Dog day out for pups and owners at Kaitaia A&P show

Paula Taratu, with Ice and Popcorn, almost at the front of the queue at Friday's FNDC dog day in Kaitaia.

It was all becoming a little overwhelming for eight-week-old Ice and Popcorn by the time it was their turn to be microchipped at the Far North District Council's dog day in Kaitaia on Friday, but owner Paula Taratu was planning to make it up to them for their wait in the rain.

"We'll be home soon," she said, and then it'll be time for a warm bath, a blow dry and then bed."

The littermates were probably the youngest dogs to show up at the A&P showgrounds, but the day attracted an extraordinary collection of hounds of all ages, shapes and sizes, in weather that most owners at least would probably rather have sat out at home.

The pups' mum was a pitbull, Paula added, but their dad didn't hang around long enough to enable identification.