Two Laois pets are in the race for this year's Nose of Tralee competition!

Voting for the 2025 Nose of Tralee Pet Competition officially closes this Sunday, 29 June at midnight, and with over 34,000 votes already cast, it’s shaping up to be an exciting year!

 Now in its 12th year, the Nose of Tralee celebrates pets of all shapes and sizes across Ireland – from pampered pooches and curious cats to birds, bunnies, horses, hedgehogs, and even bearded dragons.

The competition shines a spotlight on the pets who bring joy, comfort, and laughs to our lives – and this year’s entries have been nothing short of heartwarming.

Bailey the dog and Sale the cat will represent Laois in this year's competition.

"Bailey is our 22 month old Cavalier-King-Charles," Bailey's owners have said.

Pictured: Bailey the Cavalier-King-Charles

"He is the most loving, caring boy ever. He loves hugs, kisses and attention. Bailey would be a great representative for the Nose of Tralee.

""My baby Bailey melts hearts everywhere he goes. We would love the opportunity to represent Laois in the competition and Bailey will give you loads of kisses," they said.

Salem the cat is also in the running, and was praised by his adoring owners.

"Salem is a stunning blue-eyed boy with a big voice and an even bigger personality," his owners said.

"After being rescued as a kitten by the wonderful people at Laois SPCA, he has since found his forever home in the wee county with his owners Aurora and Peter.

"Salem isn’t just a cat, he’s the main character. He’ll tell you exactly what he wants (and when) with his dramatic meow, then strike a pose like he’s on the cover of Vogue. His favourite hobbies are eating, sleeping on his owners and trying to sit on his sister Celebrimbors.

"With his gorgeous markings and diva charm, Salem is ready to represent the wee county with style and just the right amount of cattitude as the next Nose of Tralee," they said.

Pictured: Salem, the cat with 'cattitude'

With just days to go, the public has one final chance to help decide who will go through to the next round. Voting is open to everyone, and you can cast your vote once every 24 hours by visiting: www.petsittersireland.com/nose-2025/  

Once voting closes, the 3 pets with the most votes in each county will go through to the judging round.

From there, a panel of independent judges will choose one finalist per county. Pets are judged on their number of public votes, photo, and written entry.

The 32 finalists will then take part in the final public vote, running from 24th July to 18th August. The winner of the 2025 Nose of Tralee will be announced on 19th August!

"The response this year has been incredible," said Kate McQuillan, organiser of the Nose of Tralee.

"We’ve loved seeing the variety of pets enter and reading their stories. It’s not just cats and dogs in the spotlight anymore – our voters are rallying behind all kinds of amazing animals.

"This weekend is the final push before voting closes, and we can't wait to see who makes it through!" she finished.

Finalists and winners will receive fantastic prizes from a host of Irish competition sponsors, including Pet Sitters Ireland and David MCauley Photography.

For more information visit www.NoseOfTralee.com.

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