Blue Peter pets first "Blue Peter" dog whose death was not mentioned on the programme. Barney is believed to be an Irish Setter/Dachshund cross and officially joined the "Blue Peter" team on 22 September 2009. He is the show's ninth dog. Barney is a former stray and was given to presenter Helen Skelton by the Dogs Trust. Barney left the show along with his owner Helen on 26 September 2013. The programme has had a long association with guide dogs, which stretches back to 1964 – captivating millions of viewers and helping to transform the lives of thousands of visually impaired people. The
Blue Peter to re-invent the show to be more like the BBC's motoring programme "Top Gear". Deverell hopes that by adding "danger and excitement", "Blue Peter" will achieve the same "playground buzz" among children as "Top Gear". In January 2011, Barney Harwood was introduced to the programme as replacement for Defries, who had departed in late 2010 after two years. Unusually, Harwood was no stranger to "Blue Peter" viewers, having appeared as a presenter on CBBC for many years, on shows including "Prank Patrol" and "Bear Behaving Badly". On 29 March 2011, "Blue Peter" became the first programme in the UK to