MACANDREW BAY DOG ATTENDS MORE COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAN HIS OWNER, MINUTES CONFIRM
Barnaby the labrador has sat through four meetings this year. His owner has managed one, and left early.
A labrador named Barnaby has attended more Macandrew Bay community committee meetings in 2025 than his registered owner. Attendance sheets confirm it.
Barnaby, nine, lives on Marne Street and answers to three versions of his name. He has been present at four meetings of the Otago Peninsula Community Board's Macandrew Bay working group. He also wandered into one hall committee AGM by mistake. His owner, Lynette Prebble, has been to one, and left before the treasurer's report.
"He just follows people up the hill," Prebble told The Daily Yarn from her front step. "Someone opens the hall door, Barnaby goes in, sits by the urn. I only found out because Marjorie signed him in as an apology."
Committee secretary Marjorie Renton, 71, said Barnaby had been marked present since March. He was once recorded as abstaining on a bench relocation vote. "He didn't move when we did the show of hands. Seemed only fair to note it."
One regular attendee said Barnaby was, on balance, more use than several ratepayers she declined to name. "He doesn't interrupt. He doesn't bring up the roundabout. Bloody good listener."
Barnaby is expected at Tuesday's meeting. Prebble is not.
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Reader Letters
Trev_Hornby
At least Barnaby’s not munted on O-Week like some around there!
Garry (Halswell)
Back in my day, if your dog turned up in a meeting it meant it was time to head home and check on the fence! Bloody escape artists, they were.
wayne1987
@Garry it's 2023, not the 1960s! People care more about their meetings than their fences now.
ropeable_dave
Mate, I reckon Barnaby would make a better councillor than some of the knobs sitting there now. Quiet and non-disruptive. Sign him up for more!
Garry (Halswell)
@ropeable_dave Yeah, but can he promise to sort out the public toilets at the same time? Priorities, mate.
tired_in_riccarton
Honestly, why is this news? Aren't there more pressing issues like the flat I can't find in Dunedin?
couchgremlin
Lol.
MumOf3_Otago
I met Barnaby once at the Marne Street park! Lovely dog, much better behaviour than half the kids there.
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