Latest fromPets & Animals

Sad end for pup found in bin
A puppy found abandoned in a rubbish bin in central Auckland has been put down today.

Dog walks 178km to find his way home
He was missing for 15 days, but he was determined to find his way home.

Dingo cuteness overload at Aussie zoo
A pair of proud parents at the Australian Reptile Park, on the NSW central coast, have welcomed the arrival of five fuzzy and very cute dingo pups.

Top 5 smallest dogs
The appeal of small dogs needs little explanation: they make less mess, they're (mostly) easier to clean up after and, of course

Meet the pug and cat who travel together
They may fight like cat and dog, but adventurous pets Luigi and Bandito share a love of the great outdoors.

Dog kiss almost kills woman
Dogs can cause sepsis in humans just by licking them, doctors have warned after an elderly British woman became critically ill.

Pet cat suffered 'significant pain'
A Huntly woman has been banned from owning animals for five years after a small wound on her cat's back grew to the "size of a palm" because she didn't take it to the vet for months.

When a croc needs care, be very careful
When a notoriously irritable reptile with a mouthful of jagged teeth and a vicious underbite needs medical care, caution is definitely in order.

Cat caught in gin trap, seriously injured
Pet owners are being warned to watch out for gin traps in the area after a cat suffered serious injuries when it became trapped in one.

Zoo flooded with names for feisty pups
The zoo has had hundreds of emails, tweets and Facebook comments, with a great range of names, resulting in the team having a tough job to pick only two of them.

Dog comforts grieving families
She's a valued staff member at the funeral home where she works, and Lulu is always on hand to offer a paw to hold.

Scientists create zombie 'Frankenturtles'
Not just any turtle could help these scientists determine why loggerhead sea turtles are dying. They recruited a dead one.

Puppy petition gets 10,000 signatures
A petition to save Chip the puppy from being put down has more than 10,000 signatures, but Council claim the dog is sick.

River, the rescued pup, sure has grown
River, the puppy saved by a Bay primary school student last year, has settled in with her rescuer's family and grown into a lovable, large dog.

Names sought for zoo's capybara pups
Auckland Zoo needs your help to name two new arrivals - a pair of male capybara pups.

Twelve Questions with Apollo Taito
Apollo Taito is a sergeant in the NZ Army, an ambassador for animal rights organisation Safe and one of an estimated five Samoan vegans in the country.

Cat owners smarter than dog owners
Dog lovers might think cat owners often feel superior to them - and they might be barking up the right tree.

Where feathers, fur and scales come from
The current diversity of feathers, fur and scales is part of what made their origins so mystifying to scientists.

Future uncertain for pound pup Chip
An Auckland electrician who rescued a young pup out of a rubbish bin is disappointed to his good deed might end with it being put down.

Fiesta the llama keeps cool with leaf blower
A Texan zoo has found a creative way to keep a llama cool in temperatures of more than 40C.

Dog thefts up as thieves target trendy breeds
Dog thefts in the UK have soared by 20 per cent in two years, particularly among breeds popular with celebrities.

Blood, threat and steers
A group of tourists had a lucky escape after crashing their car into a cow in Te Kuiti last week. The cow and the car were not so lucky.

Creating a wētā future
Under a full moon and clear skies on an unseasonably warm evening in late June, I am hiking across Otata Island in The Noises.

Watch: Auckland Zoo release hundreds of young giant Weta on Otata Island
Auckland Zoo hope that the release of hundreds of captive-bred young Wetapunga (Giant Weta) on Otata Island in the Hauraki Gulf will help the health of the islands forests.

NZ garden bird survey seeks helpers
Organisers of a nationwide survey are urging people to keep a sharp eye out for feathered visitors to their back gardens.

Meet latest weapon against child porn
A new detective has arrived. He is an altogether different species of investigator.

Rescued kitten motors off
Whangarei mechanic Michael Smith's job title usually doesn't include rescuing cats - but today was a different story.