Blue Peter pets
Encyclopedia
The Blue Peter pets are the animals who regularly appear on the BBC
children's television series Blue Peter
. For 27 years, when not on TV, these pets were often looked after by Blue Peters long-standing pet keeper Edith Menezes, who died in 1994. The first pet was a dog named Petra in 1962 and since then there have been several dog
s, cat
s, tortoise
s, parrot
s and horse
s. The current animals on the show are Barney the dog; cats named Socks and Cookie; Shelley the tortoise; Magic the trainee guide dog
puppy; and the rarely seen Blue Peter Riding for the Disabled horse, Jet. Rags was another pony, named by viewers, who was purchased by the proceeds of a Christmas appeal in the late 1970s as a Riding for the Disabled horse. The Blue Peter
parrot—Joey, and one successor, Barney—featured in the 1960s, but when Barney, a Blue-fronted Amazon
, died, he was not replaced. In a 1986 documentary shown on BBC2 as part of the Did You See...?
series, former presenter Peter Purves
recalled that Biddy Baxter
, the show's editor, had called him in floods of tears the day the first parrot Joey had died. He went on to muse in the same interview that had he himself died, Baxter would have been far less upset. The original idea behind featuring the programme's pets was to teach viewers lucky enough to own animals how to look after them, and for the creatures to act as surrogate pets for those that did not own any. For example, dog training items, tortoise hibernation, and cat care are often featured on the programme; however, the keeping of rabbits and mice was deemed not suitable as these often died. In addition, dogs that lived with the presenters often accompanied them on filming assignments.
She was weighed on one of the episodes and found to weigh about 2 stone. She had several puppies, including Patch, who also became a Blue Peter pet, and who predeceased her. Petra lost her teeth at an early age, but this was not necessarily a bad thing. Blue Peter presenter Peter Purves
once said that she was often bad-tempered and would "gum you to death" if she had the chance.
When Peter Purves
started working on the Blue Peter show and became Petra's handler on the set, Petra had already been on the show for approximately seven years. Petra was an irritable nervous dog on the set, therefore, Biddy Baxter
had the idea that Purves should be Petra's permanent keeper, and so he looked after her at his home too. He became fond of Petra and he was sad when she died after he had been her owner for more than six years.
There is a bust of Petra in the Blue Peter garden. It originally stood in front of BBC Television Centre
but was moved to the garden in 1984 due to redevelopment works. During the 1990s it was revealed that an original (unnamed) puppy had died of distemper
a few days after her first appearance on the last Blue Peter programme before Christmas 1962. Instead of informing viewers, and feeling there was no need to upset children needlessly, the programme's editor Biddy Baxter bought a similar-looking replacement puppy, which was subsequently named Petra by the viewers.
after Noakes joined the programme in December 1965. Patch had a distinctive marking around one of his eyes, giving him his name. Patch died in 1971.
, is widely considered to be the most famous Blue Peter pet. Shep was bought by the BBC to replace Patch, one of Petra's puppies, born in 1965. He became the main Blue Peter dog when Petra died in 1977. Shep was bred by Audrey Wickham (née Hart), breeder of a number of notable pedigree border collies in the Sadghyl line. He was always considered very small until immortalised in television. Shep is remembered by viewers as being inseparable from Blue Peter presenter John Noakes
. Shep was excitable, and Noakes would often have to restrain him. Noakes's common refrain, "Get down Shep!", became a catchphrase, and The Barron Knights released a song
with that title. Shep left Blue Peter when Noakes departed in June 1978.
Shep also appeared with Noakes in five series of Go with Noakes
, from 1976 to 1980. Contrary to popular legend, while Shep belonged to the BBC, Noakes was not required to return Shep to the BBC when he left and was given him as a gift. However, Noakes was forbidden to use Shep for advertising or commercial purposes. Noakes did not agree to this, and therefore Shep went to live with Edith Menezes, a friend of the programme. Not long after leaving Blue Peter, Noakes appeared in a series of TV ads for dog food, with a similar looking dog named 'Skip'. Shep died on 17 January 1987.
dog who appeared on Blue Peter
from 1978 to 1986. She was owned by presenter Simon Groom
. She made her first appearance on the show as a puppy and was named by viewers of Blue Peter. She went on to appear with 8 other presenters and began the long list of golden retrievers to appear on the show. In early 1986, Goldie went on to have puppies and one of them, Bonnie, went on to become a Blue Peter dog after Goldie left. She left along with Simon Groom later that year and lived to 14.
dog who appeared on Blue Peter in the late 1980s and 1990s. She was the daughter of Goldie, and succeeded her mother as the Blue Peter dog. Bonnie appeared in 1,150 editions of the programme, alongside 16 different presenters, until she retired in 1999 to live with Leonie Pocock, her off screen owner. Bonnie died at the age of 15 in 2001.
and was Blue Peter's second longest serving dog after Petra being on the show for more than 14 years. Mabel was rescued by the RSPCA who found her in South East London
in 1996. She was about six months old when she joined Blue Peter. Her name was derived from the label on her RSPCA kennel, MAB1. Mabel was noticeable for having heterochromia eyes
(one blue and one brown) and distinctive ears. As Mabel's exact date of birth is unknown, her birthday was celebrated on 3 February, the same day as former Blue Peter dog Bonnie. On 10 March 2010 it was announced that Mabel would be retiring from the show after 14 years. Mabel retired on 30 March 2010, and died on 4 May 2011.
she was born to Laytoncroft India of Highbrae (mother) and Lilling Dessie (father). She famously once wandered into Paul O'Grady
's dressing room and was scared off by his dog. On 4 April 2011, it was announced that Lucy had died, aged 13, following a struggle with cancer.
who belonged to presenter Matt Baker. Whilst not considered an official Blue Peter pet, as she lived with Baker's family in County Durham
and was trained as a sheepdog, she frequently appeared on the show alongside Baker during his tenure as a Blue Peter presenter. Her highlights whilst on the show included demonstrating her sheepdog skills and giving birth to a litter of puppies. Meg left with Matt Baker in 2006, but has also appeared in other television programmes he has been involved in, including the BBC's 2007 coverage of Crufts
, Countryfile
and even a barking part in The Archers
. Meg died on 15 June 2011 aged 11.
/Dachshund
cross and officially joined the Blue Peter team on 22 September 2009. He is approximately 24 months old and is the show's ninth dog. Barney is a former stray and was given to presenter Helen Skelton
by the Dogs Trust
.
s, which stretches back to 1964 – captivating millions of viewers and helping to transform the lives of thousands of visually impaired people. The first Blue Peter guide dog puppy was Honey, whose training was charted by Valerie Singleton on the programme in 1964. Since then there has been Cindy who was puppy walked by Peter Purves
in 1968; Buttons, who was featured in the mid-1970s, Prince, whose training was followed by Peter Duncan
in 1981 and most recently a second pup called Honey – named in honour of her predecessor – who was trained by presenter John Leslie
during 1991. In 2006 Andy Akinwolere
began puppy walking a new Blue Peter guide dog puppy, named by viewers as Magic.
. He was a Seal Point Siamese
who joined after appearing on an episode with his mother, brother and sister at just three weeks old.
Possibly Jason's finest hour came in December 1975 when he played the part of the Cheshire Cat
in the show's Christmas production, Alice in Blue Peter Land
. With a voice remarkably similar to that of John Noakes
, Jason snootily pointed out he was a Siamese cat before disappearing. Jason lived until January 1976.
, and was often requested by viewers as the clip they most wanted to see again. Jack died suddenly in 1986.
.
in Heydon, Cambridgeshire
. Oke was found abandoned in a bush and the staff of the centre set about the tricky task of trying to encourage Kari's mother to adopt Oke. The plan worked and the pair became brother and sister. Six weeks after being rescued, they made their Blue Peter debut. They were named after John Leslie
and Diane-Louise Jordan
's Summer Expedition
to Japan
in 1991, where they performed karaoke. Kari and Oke retired from the programme in 2004, shortly after their 13th birthday. Kari died in 2006 at the age of 15; Oke died in mid-2011, aged 20.
) is a ragdoll
and the current Blue Peter cat who first appeared on 9 January 2006 as Smudge's replacement. Socks is known for causing a scandal on the show after the programme's producers falsified the result of a viewer vote to choose the cat's name. Viewers had selected the name Cookie, but producers changed the result to Socks.
. She made her debut on 21 October 1963 and lived to April 1979. She was originally thought to be a male and was called Fred, but renamed when it was realised she was female. The tortoise had 'FRED' painted onto the side of its shell, an 'A' was added to the end to change the name to 'FREDA'. Freda is best remembered for her appearances each year when she was brought onto the show and placed into a cardboard box to hibernate
over the harsh British
winter.
and James Callaghan
, both prime ministers of that year. The two did not survive the cold winter of January 1982.
George made his last appearance on the show on 14 April 2004, and his death was announced on 10 May 2004.
) is a female Mediterranean Spur-thighed tortoise who first appeared on the programme in 2004 as a friend to George and then became the only tortoise on the show after his death.
, was the first of two parrots that appeared on Blue Peter during the 1960s with Petra, Patch, and Jason. In a 1986 documentary shown on BBC2 as part of the Did You See...?
series, former presenter Peter Purves
recalled that Biddy Baxter
, the show's editor, had called him in floods of tears the day Joey had died. Amazon parrots have the potential to live for about 60 years; nevertheless, having a parrot as one of the pets on the programme was discontinued in the 1960s.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
children's television series Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
. For 27 years, when not on TV, these pets were often looked after by Blue Peters long-standing pet keeper Edith Menezes, who died in 1994. The first pet was a dog named Petra in 1962 and since then there have been several dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s, cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s, tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
s, parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
s and horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s. The current animals on the show are Barney the dog; cats named Socks and Cookie; Shelley the tortoise; Magic the trainee guide dog
Guide dog
Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles.Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs...
puppy; and the rarely seen Blue Peter Riding for the Disabled horse, Jet. Rags was another pony, named by viewers, who was purchased by the proceeds of a Christmas appeal in the late 1970s as a Riding for the Disabled horse. The Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
parrot—Joey, and one successor, Barney—featured in the 1960s, but when Barney, a Blue-fronted Amazon
Blue-fronted Amazon
The Blue-fronted Amazon , also called the Turquoise-fronted Amazon and Blue-fronted Parrot, is a South American species of Amazon parrot and one of the most common Amazon parrots kept in captivity as a pet or companion parrot...
, died, he was not replaced. In a 1986 documentary shown on BBC2 as part of the Did You See...?
Did You See...?
Did You See...? was a long-running British television documentary series which began on the BBC in 1980. The programme took a look back at the week's television with a discussion between the presenter and three guests. In the first run there was also an item on related issues...
series, former presenter Peter Purves
Peter Purves
Peter Purves is an English television presenter and actor.Purves was born in New Longton, near Preston, Lancashire, and was educated at the independent Arnold School in Blackpool, he had originally planned to go into teaching, training at Alsager College of Education, but began to act with the...
recalled that Biddy Baxter
Biddy Baxter
Biddy Baxter MBE is best known as the former editor of the long-running popular BBC One children’s magazine show Blue Peter, a position she held from 1965 to 1988. She was also its producer from 1962 to 1965...
, the show's editor, had called him in floods of tears the day the first parrot Joey had died. He went on to muse in the same interview that had he himself died, Baxter would have been far less upset. The original idea behind featuring the programme's pets was to teach viewers lucky enough to own animals how to look after them, and for the creatures to act as surrogate pets for those that did not own any. For example, dog training items, tortoise hibernation, and cat care are often featured on the programme; however, the keeping of rabbits and mice was deemed not suitable as these often died. In addition, dogs that lived with the presenters often accompanied them on filming assignments.
Petra
Petra was a female mongrel that appeared on Blue Peter between 1962 and 1977. Petra was the first Blue Peter pet, and remains one of the best known. To date (May 2011) Petra is the longest serving Blue Peter pet.She was weighed on one of the episodes and found to weigh about 2 stone. She had several puppies, including Patch, who also became a Blue Peter pet, and who predeceased her. Petra lost her teeth at an early age, but this was not necessarily a bad thing. Blue Peter presenter Peter Purves
Peter Purves
Peter Purves is an English television presenter and actor.Purves was born in New Longton, near Preston, Lancashire, and was educated at the independent Arnold School in Blackpool, he had originally planned to go into teaching, training at Alsager College of Education, but began to act with the...
once said that she was often bad-tempered and would "gum you to death" if she had the chance.
When Peter Purves
Peter Purves
Peter Purves is an English television presenter and actor.Purves was born in New Longton, near Preston, Lancashire, and was educated at the independent Arnold School in Blackpool, he had originally planned to go into teaching, training at Alsager College of Education, but began to act with the...
started working on the Blue Peter show and became Petra's handler on the set, Petra had already been on the show for approximately seven years. Petra was an irritable nervous dog on the set, therefore, Biddy Baxter
Biddy Baxter
Biddy Baxter MBE is best known as the former editor of the long-running popular BBC One children’s magazine show Blue Peter, a position she held from 1965 to 1988. She was also its producer from 1962 to 1965...
had the idea that Purves should be Petra's permanent keeper, and so he looked after her at his home too. He became fond of Petra and he was sad when she died after he had been her owner for more than six years.
There is a bust of Petra in the Blue Peter garden. It originally stood in front of BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
but was moved to the garden in 1984 due to redevelopment works. During the 1990s it was revealed that an original (unnamed) puppy had died of distemper
Canine distemper
Canine distemper is a viral disease that affects animals in the families Canidae, Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Hyaenidae, Ailuridae, Procyonidae, Pinnipedia, some Viverridae and Felidae...
a few days after her first appearance on the last Blue Peter programme before Christmas 1962. Instead of informing viewers, and feeling there was no need to upset children needlessly, the programme's editor Biddy Baxter bought a similar-looking replacement puppy, which was subsequently named Petra by the viewers.
Patch
Patch (9 September 1965 - 1971) was looked after by presenter John NoakesJohn Noakes
John Noakes is a British television presenter and personality, best known for co-presenting the BBC children's magazine programme Blue Peter in the 1960s and 1970s. He remains the show's longest-serving presenter, with a stint that lasted 12 years and 6 months...
after Noakes joined the programme in December 1965. Patch had a distinctive marking around one of his eyes, giving him his name. Patch died in 1971.
Shep
Shep (1971–1987), a border collieBorder Collie
The Border Collie is a herding dog breed developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region for herding livestock, especially sheep. It is the most widespread of the collie breeds....
, is widely considered to be the most famous Blue Peter pet. Shep was bought by the BBC to replace Patch, one of Petra's puppies, born in 1965. He became the main Blue Peter dog when Petra died in 1977. Shep was bred by Audrey Wickham (née Hart), breeder of a number of notable pedigree border collies in the Sadghyl line. He was always considered very small until immortalised in television. Shep is remembered by viewers as being inseparable from Blue Peter presenter John Noakes
John Noakes
John Noakes is a British television presenter and personality, best known for co-presenting the BBC children's magazine programme Blue Peter in the 1960s and 1970s. He remains the show's longest-serving presenter, with a stint that lasted 12 years and 6 months...
. Shep was excitable, and Noakes would often have to restrain him. Noakes's common refrain, "Get down Shep!", became a catchphrase, and The Barron Knights released a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
with that title. Shep left Blue Peter when Noakes departed in June 1978.
Shep also appeared with Noakes in five series of Go with Noakes
Go With Noakes
Go With Noakes was a BBC Television children's programme, broadcast between 28 March 1976 and 21 December 1980.A documentary series, it was presented by John Noakes initially alongside, then following his departure from, Blue Peter in 1978...
, from 1976 to 1980. Contrary to popular legend, while Shep belonged to the BBC, Noakes was not required to return Shep to the BBC when he left and was given him as a gift. However, Noakes was forbidden to use Shep for advertising or commercial purposes. Noakes did not agree to this, and therefore Shep went to live with Edith Menezes, a friend of the programme. Not long after leaving Blue Peter, Noakes appeared in a series of TV ads for dog food, with a similar looking dog named 'Skip'. Shep died on 17 January 1987.
Goldie
Goldie was a female golden retrieverGolden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...
dog who appeared on Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
from 1978 to 1986. She was owned by presenter Simon Groom
Simon Groom
Simon Groom is a British Producer & Director, best known as a former presenter of Blue Peter.Groom was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and was brought up on a farm in Dethick, which he often visited for Blue Peter reports...
. She made her first appearance on the show as a puppy and was named by viewers of Blue Peter. She went on to appear with 8 other presenters and began the long list of golden retrievers to appear on the show. In early 1986, Goldie went on to have puppies and one of them, Bonnie, went on to become a Blue Peter dog after Goldie left. She left along with Simon Groom later that year and lived to 14.
Bonnie
Bonnie (3 February 1986 - 17 April 2001) was a female golden retrieverGolden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...
dog who appeared on Blue Peter in the late 1980s and 1990s. She was the daughter of Goldie, and succeeded her mother as the Blue Peter dog. Bonnie appeared in 1,150 editions of the programme, alongside 16 different presenters, until she retired in 1999 to live with Leonie Pocock, her off screen owner. Bonnie died at the age of 15 in 2001.
Mabel
Mabel (born c. 1996 - 4 May 2011) was a Blue Merle Border CollieBorder Collie
The Border Collie is a herding dog breed developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region for herding livestock, especially sheep. It is the most widespread of the collie breeds....
and was Blue Peter's second longest serving dog after Petra being on the show for more than 14 years. Mabel was rescued by the RSPCA who found her in South East London
South East (London sub region)
The South East is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark. The sub region was established in 2008. The south east has a population of 1,300,000 and is the location of 500,000 jobs...
in 1996. She was about six months old when she joined Blue Peter. Her name was derived from the label on her RSPCA kennel, MAB1. Mabel was noticeable for having heterochromia eyes
Heterochromia
In anatomy, heterochromia refers to a difference in coloration, usually of the iris but also of hair or skin. Heterochromia is a result of the relative excess or lack of melanin...
(one blue and one brown) and distinctive ears. As Mabel's exact date of birth is unknown, her birthday was celebrated on 3 February, the same day as former Blue Peter dog Bonnie. On 10 March 2010 it was announced that Mabel would be retiring from the show after 14 years. Mabel retired on 30 March 2010, and died on 4 May 2011.
Lucy
Lucy (22 February 1998 - March 2011) was a Blue Peter pet for 12 years. A pedigree Golden RetrieverGolden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...
she was born to Laytoncroft India of Highbrae (mother) and Lilling Dessie (father). She famously once wandered into Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
's dressing room and was scared off by his dog. On 4 April 2011, it was announced that Lucy had died, aged 13, following a struggle with cancer.
Meg
Meg was a Border CollieBorder Collie
The Border Collie is a herding dog breed developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region for herding livestock, especially sheep. It is the most widespread of the collie breeds....
who belonged to presenter Matt Baker. Whilst not considered an official Blue Peter pet, as she lived with Baker's family in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and was trained as a sheepdog, she frequently appeared on the show alongside Baker during his tenure as a Blue Peter presenter. Her highlights whilst on the show included demonstrating her sheepdog skills and giving birth to a litter of puppies. Meg left with Matt Baker in 2006, but has also appeared in other television programmes he has been involved in, including the BBC's 2007 coverage of Crufts
Crufts
Crufts is an annual international Championship conformation show for dogs organised and hosted by the Kennel Club, currently held every March at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. It is the largest annual dog show in the world, as declared by Guinness World Records, and lasts...
, Countryfile
Countryfile
Countryfile is a British magazine-style television programme produced by BBC Birmingham, first aired on 24th July 1988, which reports on rural and environmental issues within the United Kingdom. For its first 20 years it was fronted by broadcaster John Craven, until he stepped back from the role of...
and even a barking part in The Archers
The Archers
The Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
. Meg died on 15 June 2011 aged 11.
Barney
Barney is believed to be an Irish SetterIrish Setter
The Irish Setter , is a setter, a breed of gundog and family dog. The term Irish Setter is commonly used to encompass the show-bred dog recognized by the American Kennel Club as well as the field-bred Red Setter recognised by the Field Dog Stud Book....
/Dachshund
Dachshund
The dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
cross and officially joined the Blue Peter team on 22 September 2009. He is approximately 24 months old and is the show's ninth dog. Barney is a former stray and was given to presenter Helen Skelton
Helen Skelton
Helen Skelton is an English television presenter. She has worked on the BBC children's programme Blue Peter since 2008...
by the Dogs Trust
Dogs Trust
Dogs Trust, formerly known as the National Canine Defence League, is an animal welfare charity and humane society in the United Kingdom which specialises in the wellbeing of dogs. The charity rehabilitates and finds new homes for dogs which have been abandoned or given up by their owners...
.
Guide dogs
The programme has had a long association with guide dogGuide dog
Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles.Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs...
s, which stretches back to 1964 – captivating millions of viewers and helping to transform the lives of thousands of visually impaired people. The first Blue Peter guide dog puppy was Honey, whose training was charted by Valerie Singleton on the programme in 1964. Since then there has been Cindy who was puppy walked by Peter Purves
Peter Purves
Peter Purves is an English television presenter and actor.Purves was born in New Longton, near Preston, Lancashire, and was educated at the independent Arnold School in Blackpool, he had originally planned to go into teaching, training at Alsager College of Education, but began to act with the...
in 1968; Buttons, who was featured in the mid-1970s, Prince, whose training was followed by Peter Duncan
Peter Duncan (actor)
Peter Duncan is a British actor and television presenter, best known as a former presenter of Blue Peter and for his later family travel documentaries.-Education:...
in 1981 and most recently a second pup called Honey – named in honour of her predecessor – who was trained by presenter John Leslie
John Leslie (television presenter)
John Leslie is a Scottish former television presenter. He has presented BBC One's Blue Peter and ITV's This Morning and the ITV gameshow Wheel of Fortune. He was also the roving reporter for the first series of the UK version of Survivor...
during 1991. In 2006 Andy Akinwolere
Andy Akinwolere
Andy Akinwolere is a British television presenter.-Early life:Akinwolere was born in Nigeria in 1982, and moved to the United Kingdom with his family when he was eight years old. They settled in Birmingham, where he was educated.-Education:Akinwolere attended St...
began puppy walking a new Blue Peter guide dog puppy, named by viewers as Magic.
Jason
Jason (3 May 1964 - January 1976) was the first Blue Peter catCat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
. He was a Seal Point Siamese
Siamese (cat)
The Siamese is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Oriental cat. The origins of the breed are unknown, but it is believed to be from Thailand. In Thailand, where they are one of several native breeds, they are called Wichian Mat...
who joined after appearing on an episode with his mother, brother and sister at just three weeks old.
Possibly Jason's finest hour came in December 1975 when he played the part of the Cheshire Cat
Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll's depiction of it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Known for his distinctive mischievous grin, the Cheshire Cat has had a notable impact on popular culture.-Origins:...
in the show's Christmas production, Alice in Blue Peter Land
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
. With a voice remarkably similar to that of John Noakes
John Noakes
John Noakes is a British television presenter and personality, best known for co-presenting the BBC children's magazine programme Blue Peter in the 1960s and 1970s. He remains the show's longest-serving presenter, with a stint that lasted 12 years and 6 months...
, Jason snootily pointed out he was a Siamese cat before disappearing. Jason lived until January 1976.
Jack
Jack (29 January 1976 - 20 April 1986) was a silver striped tabby and the brother of Jill who made his television debut with his sister just three weeks after they were born. Jack and Jill became known as Blue Peter's disappearing cats, for whenever they appeared on screen they tended to leap out of a presenter's lap. A sequence of clips demonstrating the fact was put together by the production team, featuring various moments when the cats leapt out of sight. It was set to the theme of the cartoon Top CatTop Cat
Top Cat is a Hanna-Barbera prime time animated television series which ran from September 27, 1961 to April 18, 1962 for a run of 30 episodes on the ABC network. Reruns are played on Cartoon Network's classic animation network Boomerang.-History:...
, and was often requested by viewers as the clip they most wanted to see again. Jack died suddenly in 1986.
Jill
Jill (29 January 1976 - 30 May 1983) was a silver spotted tabbie and the sister of Jack. She often appeared with her brother, famously leaping out of presenter's laps whenever on screen. On 15 May 1980 Jill gave birth to two kittens who appeared with their mother on the show on 23 June. Jill died of heart failure in 1983.Willow
Willow first appeared on Blue Peter in September 1986 as a replacement to Jack who had died a few months earlier. Viewers were asked to send in their suggestions for a name, and the name Willow was chosen, probably because of the kitten's oriental looks. Rather than follow Willow's progress as a mother, it was decided that she should be the first pet to be spayed. This decision was taken because of the vast numbers of unwanted pets destroyed by the RSPCA every year. Willow retired from the programme in 1991 to live in SussexSussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
Kari and Oke
Kari and Oke were rescued as kittens and placed in the care of Wood Green Animal SheltersWood Green Animal Shelters
Wood Green Animal Shelters is an English animal welfare charity.The charity was founded in 1924 as a response to the number of animals abandoned on London's streets.There are three shelters:#601, Lordship Lane, Wood Green, North London...
in Heydon, Cambridgeshire
Heydon, Cambridgeshire
Heydon is a village in the East of England region and the county Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. The area of the village is . Heydon has the King William IV Pub as its only pub. The village also has the Wood Green Animal Shelter Small Animals Rescue Home...
. Oke was found abandoned in a bush and the staff of the centre set about the tricky task of trying to encourage Kari's mother to adopt Oke. The plan worked and the pair became brother and sister. Six weeks after being rescued, they made their Blue Peter debut. They were named after John Leslie
John Leslie (television presenter)
John Leslie is a Scottish former television presenter. He has presented BBC One's Blue Peter and ITV's This Morning and the ITV gameshow Wheel of Fortune. He was also the roving reporter for the first series of the UK version of Survivor...
and Diane-Louise Jordan
Diane-Louise Jordan
Diane-Louise Jordan is a British television presenter. She was the first black presenter of the children's television programme Blue Peter, being involved in the programme from 25 January 1990 until 26 February 1996, making her its fourth longest-serving female presenter .Born in 1960, Jordan grew...
's Summer Expedition
Blue Peter Summer Expedition
The Blue Peter Summer Expedition is a yearly tradition in which the presenters of the BBC children's TV programme Blue Peter go to a foreign country and experience the culture and film special reports from that country, which are broadcast over several weeks in September and October...
to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1991, where they performed karaoke. Kari and Oke retired from the programme in 2004, shortly after their 13th birthday. Kari died in 2006 at the age of 15; Oke died in mid-2011, aged 20.
Smudge
Smudge was one of the shortest serving Blue Peter pets. Smudge was named as a kitten by the viewers and was one of the most popular kittens on the show, but sadly died in 2005 from injuries sustained after being hit by a car.Socks
Socks (born 29 November 2005, HertfordshireHertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
) is a ragdoll
Ragdoll
The Ragdoll is a cat breed with blue eyes and a distinct colorpoint coat. It is a large and muscular semi-longhair cat with a soft and silky coat. Developed by American breeder Ann Baker, it is best known for its docile and placid temperament and affectionate nature...
and the current Blue Peter cat who first appeared on 9 January 2006 as Smudge's replacement. Socks is known for causing a scandal on the show after the programme's producers falsified the result of a viewer vote to choose the cat's name. Viewers had selected the name Cookie, but producers changed the result to Socks.
Cookie
Cookie was introduced to the show on 25 September 2007 following the scandal caused by the change of Socks' name.Freda
Freda was the first Blue Peter tortoiseTortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
. She made her debut on 21 October 1963 and lived to April 1979. She was originally thought to be a male and was called Fred, but renamed when it was realised she was female. The tortoise had 'FRED' painted onto the side of its shell, an 'A' was added to the end to change the name to 'FREDA'. Freda is best remembered for her appearances each year when she was brought onto the show and placed into a cardboard box to hibernate
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
over the harsh British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
winter.
Maggie and Jim
Maggie and Jim (27 August 1974 - January 1982) were brother and sister who made their first appearance in 1974 and joined the show on a regular basis in 1979, after the death of Freda. They were named after Margaret ThatcherMargaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
and James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
, both prime ministers of that year. The two did not survive the cold winter of January 1982.
George
George (circa 1920 - 10 May 2004) was a Mediterranean Spur-thighed Tortoise who first appeared on the programme in 1982 and holds the title of longest serving Blue Peter pet. Originally named Pork Pie, viewers renamed him George. In 1988 George caused a scare when the home where he was kept had a break-in and he went missing. Thinking he had been killed, the production team broadcast a special tribute film about him, but George was found by a neighbour walking her dog some days later.George made his last appearance on the show on 14 April 2004, and his death was announced on 10 May 2004.
Shelley
Shelley (hatched c. 1985, MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
) is a female Mediterranean Spur-thighed tortoise who first appeared on the programme in 2004 as a friend to George and then became the only tortoise on the show after his death.
Joey
Joey, a Blue-fronted AmazonBlue-fronted Amazon
The Blue-fronted Amazon , also called the Turquoise-fronted Amazon and Blue-fronted Parrot, is a South American species of Amazon parrot and one of the most common Amazon parrots kept in captivity as a pet or companion parrot...
, was the first of two parrots that appeared on Blue Peter during the 1960s with Petra, Patch, and Jason. In a 1986 documentary shown on BBC2 as part of the Did You See...?
Did You See...?
Did You See...? was a long-running British television documentary series which began on the BBC in 1980. The programme took a look back at the week's television with a discussion between the presenter and three guests. In the first run there was also an item on related issues...
series, former presenter Peter Purves
Peter Purves
Peter Purves is an English television presenter and actor.Purves was born in New Longton, near Preston, Lancashire, and was educated at the independent Arnold School in Blackpool, he had originally planned to go into teaching, training at Alsager College of Education, but began to act with the...
recalled that Biddy Baxter
Biddy Baxter
Biddy Baxter MBE is best known as the former editor of the long-running popular BBC One children’s magazine show Blue Peter, a position she held from 1965 to 1988. She was also its producer from 1962 to 1965...
, the show's editor, had called him in floods of tears the day Joey had died. Amazon parrots have the potential to live for about 60 years; nevertheless, having a parrot as one of the pets on the programme was discontinued in the 1960s.