doors with his island-sized paws. He was very playful and never had a bad day. He always was the center of attention wherever he went. Both children and adults were instantly drawn to his beauty and his charm.”
Axel’s last public appearance as mayor of Shandon was at the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. He had his own float, and he was steadfast in those duties.
”I’d look at him and say, ‘Axel we’re coming up on people,’ and he sit straight up like, ‘I’m supposed to entertain my people, bring me more people.’” Rachel Hodges said.
Shandon is a longstanding Columbia community, an eclectic group of longtime homeowners, renters, college students and retirees. The Hodges have lived in Shandon since Jim left office in 2003. Axel’s ability to make such a name for himself in the tight-knit community speaks to its charms, the Hodges said.
“You can take your dog for a walk, and it takes a half hour to finish because people stop you to talk,” Jim Hodges said. “It’s just a special place.”
Some of the Hodges’ friends have donated to the Humane Society in honor of Axel. Others have sent cards.
“I’m sorry he’s gone, but it’s nice that everybody embraced him the way that they did,” Rachel said.
This story was originally published October 25, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
