A woman was thrown out of a meeting on the North Shore's beach poisonings when she hurled objects at a Department of Conservation speaker.

"Significant animal welfare issues" have been found among the 20,000 cows on the 22 farms owned by the Crafar family, a MAF inquiry says.

A dog which died after visiting a Coromandel beach tests positive to the same toxin thought to have killed five dogs in Auckland.

American scientist and animal lover Marc Bekoff, who visits Auckland this week, believes animals don’t just have emotions but are moral beings, just like us.

NZ's largest family owned dairy business is put into receivership by its banks Westpac, Rabobank and PGG Wrightson Finance.

New Zealand's largest family owned dairy business, Crafar Farms, has been put into receivership, Korda Mentha said in a statement.

Receivers were getting mud on their gumboots yesterday as they came to grips with problems of Crafar Farms.

Bad boy Dancing With The Stars judge Brendan Cole has caused international outrage by stoning a chicken to death on a TVNZ reality show.

Federated Farmers Dairy chair Lachlan McKenzie responds to recent controversy over the mistreatment of animals on a NZ dairy farm.

Inspectors have begun urgent checks on the welfare of livestock at farms owned by the Crafar family, amid concerns that publicity over alleged cruelty could harm New Zealand's reputation.

Agriculture Minister David Carter says 'dirty dairy farmer' Allan Crafar could do huge damage to New Zealand's reputation.