A beloved pet in Warkworth, north of Auckland, has narrowly avoided catastrophe, thanks to an intrepid police officer.
Bonita the kitten's owner called police at around 9pm yesterday after the adventurous feline got heself stuck nearly five metres down a drain.
"While she was told it wasn't really a police matter, our animal-loving officers decided to attend and see what they could do to help," police said today.
Fire and Emergency NZ were able to help police open a nearby manhole and an officer, identified as Constable Panaho, climbed in to retrieve the crying kitten.
She managed to scoop Bonita up and carry her back out of the drain, to the owner's relief.
Police say the owner was "overjoyed to have her back".
"We're glad we could help," police say.
Fire and Emergency weighed in on the rescue, adding: "That could have been catastrophic! Pawesome team work."
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