Blue Peter pets

All Blue Peter Pets 😸🐶

Blue Peter Pets Names 🐶😸 All-Time List 1962-2023

BBC’s Blue Peter children’s show began in 1958 and remains popular today. Part of the show’s success was the introduction of lovable Blue Peter pets in 1962. Originally to appeal to children who weren’t able to keep pets of their own at home. Since then over thirty different Blue Peter pets have enriched the show with their presence. All 11 Blue Peter dogs names in order, along with Blue Peter cats names and other Blue Peter pets are included.

  • ADDucation’s list of Blue Peter TV pets was compiled by A C and last updated Nov 7, 2022 @ 11:13 am.

ADDucation Tips! Click column headings with arrows to sort our timeline of Blue Peter pets. Reload page for original sort order. Resize your browser to full screen and/or zoom out to display as many columns as possible. Click the ➕ icon to reveal any hidden columns. Start typing in the Filter table box to find Blue Peter cats, dogs, and other Blue Peter pets.

Blue Peter pet names Appeared Animal Breed # Fascinating facts about Blue Peter pets
Petra 1962-1977 Dog 🐶 Female mongrel 1 The original Petra actually died very soon after her debut. To avoid upsetting the viewers, a lookalike replacement Petra was found. She had several puppies, including Patch, who later also became a Blue Peter pet. Like many later Blue Peter pets she was looked after to the end by pet keeper Edith Menezes, who died in 1994.
Freda (Fred) 1963-1979 Tortoise 🐢 2 Freda was the first Blue Peter tortoise. Fred the Blue Peter tortoise was renamed Freda on 12th June 1967 after a Blue Peter viewer pointed out Fred was female. Fred gained an “a” and was renamed Freda.
Honey 1964 Guide dog 🐶 Labrador 3 Honey was the first Blue Peter labrador guide dog in 1964. Many Blue Peter presenters have been paired with Blue Peter guide dogs from The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association guide dogs and have spent time on the show while they were in training.
Jason 1964-1976 Cat 😸 Seal point Siamese 4 Jason was the first Blue Peter and first appeared on the show at the age of three weeks.
Patch 1966-1971 Dog 🐶 Female mongrel 5 Patch was one of Petra’s puppies but sadly died early from E. coli septicemia.
Joey 1967-1968 Parrot 🦜 Brazilian blue-fronted parrot 6 First of 2 short-lived parrots during the 1960s. Died of an infection in 1968.
Cindy 1968 Guide dog 🐶 7 Cindy was also a Blue Peter guide dog.
Barney 1968 Parrot 🦜 Blue-fronted Amazon parrot 8 Barney replaced Joey but he died shortly afterwards of lung disease. He was the second and last Blue Peter parrot.
Shep 1971-1978 Dog 🐶 Border collie 10 Replaced Patch. Lively animal that John Noakes frequently attempted to discipline with famous “Get down Shep”. Shep even appears as a wax figure in Madame Tussauds. In 1977, Doctor Who’s robot dog K9 was interviewed on the show. Shep wasn’t at all keen and attacked it!
Maggie and Jim 1974-1982 Tortoises 🐢 11 Brother and sister who were named after Margaret Thatcher and James Callaghan (prime ministers at the time). Died in the cold winter of 1982.
Buttons 1975 Guide dog 🐶 9 Buttons was a Blue Peter guide dog who appeared on the show in the mid 1970s.
Rags 1976-80s Pony 🐴 Dapple grey 12 Rags is the only Blue Peter pony bought after a Blue Peter Christmas appeal collecting textiles. Rags had a white face with black mane and was donated to the RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association). Blue Peter followed Rags progress as she raised money and awareness for many years.
Jill 1976-1983 Cat 😸 Silver tabby 13 Jill was Jack’s sister.
Jack 1976-1986 Cat 😸 Silver tabby 14 Jill’s brother. Jack & Jill were called the “disappearing cats” because they were forever jumping off the presenter’s lap.
Goldie 1978-1986 Dog 🐶 Female golden retriever 15 Goldie was named by Blue Peter viewers.
Prince 1981 Guide dog 🐶 16 Prince was a Blue Peter guide dog.  Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan followed his training in 1981.
George 1982-2004 Tortoise 🐢 Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise 17 George was born around 1920 and the longest serving pet on the show. Renamed by viewers from “Pork Pie”.
Willow 1986-1991 Cat 😸 Burmese 18 Willow replaced Jack and was also named by viewers. Willow was the first pet on the show to be spayed as a good example to other cat owners. She was the only pet to ever be sacked from the show! She was very noisy, and often spiteful.
Bonnie 1986-1996 Dog 🐶 Female golden retriever 19 Bonnie was Goldie’s daughter and took over from her mum in 1986. On her last show she was awarded a Blue Peter Gold badge on a specially made collar. Bonnie was the first Blue Peter pet to receive a Blue Peter badge.
Honey 1991 Guide dog 🐶 20 Honey was named in honour of the first Honey (1961) and was trained by Blue Peter presenter John Leslie.
Kari and Oke 1991-2004 Cats 😸🐾 Tabby 21 Kari and Oke were rescue cats, named by the presenters after a Blue Peter expedition to Japan where they had a karaoke session.
Mabel 1996-2010 Dog 🐶 Border Collie 22 Mabel was a rescue dog with one blue and one brown eye. Mabel enjoyed the second longest run for a dog, after Petra, on the show.
Lucy 1998-2011 Dog 🐶 pedigree golden retriever 23 Lucy joined Mabel and they appeared together on Blue Peter for several years.
Meg 2000-2011 Dog 🐶 Border Collie 24 Meg trained as a sheepdog and was given to Matt Baker when he left the show in 2006. Meg also appeared in BBC’s Countryfile and barking in The Archers BBC radio soap.
Shelley 2004 Tortoise 🐢 Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise 30 Shelly was introduced to the show as a friend for George and is currently the only tortoise on the show.
Smudge 2004-2005 Cat 😸 Tabby 25 Smudge was from a rescue litter and sadly died in 2005 after he was hit by a car.
Magic 2006 Guide dog 🐶 26 Magic was named by the viewers and was being trained by Andy Akinwolere but sadly Magic suffered from epilepsy and was re-homed and put down.
Socks 2006-2013 Cat 😸 Ragdoll 28 Blue Peter cat Socks was controversial because the show’s producers rigged a vote by viewers to name him. The viewers voted for “Cookie” but the producers rigged to result to “Socks”!
Cookie 2007-2013 Cat 😸 Ragdoll 29 Cookie was introduced after the Socks scandal to appease viewers.
Barney 2009-2013 Dog 🐶 Irish Setter and Dachshund cross 27 Barney was a stray who was given to presenter Helen Skelton by the Dogs Trust. Barney left when Helen left the show.
Iggy 2014 Dog 🐶 Probably golden retriever 31 Iggy is a Blue Peter guide dog in training with some help by Lindsey Russell.
Henry  2019 Dog 🐶 Beagle-basset hound cross 32 Henry was a rescue dog from the Dogs Trust.
See also: Blue Peter Presenters | 📺 TV & Movie Animals

Until One Has Loved an Animal a Part of One’s Soul Remains Unawakened – Anatole France (1844-1924) French poet, novelist and journalist.

Blue Peter pets have caused considerable controversy over the years. The BBC infamously rigged a vote to call a new cat Socks instead of Cookie which was the viewers choice. You’ll find this and other stories in the main list of Blue Peter pets in order of their first appearance on the show.

ADDucation Lists Related to Blue Peter Pets:

7 responses to “All Blue Peter Pets 😸🐶”

  1. Mya says:
    June 29, 2022 at 7:40 am

    I thought there was only Henry, Iggie and Barney!

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth says:
    June 23, 2022 at 8:29 pm

    Rags wasn’t a donkey, she was a dapple grey pony, bought after a Christmas appeal to collect textiles. She was donated to the riding for the disabled association, for which she did a grand job raising money and awareness for many years.

    Reply
  3. Alan says:
    September 9, 2017 at 8:47 am

    Thanks for the tip Lucy. We’ll get on to that!

    Reply
  4. Lucy says:
    August 18, 2017 at 6:55 am

    If you want to know more details about the animals, search some of their pictures, I think most of the guide dogs are golden retrievers?

    Reply
  5. Alan says:
    October 30, 2014 at 8:02 am

    Thanks for the feedback Hannah. If you have any idea what breed the guide dogs were please let us know. We don’t know if they were all labradors!

    Reply
  6. Hannah says:
    October 29, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    I watched Blue Peter throughout my childhood and remember watching Bonnie & Lucy the Golden Retrievers and Mabel & Meg the Border Collies. I also remember George the Tortoise.

    Reply

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