A 9-year-boy who died when a horse bolted had tied himself to the animal with a rope around his waist, police say.

Animal lovers will be sickened by the details given in No conviction for pair who chopped off puppies' tails with knife.

A breeding programme has had its first successful wild-to-wild egg transfer, and in turn, led to a 20 per cent rise in the number of breeding pairs.

Police have released the name of the 9-year-old boy who died after being dragged by a bolting horse in Northland on Saturday.

With the survival of a species on the line, Cincinnati Zoo scientists are hoping to mate their lone female Sumatran rhino with her little brother.

Two New Zealand fur seals have been shot dead on the South Island's east coast, a "grotesque" act which has outraged the Department of Conservation.

A beloved pet lamb was stolen and later dumped with a smashed head and set on fire outside its Dunedin home early yesterday, police say.

A 10-year old boy has died after being dragged by a bolting horse just before sunset yesterday.

A missing cat that lost a leg in an illegal gin trap was yesterday reunited with his tearful owners.

A seal which wandered around the streets of central Wellington this morning had to be herded back into the water by police.

It has been third time lucky for the owners of a cat who had given up their pet for dead after he disappeared for eight months on Waiheke Island.

More than 150 posties have been attacked by dogs in one year while delivering mail across New Zealand.

Around the world, attitudes to pets vary widely. In this country it can be something of a surprise when dogs appear in the cabin.

Auckland SPCA is overrun with rabbits. The organisation is hunting for homes for more than 40 rabbits - and staff say it's a great time to adopt.

While sharks are usually feared more for their fangs, researchers have captured video footage of thresher sharks which use their tails as a weapon to stun or kill prey.

Incredible dog tricks by Jumpy the border collie A proud dog owner has shared a video of his border collie Jumpy doing some of the most impressive dog tricks we've ever seen! courtesy Omar von Muller.

A senior investigator says illegal ivory trading is increasing in New Zealand, as a retiree becomes the first person convicted of ivory trading under NZ law.

Two celebrity travellers were allowed to have their French bulldogs keep them company on an Air New Zealand flight because they were providing a "psychiatric service''.

Two canine travellers caused a stir on a 10-hour international flight after Air New Zealand let the French bulldogs sit at the feet of their celebrity owners.

Attacks on guide dogs by out-of-control canines have increased this year, leaving owners and animals injured and distressed.

A kind stranger has stepped in to help a family after their miniature horse was mauled to death by a roving dog.

An Australian desert-dwelling parrot which hops like a kangaroo and hasn't been seen alive for more than a century has tongues wagging in the ornithological world.

Danielle Wright takes a look underneath the sea at the Auckland War Memorial Museum's Moana - My Ocean exhibition.

A farmer who left his herd of calves without food and water for months at his leased Papamoa farm neglected the animals so he could attend to his sick wife and newborn child.