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It's been a while since I, Ouch's resident Monkey of Crippledom, was able to report on some of the endearingly cute activities of my fellow disablified animals. In the meantime, of course, we've had Aardman's plasticine disabled creatures, but they don't really count because they're not real - unlike me and unlike Oliver, a blind bullmastiff dog who has just been named .

Now, not only has Oliver 'overcome his disability' to be a well-rounded, happy dog, but he had to go through the thoroughly horrible experience of being thrown out by an unscrupulous breeder as a puppy because he had an eye infection. (In the words of Oliver, "grrr" to that breeder, say I). He's also got something in common with our own disabled Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, in that he was given a special artificial implant in one of his eyes to give him a normal appearance, even though he can't actually see through it.

Crippled Monkey says: I salute you, Oliver. Make sure you get some extra dog biscuits today as a treat for your prize-winning ways. As for me, I'm getting on the phone to the RSPCA to find out if they've got a Monkey of the Year award. Surely I would be a cert for it, wouldn't I?