Dogs may be man's best friend but, on many New Zealand farms, they are also often their best employees.

Several of New Zealand's most cherished birds - among them the kea and two types of albatross - have been shifted to a more serious conservation status following a national survey.

For years, scientists have been dogged by this evolution question: Just where did man's best friend first appear?

Six fluffy blue ducklings will take their first outing, to an outside pool, for the first time this afternoon.

'Clearly this is not rocket science.' The SPCA is shocked by an Otara woman's cruelty in neglecting to change her dog's collar, causing it a serious neck wound.

A farmer has been convicted of ill-treating an animal after his dogs were locked in filthy kennels so long one chewed off its own foot.

Shark finning will be banned in New Zealand waters under a government proposal announced today.

The SPCA has clipped the wings of a programme that looked after injured birds.

A giant wedge-tailed eagle has reportedly been blown off course from Australia and taken up residence on a coast west of Auckland.

Researchers studying the effects of climate change on polar bears are experimenting with the idea of crowdsourcing data as improving technology allows anybody with an internet connection to monitor the animals' annual migration in Canada.

Black swans run over by a boat, a pet sheep bashed and set on fire, and fowl found stuffed in a chest of drawers have topped the SPCA's 2013 List of Shame.

Sumeet Satishwar captured these incredible images of a dead shark's pups at Muriwai Beach.

SPCA launched its annual appeal today with two of its world-famous driving dogs 'digging deep' for bags of money on Auckland's Kohimarama Beach.

An actual party animal has become a worldwide sensation after his night out with a bunch of French revellers went viral.

More Aucklanders than ever were bitten, butted and bruised by dogs last year as record levels of claims for dog-inflicted injuries were reported.

A 90-year-old woman was knocked to the ground by two dogs, which then ripped her miniature Yorkshire terrier from her arms and mauled it to death in front of her.

Driving dog Monty is heading for the big screen.

Exotic dung beetles cleared for release in New Zealand could become flying "faecal bombs", says a review of belated research into health risks from the insects.

A 43-year-old beekeeper went into "venom overload" after he was stung up to 50 times on the head and neck by a swarm of bees.

The second man convicted for his part in beating 23 fur seals to death on the Kaikoura Coast has been sentenced to eight months' home detention.

One of two oarfish found in California waters earlier this month had a host of parasites living in its giant, serpent-like body.

Solving problems isn't exclusively human but working out how animals do it is tricky, writes Clint J. Perry.

Indonesia's capital is getting rid of the monkey business. Security forces are conducting raids to rescue macaques used in masked monkey performances on Jakarta's streets.