WGeorge was a pet dog in Taranaki, New Zealand that was credited with sacrificing his life to save local children from a pit bull attack. George's heroism was internationally recognised, and he received posthumous awards from New Zealand and United Kingdom animal charities.
WMittens is a domestic cat in Wellington, New Zealand, who wanders Te Aro and the city's central business district. A feline flâneur, he roams up to 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from his home. Selfie pictures with the cat have become a desired item for locals. Mittens is occasionally taken to the SPCA or the Police.
WMoko was a male bottlenose dolphin who associated with humans on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand from 2007 to 2010.
WOpo was a bottlenose dolphin who became famous throughout New Zealand during the summer of 1955/56 for playing with the children of the small town of Opononi on the Hokianga harbour.
WPelorus Jack was a Risso's dolphin that was famous for meeting and escorting ships through a stretch of water in Cook Strait, New Zealand, for 24 years between 1888 and 1912. Pelorus Jack was usually spotted in Admiralty Bay between Cape Francis and Collinet Point, near French Pass, a notoriously dangerous channel used by ships travelling between Wellington and Nelson.
WShrek was a Merino wether belonging to Bendigo Station, a sheep station near Tarras, New Zealand, who gained international fame in 2004, after he avoided being caught and shorn for six years. Merinos are normally shorn annually, but Shrek apparently hid in caves, avoiding muster. He was named after the fictional ogre in books and films of the same name.
WSirocco is a kakapo, a large, flightless, nocturnal parrot, and one of the 209 remaining kakapo in the world. He achieved individual fame following an incident on the BBC television series Last Chance to See in which he attempted to mate with zoologist Mark Carwardine. Subsequent featuring of the incident on television channels around the world and on YouTube resulted in Sirocco becoming internationally known. In his home country of New Zealand, Sirocco has attracted thousands of people during "personal" appearances, and in January 2010 was given the title of Official Spokesbird for Conservation by Prime Minister John Key. In this role, Sirocco helps advocate for conservation through human intermediaries on social media sites and blogs.