Beauty & her beasts: KIM'S ANIMAL KINGDOM

The gorgeous actress is just one step away from having her own zoo!

- Trudi Nelson

When it comes to trending pets, goats are having a moment, especially in the wake of that viral video with the cute but sweary Kiwi toddler. And if you’re down with the kids, you’ll know that GOAT also stands for “greatest of all time” – a title that could well be directed at Kimberley Crossman if we’re talking about being New Zealand’s greatest animal lover.

When quizzed by Woman’s Day about her dream pet, the busy actress says it would be a goat – she fell in love with a rescued kid on a recent trip to the SPCA animal shelter in Māngere – but she’d also like a bunny and then some puppies. And yes, that would be on top of the two dogs, couple of cats, a spider and the 50,000 bees she already owns!

As she cuddles up to cute canines Honey and Tilly at our fun, furry photo shoot in Auckland, it’s no wonder why Kim, 31, was asked to become an ambassador for the SPCA, a charity she says is full of unsung heroes.

“It’s been cool to work alongside them,” she grins. “I’m very grateful for the experience. They do some pretty amazing stuff and I have so much respect for the inspectors. I don’t know how they deal with the dire things they must see. The SPCA truly makes a difference e to animals in distress” s.” And that’s why she’s now agreed to be the face of the organisation’s biggest fundraiser, SPCA Cupcake Day, which encourages people to bake a bunch of sweet treats, then sell them to friends, family and colleagues to make much-needed money for the animal charity.