Latest from Pets & Animals

Adopt me: Bessie
Bessie is a 9-month-old whippet who was rescued after being thrown from a car.

Huge python suffocates and kills security guard
A giant python has suffocated and killed a security guard at a luxury beachfront hotel on the holiday island of Bali, Indonesia.

Cloud finds new family
As the old Italian proverb goes, happy is the home with at least one cat.

Budgeting for survival of species
Australia is following a scheme introduced in NZ to decide which wildlife should be allowed to die off

Adopt me: Nina
Nina is a 1-year-old cat that prefers living in a quiet atmosphere as she becomes overwhelmed by loud noises.

Looking death in the face pays off
Lying flat on the dirt in a Namibian desert, Stephen Belcher was just 30m away from a hunting leopard.

Adopt me: Cado
Cado is a playful puppy, full of life and energy and always smiling. He came to the SPCA in mid-2013 and is hoping to have an owner by the time 2014 rolls in.

Kiwi's stunning great white pic
Lying on the floor of a research boat off the coast of South Africa in treacherous waters, NZ photographer Chris McLennan knew he had to stay focused.

2013's odd animal tales
A firefighter turned "dog whisperer", the mystery of the South Island black panther and wild otters in Southland all made headlines this year.

Mystery of moggy's origins solved
Researchers have found the earliest case of cat domestication, along with the first direct evidence of how it may have happened.

Adopt me: Agnes and Arabia
These domestic shorthair tabby kittens are playful and loveable. They get along well so would love to be adopted together.

Waihi beach closed after shark sighting
A shark sighting forced lifeguards to close Waihi Beach earlier today.

Kiwi chick dies in dope net
Dope growers have been blamed for the death of a "beautiful" young kiwi chick that was being monitored by the Department of Conservation.

SPCA at 'cat crisis point'
The Auckland SPCA has halved the cost of adopting cats and kittens over the Xmas period, saying it is at "crisis point" with too many feline arrivals.

Animal cruelty couple has application for appeal dismissed
A former Kennel Club judge and his wife, who were banned from caring for animals for 20 years, have had their application for appeal dismissed.

Stores ban Angora over viral video of live rabbits being plucked
Online retailer ASOS has joined a host of upmarket shops in banning angora products over a viral video exposing the cruelty that rabbits suffer.

Blubber me, this seal's a landlubber
'It's not the sort of thing you'd want to come across when you're getting the paper from the mailbox.' A fur seal surprised Dunedin residents yesterday.

Agony after stingray hit
Fisherman airlifted to hospital after fish's barb just misses an artery in his leg.

Tasmanian devils welcomed to Wellington Zoo
Four new Tasmanian devils have been welcomed to Wellington Zoo today.

Beached whales make it back to sea
Three orca whales which were beached in a bay in Northland's Kaipara Harbour have made it safely back out to sea.

Diversion for owner after dog chases sea lion
The owner of a dog which chased a sea lion from the sand dunes on an Otago Peninsula beach to the sea has been granted diversion.

Hank's obsession is no bull
When Hank the bulldog catches sight of his skateboard, there's no stopping him - that is, until the skateboard has to be confiscated.

Crossbow cat teen may get diversion
A teen accused of firing a crossbow bolt through the head of a cat may be granted diversion.