Latest from Pets & Animals

Girl dies after being hit by rock thrown by elephant
A girl has died after being struck on the head in a tragic accident after an elephant hurled a rock into the air. (Source: Youtube / jadid247)

Pet cats poisoned, one left blind
Julie Abbott has no idea why anyone would want to poison her pets.

Home detention for cruelty to calves
The slaughterman whose cruel mistreatment of bobby calves was caught on camera has avoided jail.

Can you spot the cat among the rubbish?
An image of a curious cat walking along a rubbish pile is the latest optical illusion to have puzzle fans scratching their heads.

Street-smart koalas on the move
Koalas are very cute and sleepy animals that can certainly draw a crowd at any zoo.

Dog days on New York subway
New Yorkers have taken to carrying their pooches in all kinds of pouches to cleverly circumvent transportation rules that forbids bringing them on board

How to move house with pets
Moving house is tough enough for us two-legged creatures, but it can be even harder on our four-legged mates.

Kiwi pets prefer local taste
A small, New Zealand-owned pet-food company has shown the international big boys who's boss in the latest ratings by consumer satisfaction

Claire Turnbull backs SPCA 'Blue Tick' scheme
Nutritionist Claire Turnbull is the latest well-known face to back the SPCA's Blue Tick scheme to support animal welfare.

Royals slammed for 'animal cruelty'
Prince George fed an ice cream to the family dog in a third birthday portrait.

To kill a seabird - Does plastic actually kill?
Scientists want to find out whether bits of plastic junk commonly found inside the stomachs of seabirds is killing them.

Chiefs player guilty over dog attack
A former Warriors player has pleaded guilty in court after a dog he owned attacked a child earlier this year.

Meet our dogs taking the world by storm
Duck/dog and his canine co-workers are making waves overseas with their oh-so-cute social media presence.

Man reveals his snake on a train
A Queensland man got in trouble with the law after he whipped out his snake on a commuter train.

Kiwi stud retires after 10 years
A Kiwi breeding stud has been allowed to retire after bolstering the endangered bird's population.

Gift to Key elephant in the courtroom
A diplomatic gift of an elephant risks becoming a nightmare for the NZ Government as groups take legal action to stop the animal coming to Auckland Zoo.

Rare turtle that washed up on beach dies
An olive ridley turtle that washed up on a Hawke's Bay beach last week has died at Auckland Zoo.

Boar killed in harbour - SPCA inquiry
Video of a boar being killed during a fishing trip has stoked controversy after being posted on social media.

Five cat emergencies you should never ignore
Being a good cat owner means getting to know them well enough to pick up on signs that something might be wrong.

Video: Manatee chills with boarders
Two Florida girls got a surprise this summer when they went out paddleboarding - and made a new friend.

Half-price puppies need loving homes
Thinking about getting a new family pet? Auckland SPCA is offering 50 dogs and puppies for adoption at half their normal price for the next two weeks.

Catty McCatface - NZTA's new recruit
The Waikato Expressway team has adopted a wayward kitten found at its Huntly project office.

Watch: Auckland couple spend $20,000 on pixiebob cats
It's no longer enough for an Auckland house deposit, but the cost of Marius and Lizel Koekemoer's two cats is still a sum to wince over. The Auckland couple spent more than $20,000 importing a breeding pair of pixiebob cats into New Zealand, and now the female is expecting her first litter.

Are these NZ's most expensive cats?
It's no longer enough for an Auckland house deposit, but at more than $20,000 the cost of these two cats is still a sum to wince over.

Watch: Is this the cutest project delay ever?
John Lennon sang about it, and now Auckland Council are living it. Life, happening, while you're busy making other plans. The life - four tiny black swan fluffballs - have upset plans to install a sculpture in a suburban Auckland park. But they might be the cutest project delay in the city this year.

Is this the cutest project delay ever?
Auckland Council planned to install a sculpture in a suburban park, but mother nature had other ideas.

Massive boost for kakapo survival
A record breeding season for New Zealand and the world's population of lovable but critically endangered kakapo has seen their numbers shoot up by an amazing 28 per cent to 157 individuals.