Laois chihuahau pup rescued from 'living hell' of unethical breeding

The International Rose of Tralee is taking a break from Laois this year, but there is lots of furry competition in its place.

Some 24 Laois dogs and other pets have been entered in the Pet Sitters Ireland Nose of Tralee Competition.

Among them is a tiny dog from Errill in Laois who has survived an horrific start in life.

Sockie is a chihuahua mix who has been entered into the Nose of Tralee by her young owner Alicia Cullen, 16.

She told the Leinster Express / Laois Live more.

"I’ve entered Sockie into this competition for two main reasons, firstly because she’s been through so much already in her first 6 months of life I think she deserves a big win! And secondly, most importantly, I want to raise awareness and stand up to unethical backyard breeders who make dogs' lives a living hell because although Sockie got lucky, not all dogs do and that really needs to change.

"Sockie is a Laois lady so she’s going for the title of Laois Nose 2024 so I’m hoping that you can help get Sockie the big win she deserves.

Sockie got her name because when she was rescued by the Cullen family, she could only fit into a sock to stay warm.

"Sockie is a 6 month old chihuahua mix who we rescued from a very unethical backyard breeding situation where she was being sold as a 'teacup Pomeranian'.

"When we took her home we noticed that she was covered in blood lice, scabs and bald spots from head to tail and at only 600 grams in weight our vet couldn’t prescribe her with any medication or parasite treatment. This meant that we had to take the long way around with daily baths, lathering her with creams and oils and painstakingly removing the blood lice one by one.

Sockie in an adapted fluffy sock to keep her warm, beans for scale!

"After a few very long weeks we had successfully cleared Sockie from all scabs and parasites, her coat was starting to grow back and we had gotten her weight up to a healthy 1kg.

"Since Sockie made a full recovery she’s been absolutely flying and hasn’t looked back once! She might be tiny in size but she most certainly makes up for it with her ginormous personality, from doing her all time favourite 'up' trick (pictured doing above), to thinking she’s a scary guard dog when she’s out and about, and even trying to keep up with our lurcher in the garden while doing zoomies. Sockie really is a character to say the least.

"Sockie is a very happy go lucky and a very special little girl who was luckily removed from a terrible situation and so we definitely think she deserves The Nose Of Tralee title but with all of these adorable pets entered in, we’ll be happy for any winner," Alicia said.

Place your vote for Sockie here. 

The Pet Sitters Ireland Nose of Tralee pet competition is open for voting until July 10.

The other Laois pets are called: Rusty, Odin, Amber, Fergie, Rockie, Elsa, Olaf, Marley, Kobe, Suzie, Molly, Toby, Albus, Daisy, Dusty, Bran, Pixie, Ferrari, Shadow, Louie, Reilly, Chino and Bobby.

With an impressive 1650 entries from all 32 counties in Ireland, the competition has seen a diverse array of pets, including pigs, a bearded dragon, an  axolotl, a frog, and numerous birds, in addition to the usual cats and dogs.

Kate McQuillan is Owner of Pet Sitters Ireland.

“We are thrilled by the incredible variety of pets entered this year and the overwhelming response from the public. It's fantastic to see people from all over Ireland coming together to support and celebrate their favourite pets. The Nose of Tralee continues to be a highlight, showcasing the unique bond between pets and their owners.”

Pet lovers can cast their votes for the next Nose of Tralee by visiting www.petsittersireland.com/nose-2024.

The competition will end on August 20th with the announcement of the grand winner, following the final count of public votes.