TEXAS – In a little town called White Settlement in Texas, a politician by the name of Elzie Clements went up against a library cat named Browser—and lost.
According to a local CBS affiliate, Browser was adopted to the local library when he was just a kitten, as a means of controlling the rodent population and delighting book lovers. Then in July, over at City Hall, a worker was hoping to bring his puppy into the office and was denied. The unnamed man transferred his anger onto Browser the cat living amongst the stacks. If his puppy wasn’t able to come to work, Browser, too, should be put out on his fluffy ass – was the logic!
BREAKING: #BrowserTheCat to remain at the library, council reverses decision to remove him #WFAA pic.twitter.com/BIZFmWotvK
— Lauren Zakalik (@wfaalauren) July 1, 2016
And so, the White Settlement City Council put the matter to a vote. Only one person stood against Browser, City Councilman Clements. The support for Browser from the city council was in part a response to a gigantic backlash against his proposed eviction when viral media caught wind of Browser’s tale. The mayor, who is Ron White, explained to ABC News at the time that he’d received more than 1,500 emails from all over the world demanding justice for Browser. In early July it was confirmed that the kitty had indeed triumphed.
LIVE on #Periscope: White Settlement council meeting on #BrowserTheCat possible relocation #WFAA https://t.co/ABCCM8zD9v
— Lauren Zakalik (@wfaalauren) July 1, 2016
So then, what of Elzie Clements? CBS DFW reported that he lost in a landslide to his opponent just this November and was actually defeated by his cat vendetta. According to Death and Taxes, Mayor White firmly connected Clements loss to his anti-Browser stance when he stated to local radio station KRLD, “I don’t know why he was after Browser, ‘cause it’s my understanding he has cats at home. For some reason he had it in his head that there should not be a cat in a public building.”
Just goes to show you, you don’t mess around with a cat!
