Ralph, Westmeath's finalist in the 'Nose of Tralee' competition

Athlone pooch bidding for 'Nose of Tralee' title!

A furry Athlone resident is bidding to get his paws on the top prize in an annual pet competition called the Nose of Tralee. 

Ralph, a pure-bred pug from Iona Park, is owned by Ryan Cassidy. He has been chosen as the Westmeath representative in the contest organised by Pet Sitters Ireland. 

Although it might not receive as much attention as another similarly-named festival, the Nose of Tralee offers an attractive prize package for the winner, including a €200 pet sitting voucher, a professional photo shoot, a month's supply of pet food, a GPS pet tracker, and other goodies. 

The event is in its fourth year and attracted over 1,200 entries this time around. One finalist is selected from each of the 32 counties, and Ralph was named as the Lake County's representative to go through to the public voting stage, which is underway and will continue until 6pm on Tuesday next, August 22. 

Ryan explained that his girlfriend Emma saw the competition being promoted on Facebook and decided to enter Ralph as one of the contestants. 

The two-year-old pooch is a bit of a social media star and even has his own page on the photo-sharing site Instagram (mrralphthepug). 

'He can't go through town without getting a photo with someone!' explained Ryan. 'He is friendly, and loves giving high fives, jumping through tall grass and eating turkey. He is full of personality. 

'Even though he spends most of the day asleep, he's always ready to go when you say the magic word, 'Walk'. His slogan is, 'A vote for me is an extra slice of turkey!'

'He'll always follow you around the house no matter where you go and is always cuddling and snoozing on the couch,' said Ryan. 

In his Nose of Tralee profile, Ralph explains why people should vote for him: 'I would like to represent the doggos out there who don't have long snouts and like me are members of the flat face crew. I hope you give me your vote and I will be the best representative for the Nose of Tralee that I can be.'

The Nose of Tralee website can be visited at: www.noseoftralee.com and you can vote for Ralph at: http://wshe.es/RVR7z7IJ