'Pawder Patrol' pooch lays down the law

Officer Goodboy will soon give travellers to New Zealand paws for thought. Photo / YouTube

A friendly bespectacled beagle named Officer Goodboy will soon be explaining New Zealand's biosecurity rules to passengers on international flights.

The ministry for primary industries has launched a new in-flight video, which will be available to all international airlines flying into New Zealand, to encourage people to declare or dispose of items that could pose a risk.

The animated beagle, voiced by comedian Te Radar, stars in something of a spoof of the reality television show Border Patrol, more aptly titled Pawder Patrol.

"It's very important to educate travellers from overseas on how important biosecurity is to New Zealand, and the importance of declaring risk items," Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said.

"It includes new advertising aimed at getting Chinese people living in New Zealand to encourage friends and family to follow our biosecurity rules."

The video has been translated into seven different languages, including a dubbed-over Mandarin version.

- AAP