Latest fromPets & Animals

Dogs in kiwi zones targeted
Dog owners are being urged to keep their pets out of kiwi zones after four dogs were seen wandering inside Opua Forest in Northland.

Pygmy marmoset visits vet
Wellington Zoo's four-month-old pygmy marmoset went into The Nest Te Kohanga - the zoo's animal hospital - for the first time late last week. The tiny tot weighed in at only 74.5 grams.

Radical feral cat, rat plan
Move over, Gareth Morgan. A Dunedin woman concerned about the number of feral cats roaming the city has a radical solution for ridding Dunedin of such its undesirables.

Dolphins' flying visit
A pod of dolphins has been putting on acrobatic shows for residents on the North Shore.

Digs with pigs and sleeps with sheep
Elisabeth Easther reckons a farm stay could help satisfy your country craving

New skink species found in Northland
A Northland community has rocked the international lizard world with the possible discovery of a new species of skink at Bream Head.

Ecosanctuary kiwi chick a 'big boost'
A sighting of a Haast tokoeka kiwi chick at Orokonui Ecosanctuary is an important milestone for the recovery of the rare native bird, the Department of Conservation says.

Cathy Casey: Lazy owners send dogs to their deaths
Muzzled and waiting in a sterile room for the vet's lethal injection, this was the last sight that 3338 dogs in Auckland saw.

Dog attack: Council yet to decide on pet's fate
A 5-year-old boy is in a stable condition in hospital after being bitten by a dog in south Auckland last night.

Boy, 5, bitten on face by family pit bull
A 5-year-old boy has been hospitalised after being bitten on the face by a pit bull, believed to be a family pet, in South Auckland.

Coast's whale tragedies
Three dead whales have washed up on West Coast beaches in as many days.

Pups dumped in cold
A shivering litter of tiny blue heeler puppies was dumped on city streets on one of the coldest nights of the year.

Two face charges over rabbit infestation
What are believed to be the first prosecutions over Central Otago's rabbit problem are set to go to court next week.

For penguins, swimming beats flying so walking is okay
Penguins can move underwater with the speed of a swallow or swift, but cannot fly even as far as a chicken. How did a bird that in some cases shuffles 65km to its breeding grounds on unsuitable flippers lose its ability to fly there quickly?

Puppy rescue: 'It's just an instinct'
A firefighter who resuscitated a puppy rescued from a burning house says he did not think twice before blowing oxygen through the dog's nose.