He loves ice cream and stealing cotton candy, he spends his time napping in his mum’s bed, he’s passionate about the greyhound community and he loves to socialise with all those uni students.
Meet your Cork celebrity – the 2020 Nose of Tralee Runner up Robert
Robert – Nose of Tralee Runner Up 2020
Name: Robert Blackwell
County: Cork
Age: 4 years old
Breed: Rescue Greyhound
Special Skill: Squeezing my ridiculously long limbs into any tight space in pursuit of a cuddle!
Favourite Food: Ice Cream ?
Favourite Toy: Crinkle Corgi! Mom has had to stitch it back together a half dozen times now!
Favourite Place to Sleep: Curled up beside Mom in bed.
Favourite Activity: I love meeting up with my fellow rescue greys, including my best babe Molly to spread awareness about greyhound cruelty in the racing and coursing industry and to promote us as GREYT pets!
Favourite Place To Go For A Walk/Hangout: I love hanging out around University College Cork! Mom studies there, so likes to bring me with her to clubs and societies events. I love hanging out with all the students, getting loads of ear rubs and just chilling!
Most Mischievous Thing You Have Ever Done. At a local fair, I literally stole candy from a baby. In my defence, the cotton candy was right at my eye level!
How Did You Come Into Your Owners Life? Mom was looking to adopt a greyhound specifically as she had heard we make great apartment pets. I was sitting in a shelter waiting for my fur ever family when she walked through the doors. It was love at first SIGHThound! I went home with her that very day and never looked back!
What Makes You The Most Pawtastic Pet EVER! I’d like to say my dashing good looks and heroic nature, but really, it’s because I’m so chill, laid back and cuddly! I naturally pick up on people’s moods and always know who is most in need of a greyhound cuddle.
Why Did You Decide To Enter The Nose Of Tralee? Mom had met a county nose from a few years back, and thought it sounded like fun! We also entered with the goal of raising the profile of greyhounds as pets!
How Did You Prepare For The Contest And Get Votes? Well, when voting first opened, Mom and I were stuck in a 14 day self isolation, so we had a bit of a delayed start! Luckily, I’m quite active on social media, so we got posting on my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and garnered some huge support there!
Once our lockdown was over, we printed up posters and asked all the local businesses, from the traders in the English market to our favourite coffee shop, to post them! Every day when we went for a walk, I would wear my sash and say Hi to all the people of Cork! It made lots of people smile, and that’s always a good thing in my book!
What Did You Enjoy Most About The Nose Of Tralee? The joy it brought! With everything that’s going on, I think people are in need of a good laugh, and taking part in the Nose of Tralee gave me, my mom, all my friends, family and followers, as well as the people of Cork, a reason to smile!
What Advice Would You Give To The Next Nose Of Your County? Be present in your community! Mom and I are lucky enough to live in the city centre so that gave us a huge audience. Get out in the streets, wear your sash proud and just get chatting with people! You know Corkonians, always up for a chat! Social media is all well and good, but actually getting the community involved makes the whole thing more fun!
How Are You Handling Your New-Found Fame? New? I’m Rebel City Robert! My name has been known in Cork since the day I set paw in it! Jokes aside, I’ve been fairly well known in Cork for a while now. Since Mom and I are so active with different protests and awareness events, as well as my activities up at the college and across the city, people got to know me and my striking needle nose! The Nose of Tralee has added another layer to fame, but I’m telling you, watch this space! I’ve got a lot more plans for the future!!
What does is mean to you to be the Runner Up in the Nose of Tralee? To have come so far in the competition and claim the title of Runner Up is incredible! Any dog would be lucky to come so far, but as a greyhound, who isn’t even classified as a dog under Irish law, coming so far means even more!
It was always going to be an uphill battle, us greys aren’t exactly seen as cute and cuddly, and with so many people still seeing us as high-energy, aggressive, money making machines, to be able to show off our true nature; that of a couch-loving, duvet-hogging, food-crazy Pet, that’s the real victory in my eyes!
Here’s hoping that my placing so well shows a positive change in the public’s perception of Greyhounds, not as a cheap bet, but as the GREYT pets we truly are!
