A vet check followed by some annual leave is in store for a police dog who spent a week missing in the bush. The 4-year-old German shepherd disappeared during training in the Tararua Range last Sunday, sparking a frantic search by police. Thames was found about 1pm Sunday afternoon by his handler Constable Mike Wakefield and experienced volunteer searcher John McCann.

An Eketahuna man is being hailed a hero after risking his life to save an unconscious driver trapped in a crashed and blazing vehicle on Thursday.

It was a week of poor fortune for dogs in Wairarapa, which attracted plenty of sympathy online.