Purple poppies are recognised as a tribute to animals that have served alongside humans in military service.
And the blooms were on show at Waiouru last week as a New Zealand War Animal Memorial was unveiled, with Whanganui's Merenia Donne and her medical assist dog Rica were there to lay a wreath.
Ms Donne founded the Kotuku Foundation: Assistance Animals Aotearoa (KFAAA) in 2006 and was named a member of the NZ Order of Merit in the 2018 New Year honours list for services to training disability assistance dogs.
The foundation works with the RSA to support military personnel living with conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder by providing canine companions.
Australian War Animal Organisation founder Nigel Allsopp had heard of the foundation's work and invited Ms Donne to place a wreath at the foot of the lates animal was memorial at the Waiouru Army Museum.