Tapawera Area School pet day

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Tapawera Area School pupils Katelyn McLauchlan,11, left and Ashly Hemi,11 with Harvey a pure breed Tollenburg goat

Tapawera Area School pupils Tayla Smart,11, left Saphron Morrell-Hopa,11 and Olivia Earwaker,12 with Coco a pure breed Tollenburg goat at the Tapawera Area School Pet Day.

Tapawera Area School pupils Caroline Hammersley,5, left Ramona McIlroy,6 and Olive Ellis-Oldham, 5 feed Lucy the donkey.

Tapawera Area School pupils Jack Hicks,6, left holds his baby possum for Blake Warnes,6, (centre) and Seth Jolly,5 to touch at the Tapawera Area School Pet Day.

Tapawera Area School pupil Jack Hicks,6 with Nutty his baby possum.

Tapawera Area School pupil Aleisha Oakly, 6 with a lamb.

Blake Warnes,5, feeds lambs at the Tapawera Area School Pet Day.

Jamey Ingham,6 holds a week old chick at the Tapawera Area School Pet Day.

Tapawera Area School pupil Fergus Reynolds with sheep dog Boss.

Jacob Matthewson,5 left and Zac Griffith ,5 with Lin Peterson and a calve.

Tapawera Area School pupil Katie Taylor,7 brushes donkey, Lucy.

Tapawera Area School pupil Grace Mytton,5 feeds horse Jake.

Tapawera Area School room four pupils walk past Lareen Bonnington and horse Jake

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Tapawera Area School pupils proudly brought their pets to school, and photographer Martin de Ruyter captured some special moments. Chloe Vaughan reports.

Nutty the Coke-guzzling possum stole the show at the Tapawera Area School pet day, held as a dress rehearsal for next year's Boys' and Girls' Agricultural Club show.

Last Tuesday's pet day featured the usual suspects – sheep, piglets, cows, dogs, goats, donkeys, horses and guinea pigs – but they were just a supporting act for Nutty.

The two-month-old possum was stylishly dressed for the occasion, wearing a miniature waistcoat.

Pupil Jack Hicks said his mother Karen Carleton found Nutty on the roadside after his mother died in a trap. She rescued the orphaned possum and gave him to Jack to look after.

Ms Carleton said possums made fantastic pets, and Nutty was just like one of the family.

He sleeps on Jack's bed and enjoys drinking fizzy drinks like Coke and play-fighting with Jack.

Jack was one of about 25 year one to six children attending the pet day.

They were all encouraged to bring their pets to the agricultural club's show on January 23.

Club committee member Shirley Roeske said the pet day provided an opportunity for children to learn about rural life and farm animals.

"Some children still don't know that eggs come from chickens," she said.

Club president Daniel Newport said January's show would also feature "the world's fastest dog race", and the children were excited about the prospect of racing their dogs.

"It's a great day, just getting into it."

- © Fairfax NZ News