"There were dead animals in drains." A vet has described an horrific case of mistreating cattle on a farm as the worst he has seen.

Live pigs, rabbits and possums have been tied to mechanical lures and used as bait to train some of Australia’s most successful greyhounds.

Which dog will be Best in Show? Westminster Kennel Club 139th annual all-breed dog show has begun - check out the cutest and craziest pictures from the event.

Dogs compete at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York City.

A man whose dog attacked and killed a protected New Zealand fur seal pup on a West Auckland beach has been fined $1000 and will have his dog put down.

An amateur photographer was walking along the water with his family when he captured a ten-minute sea battle between a seal and its latest catch.

Australian surfer reveals epic battle with great white shark that ripped off his arms - and the terrifying moment he felt a "second bump".

Sixty whales from a stranded pod of almost 200 have been successfully refloated near Nelson.

There was hope for 64 stranded pilot whales last night when they were finally helped on their way to the safety of deeper water.

Three-month-old cheetah cubs Matata, Kanzi, Gorse and Nia will today venture into the wild at Orana Park in outer Christchurch.

A six-legged critter who knows a thing or two about cricket has predicted New Zealand will win against Sri Lanka today.

Everyone knows that dogs are a human's best friend - and now scientists have shown they can read our faces.

More stranded pilot whales are expected to die as weather conditions and nightfall hamper efforts to save 174 pilot whales that ran into trouble today.

Three-month-old cheetah cubs Matata, Kanzi, Gorse and Nia are taking their first steps into the wild at Orana Park in outer Christchurch.

More stranded pilot whales are expected to die as weather conditions and nightfall hamper efforts to save 174 pilot whales that ran into trouble today.

109-year-old Alfie Date spends his time knitting tiny wool sweaters for tiny injured penguins.

Two large sharks have been spotted of the northern NSW coast where a surfer was fatally attacked, forcing authorities to reassess beaches.

Authorities have revealed a large great white shark was behind Australia's latest shark fatality, as video footage has emerged of the attack.

The sharp decline in honeybees has been linked to changes in foraging behaviour brought on by stress, a study has found.

The latest fashion in dogs is 'designer' cross breeds with the resulting canine creations becoming incredibly popular. Think schnoodle or chorkie. Sally Hibbard investigates the trend.

"I can't sleep at night because I'm scared a white-tail spider's going to sting me, or bite me." An Auckland family has had enough of spider bites.

'It went whack and he was thrown in the air.' A Japanese surfer killed yesterday when both his legs were bitten off by a shark was a 'great guy', friends say.

Parks and beaches are great places for dogs to romp around, but they are not a free-for-all, says Cathy Casey.

A West Auckland woman believes she may have inadvertently brought an Australian redback spider into her home.

“He lost both his legs," says a local after a killer shark apparently came out of nowhere and attacked a man off a NSW beach.

A shocked Australian resident filmed the disgusting spectacle of a writhing worm emerging from a dead spider after it was sprayed with insecticide.

What makes Grumpy Cat so special? Nothing, writes Greg Dixon. His cat is far cuter.

No animals have escaped from their enclosures at Auckland Zoo, despite earlier reports of a containment breach.

Auckland councillors have been bombarded with more than 200,000 emails urging them to oppose the latest proposed oil exploration plan.