Meet your Westmeath celebrity – the 2024 Nose of Tralee Winner Niko.
Name: Niko
County: Westmeath
Age: I was one year old on the 16th June, 2024.
Breed: Rottweiler
Special Skill: Rugby tackling my pawrents when they come home from work.
Favourite food: Anything I can get in my mouth, but I really love hot dogs.
Favourite Toy: Stolen socks and toilet rolls.
Favourite Place to sleep: Behind my mammy in the car with my chin resting on her seat.
Favourite activity: Fetch, I would play it all day, but I don’t really like to give the toy back when I get it. I really love football too, so much that when I see kids playing outside I like to steal their football.
Favourite place to go for a walk/hangout: I love going for walks in the forest or anywhere that I can jump in the leaves.
Most mischievous thing you have ever done: Threw my nanny’s socks down the toilet because she was trying to take them from me after I stole them from the drawer.
How did you come into your owner’s life? My daddy thought my mammy needed a new friend because she was very sick so she chose me, or maybe I chose her. I didn’t know what to do but apparently I’m a natural because she tells me I am the best friend she has ever had.
What makes you the most pawtastic pet ever? I am judged a lot because of my breed but I defy that every day by showing people that all I am is 55kg of pure love and kindness. I have a heart of pure gold and I wear it on my fluffy sleeves every day. I get judged a lot but I never let that stop me being me and now I have allowed my mammy to be herself too.
Why did you decide to enter the Nose of Tralee? My Mammy came across the competition online and thought it would be an amazing experience to enter me. She said I had the natural charisma needed to do the job and it turns out she was right.
How did you prepare for the contest and get votes? My mammy posted a lot of pictures of me to her social media, all that posing was tiring but I did my part. We went to a lot of fun places to get them. I was lucky to already have lots of cool furiends on Instagram and tiktok that helped to vote for me. She also got in contact with some local businesses to see if they would get behind me and get me some votes.
I also featured in the Westmeath Independent and on the local radio station. We made up fliers and went door to door in the estates nearby and even around to shops on busy days. Rottweiler lover facebook groups also helped a lot with one post gaining over 500 votes for me! A lot of these people were also very committed and voted daily. Mammy said it was amazing to see such support but they didn’t have any treats for me so I’m not convinced ☹
What did you enjoy most about the Nose of Tralee? I liked getting so much support from people and knowing that people could see me for the loveable rogue I really am. I also liked meeting all of the new people mammy brought me to see while campaigning and all the attention they gave me! We made a lot of friends that I hope to stay pals with.
What advice would you give to the next nose of your County? Get yourself out there, don’t be afraid to ask people for votes. My mammy always says I live life like I stole it so try do the same, make the most of it, it doesn’t last long but it’s a lot of fun! Go door to door also, my mammy said we got lots of votes doing that and people got to meet me and see how amazing I was at the same time. You get a couple of weeks to prove you deserve it so don’t hold back.
How are you handling your new found fame? It’s no hassle at all, I didn’t let it get to my head but I think my butler (mammy) is finding it tough to meet all of my new found needs amidst keeping my busy schedule running, I might need to hire more staff! Anybody want a job?
If you could be any superhero who would you be? My mammy says I am already a hero because I saved her life. I taught her that sometimes you need to break, sometimes the only way to fix something is for it to be completely broken. And when all of the pieces are there, you can put back together the ones you need with new ones, and you will be whole again but in a totally different way. My mammy lost a lot of pieces of herself but I gave her mine and now she is whole <3
Where can your fans follows you online? They can follow me on my Instagram @niko.thesneakyrottweiler. I post there regularly because I’m a major pawfluencer! I also have a tik tok and you can follow me there with the same name.
What does it mean to you to be the Winner of the Nose of Tralee? It means so much for Niko to have been crowned the Nose of Tralee 2024. Niko brought light into my life after a long period of dark and I could never give him the recognition and appreciation that he deserves for that but I feel like this has brought him a lot closer. I never thought we would win, but I set out to show the Country and maybe even the world that Niko is a force to be reckoned with and a tonic for the soul and I think we achieved that and I will be forever grateful for this wonderful platform for allowing us to do that.
Kate McQuillan is the co-founder of Pet Sitters Ireland, an award-winning pet sitting and dog walking company established in 2010 with her husband, Michael. Together, they support thousands of pet owners across Ireland with trusted, in-home pet care. With over 14 years of experience, Kate shares practical advice to help pet owners feel confident and prepared when it comes to their pet’s care.
