Pets, Laughs and Chaos! RTÉ KIDS’s The Big Pet Project brings Ireland’s amazing pets to RTÉ One and RTÉ Player

76 animals. Six locations. Two Irish stars. One Pet Mobile.

From surfing dogs to goal-scoring turtles, painting ponies to oversized pigs, Ireland’s most extraordinary pets are about to take over your screens from Saturday 15 November 2025 at 5:15pm on RTÉ One, with all episodes available to stream the same day on RTÉ Player. RTÉ Kids’ brand-new, fun-filled family series, The Big Pet Project, celebrates the hilarious, heartwarming and downright wacky world of Ireland’s pet-obsessed people.

Join actress and presenter Demi Isaac Oviawe (The Young Offenders) and content creator Adam Beales (Bro’s in Control) as they hop into their ‘Pet Mobile’ and travel across Dublin, Wicklow, Tipperary, Galway, Donegal and Belfast to meet the island’s most unusual and talented animals.

“I had so much fun on The Big Pet Project,” says Demi Oviawe. “I was completely shocked by some of the unusual pets that people keep! We even met a teenager who’s caring for three generations of garden snails!”

Adam Beales also loved the experience, saying, “I thought I was prepared for anything, but nothing could have prepared me for a goal-scoring turtle or a giant millipede! Travelling around Ireland and meeting these incredible pets and their owners has been hilarious, heartwarming and totally unpredictable.”

The series is a fast-paced, feel-good celebration of the bond between people and their pets. Expect axolotls in Belfast, turtles in Tipperary, hawks in Wicklow, pygmy goats in Donegal, a giant millipede in Galway and an oversized pig in Dublin! Each episode also features a visit to the veterinary surgery of exotic animal specialist Dr Bobby Ortiz, who opens up the medical files on incredible creatures – from macaws to African pygmy hedgehogs.

Every episode includes a celebrity challenge with influencer Miriam Mullins and her adorable dog Lucy, inviting audiences at home to join in the fun.

“You’ve heard the saying ‘Never work with children or animals’ – well, we decided to do both!” laughs Kate Finn, Producer HopSkip Studios. “And it’s proved to be a magic combination. Every episode is packed full of unusual, talented,and adorable animals, and equally adorable and talented people!”

Niamh Farren, Executive Producer, Young People’s Content, RTÉ said, “At RTÉ KIDS, we’ve seen a lot of wonderful things, but a surfing dog and a turtle that can score goals might just take the biscuit! The Big Pet Project is pure family joy, packed with heart, humour and a big dose of the unexpected.  It’s a celebration of Ireland’s animal lovers and their pets and a reminder that great public service TV can be as fun and unpredictable as Ireland’s furriest and feathered pets.”

The Big Pet Project is a six-part series for RTÉ KIDS, premiering Saturday 15 November at 5:15pm on RTÉ One, with all episodes available to stream on RTÉ Player.