Great groomers

rescue dogs - they need you

Doggy day care in the city

stopping for treats after the beach

where your hound can lounge or run around and play

Wellington Zoo makes for a solid afternoon’s entertainment for animal lovers. Its new walk-through "Neighbours" exhibit features Australian fauna, including dingoes, wallabies and kangaroos, while "Hero HQ" is home to chameleons, stick insects and a rather horrific bird-eating tarantula. If you’re a local who hasn’t been for a couple of years, don’t cross it off your list – new exhibits open regularly, and you’re bound to be surprised at how much has changed. (And the zoo’s chief executive, Karen Fifield, has gone on the record about her goal of snow leopards by 2020.)

If you’re in the area of Wellington Zoo, but the weather’s looking patchy or you’re in need of a caffeine hit, pop into Mojo Coffee and enjoy a coffee in front of their pygmy marmoset exhibit. Pygmy marmosets are the smallest monkeys in the world, and are found in the wild in the rainforests of South America, where they live in big, familial groups: Wicket and Cuzco, as the pair at Mojo are called, have recently welcomed a tiny addition to their little family.

Wellington SPCA cares for over 6000 animals a year at its centres based in Newtown and Waikanae. You don’t have to be in the market for a pet of your own to be able to help out. Pop in with a donation pet food, blankets or newspaper, or to register to be a volunteer – they’re always on the look-out for fosterers, dog walkers or street collectors. See http://www.wellingtonspca.org.nz/ for more information.

Window shopping for animal lovers. Enjoy a coffee and a pastry at La Cloche, the French bakery on Hutt Rd, and then pop into Animates Kaiwharawhara to have a look at the puppies and kittens you wish you could take home. The charitable trust Greyhounds As Pets regularly has street collectors there, too.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, Wellington waterfront is packed with dog walkers, many of whom are happy to accommodate requests for pats (but do remember to ask before patting strangers’ pets!). Bernie the Bernese mountain dog, often found outside Freyberg Pool on Oriental Bay, has even become a bit of a local celebrity.

Awesome day to be at Churton park village community day! What better on a hot day than locally made gelato!

A great day to be part of the Churton park festival! Free tours of the Vets all day!

A great day here te Churton park festival!

A great day at the Churton Park Festival

Thanks New World for opening your car park to the Churton Park Festival

Whether you have a pooch yourself, or just like to stare at Wellington’s best groomed hounds through a glass window, from Weimaraners and Dalmations to Chihuahuas,The Barking Lot may be one of the happiest places in Wellington. Visiting this place elicits the same warm fuzzies that I assume people experience when visiting Japan’s cat cafes. The Barking Lot is a doggy day care service, but they also offer grooming and training classes, and free entertainment for those of us canine enthusiasts.

Parade your pooch for the world to see along the Wellington waterfront. Not only is the walk beautiful, but you’ll be sure to attract a lot of attention which will make you feel popular. Grab some gelato at Kaffe Eis at Frank Kitts park, and check out babes on stand up paddleboards, what a treat!

What better place to play fetch with your furry friend, and with a beautiful view of the city to boot! Ohiro park is a great central location for your dog to get some exercise without having to worry about pesky cars or leashes.

Lyall bay beach allows dogs roam free, without the annoying constraint of a leash. Your pooch can partake in some doggy play time, whilst you enjoy a romantic evening seaside stroll. Lyall bay is also one of Wellington’s few surf spots, if thats your thing.

Rogue & Vagabond is a very dog friendly craft beer bar in Glover park. Home to a particularly phlegmatic bull dog, Bruce, the bar sets up bean bags out on the grass on sunny days, where your pooch is free to play. The curly fries and pizzas are also worthy of a mention, delicious food and beverages all round.

The home of Peoples Coffee in Newtown is the perfect spot for a relaxed coffee, with inside and outside seating, a wide range of paraphernalia for brewing at home, and perhaps the best carrot cake this side of the Mt Vic tunnel. In summer, it’s also the home of the excellent Cold Flat White. A tip – aside from that day’s Dominion Post, there’s not much in the way of reading material, so bookworms are recommended to bring their own.

Monterey is famous in and out of Newtown for its burgers, which drop from $17 to $10 on Tuesday nights. (There is also sometimes a $20 burger and pilsner deals, though call ahead to check if it’s on offer.) The deal is so popular it’s worth making an effort to get there before 6.30pm, if you can, but it’s well worth the wait. There are halloumi and tofu burgers for vegetarians, too.

Opportunity For Animals is just one of the many excellent op-shops in Newtown. This one has clothing and accessories for men, women and children, plus a wide range of homewares and books. You’ll be surprised at how much you can pick up for less than $10.

Wellington SPCA cares for over 6000 animals a year at its centres based in Newtown and Waikanae. You don’t have to be in the market for a pet of your own to be able to help out. Pop in with a donation pet food, blankets or newspaper, or to register to be a volunteer – they’re always on the look-out for fosterers, dog walkers or street collectors. See http://www.wellingtonspca.org.nz/ for more information.

Book Haven is one of the best second-hand book stores in Wellington, let alone Newtown. It’s not the largest shop, but it’s well-curated and well-organised – and the proprietor is knowledgeable, helpful and down for a chat. The prices, too, are reasonable.