Blind Parrots and Norman the Sled Dog

Cllr Darren Price (Plaid) said at a meeting of Carmarthenshire County Council earlier this summer that his voters would not lose any sleep if the authority slashed its press and PR budget.

Whenever the council announces its intention of cutting some service or other (museums, subsidised school transport, leisure centres, etc.), it is always keen to remind everyone that the doomed service in question is not part of the council's statutory obligations. Here's Cllr Colin Evans (Lab) telling schoolchildren in Llanelli to get on their bikes.

Publishing what is very likely the fattest and glossiest propaganda sheet in Wales and maintaining the largest PR operation outside Cardiff are not statutory obligations either, but the money keeps flowing.

You can judge for yourselves whether we are getting value for money by reading this bizarre and badly written story:

Sue and Mick.....met because of interest in sled dogs and confirmed their day would not be complete unless Oliver the blind parrot was not allowed to share the best man duties with their lead sled dog Norman the terrier, who already has his own Facebook site: Normanthesleddogclarke.

The story features a blind parrot called Oliver who, "was going to euthanized when Fran and Mick adopted. Ion his 18 years and he has become a star of the South Wales dog circuit and is even mascot of the Sled Dog Society of Wales." Sic.

Nothing much about this story is exactly clear, not least why the council is writing about it, although it may be something to do with publicising an event called the Burns Dogs' Day which features "wonderful waggers, odd couples, fancy dress for dogs" and more.

Unlike Monty Python's parrot, unfortunately the council's very own Norwegian Blue is very much alive and squawking.