Animals

Drake is letting the dogs out ... as in, he's leaving his hotel in a dog mask -- which, let's be honest, beats him covering the Baha Men.

The rapper made a major fashion statement Thursday as he headed over to his performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn wearing a doberman mask over his head.

Champagne Papi also had a glass of wine with him ... and paid homage to his Big Apple surroundings with a New York Yankees baseball jersey.

Drake's currently on the road for his "It's All a Blur" U.S. tour with 21 Savage, and Thursday marks the third of 4 straight shows at Barclays ... with three more NYC shows on deck at Madison Square Garden.

Viktor Hovland had a truly crappy shot at the Open Championship on Thursday ... when a bird decided to drop a deuce all over the golf star right as he was about to swing!!

The gross moment went down on the 15th hole of the major tournament in Liverpool --Hovland was lined up for his second shot ... when a savage bird flew by and handled its business right on top of his arm.

"What was that??" Hovland's caddy asked ... to which the fifth-ranked player in the world responded, "I just got s*** on."

Hovland's caddy did the dirty work and wiped away the doo-doo with a towel ... as the pro looked up in the sky in search of the culprit.

The announcers also had fun with the incident ... saying, "A bird just dropped 'something' on Viktor Hovland" as the booth giggled.

Rachel Leviss is making some more big changes in her life ... she changed her name, and now, she's no longer a dog mom.

James Kennedy posted some photos with Graham, the dog he once shared with Leviss when they were dating, claiming the pup is back with him for good. Sources with direct knowledge tell us James found out through a mutual friend Raquel was trying to find a new home for Graham ... she didn't connect with him directly.

Clearly, the "Vanderpump Rules" star is thrilled to have his pooch back, kissing him in photos with the caption ... "Look who made his way back home, back into my life, I'll take care of you forever and I love you. ❤️"

It appears the images are from the 'VPR' trip to Lake Tahoe ... where some of the cast members are currently hanging out. James is with his girlfriend Ally Lewber in one of the pics, kissing the dog while on a boat.

Remember ... Leviss and James originally got Graham back when they were dating, but she took the pooch with her when they ultimately split.

Now, James has the dog ... and the timeline suggests Graham Cracker made his way back to James when Rachel went to the mental health facility she ended up calling home for 2 months.

In any event, it looks like Graham Cracker has a loving home.

Ridley Scott allegedly has his actors interacting with live animals on the set of "Gladiator 2" -- something PETA has become aware of, and which it's urging the production to halt.

The animal rights org fired off a handful of letters over the past few days -- all obtained by TMZ -- and they're aimed at the director and his big-ticket cast ... Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal and others.

In the correspondence to Ridley, PETA says it's received whistleblower complaints alleging he's using both horses and macaque monkeys on set while shooting in Malta ... including a claim at least one of the horses recently collapsed. PETA is presuming the alleged collapse is due to extreme temperatures on the Mediterranean island.

It says, "Scorching summer heat and oppressive costumes are a dangerous mix for horses, who are naturally skittish animals, prone to flight and injury, and vulnerable to the stresses of a film set. The film and TV industries have a past riddled with on-set horse injuries and even deaths. We sincerely hope Gladiator 2 avoids adding another death to that list."

PETA also lists the dangers of working with live macaques, saying they're unpredictable and can hurt humans. They also say these monkeys are often ripped from their mothers at a young age for these types of film settings ... calling their alleged use unethical.

Despite the SAG-AFTRA strike, PETA says it's heard rumors "Gladiator 2" is continuing production this week, and asks Ridley to leave live animals out of it completely, suggesting he use CGI animals instead.

We've reached out to Ridley, Paramount, and the production company behind 'G2' ... so far, no word back.

BTW, we're told a similar letter was fired off to all the actors attached to 'Gladiator 2.'

Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Funny Cide, who became the 30th horse to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown in 2003, passed away on Sunday from complications of colic.

He was 23 years old.

Funny Cide emerged as a fan-favorite racehorse after defeating odd-on favorite Empire Maker at the 2003 Kentucky Derby ... and winning again at the Preakness Stakes.

The famed thoroughbred fell short of the Triple Crown ... finishing in third at the Belmont Stakes.

Funny Cide competed until 2008 ... winning 11 races overall and raking in more than $3.5 million in career earnings.

For the final 15 years of Funny Cide's life, he retired to Kentucky Horse Park ... where he was a member of its Hall of Champions.

Sackatoga Stable -- the ownership group for the "Gutsy gelding" -- shared the tragic news in a statement ... saying, "We are so grateful to Kentucky Horse Park for giving our guy a wonderful retirement. To say we will miss him, is an understatement."

Jose Santos Jr. -- son of Funny Cide's jockey, Jose Santos -- paid tribute to the legend ... writing, "By me, you will be remembered for the moments you gave our family. You are a family member to me."

"It hurts to know I’ve lost that, but I will never lose the memories you gave me, as well as the love I have for you ... Fly high champion"

If this doesn't make ya smile, nothing will today -- more than 450 golden retrievers are romping around a single Scottish estate for the cutest stinkin' family reunion you'll ever see!!!

Loads of the fluffy and distant relatives shook paws at the Guisachan Estate Thursday -- all posing for a photo op in front of the ruins of a home where the breed originated.

This is where Sir Dudley Marjoribanks bred the first-ever golden retriever way back in 1868.

The huge gathering came after a week of workshops, discussions, and demonstrations, all put on by The Golden Retriever Club of Scotland ... with the goal of keeping folks informed on the background of the popular breed.

Marjoribanks, later known as Lord Tweedmouth, created the dog by breeding a water spaniel and a wavy-coated retriever ... with historians claiming the animals would be given out to family and close friends in the early years of its creation.

Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour is now on U.S. soil, and at least one fan celebrated by ridin' high in Philly on an actual horse they brought to the concert!!!

A shocked ticket holder captured the wild scene of a Beyoncé superfan striking a pose on the steed, and immediately dubbed the animal, 'Reneigh' ... the name of Bey’s holographic horse from the "Renaissance" album cover.

The horse was being handled by a cowboy (or possibly a supportive boyfriend) who was on foot. At any rate, Bey's Reneigh could probably take a few pointers from the real deal -- the touring "horse" she uses during her concert suffered a major malfunction in Europe a few weeks ago!!!

Beyonce's U.S. opener went down inside Lincoln Financial Field, where there's plenty of space and seats, but not for horses ... of courses.

One of the most popular surf spots in Southern California is teeming with man-eating sharks -- video clearly shows a handful of great whites lurking just under the surface as surfers catch waves.

Ya gotta see the footage from San Onofre State Beach ... there are 4 to 5 sharks swimming between the waves with more than a dozen surfers nearby, or in some cases, paddling right over the potentially killer fish.

The incredible video was captured by photog Kevin Christopherson's drone Friday over San Onofre -- one of SoCal's surf meccas -- and most surfers don't seem concerned about what's swimming underneath them.

As you can see, sharks are there as surfers zip over them on waves ... and the predators are swimming nearby while surfers bob in the water, waiting for the next break.

These sharks are pretty big too ... because they're as big or bigger than the surfers' longboards.

Fact is, San Onofre State Beach is known to be a breeding ground for great whites ... so, most, if not all, of these surfers are aware of the risk.

Still, getting shark sightings like this on camera is a rarity.

LaMarcus Aldridge just got a new massive back tattoo featuring an image of the Joker ... and check it out -- it's so seriously awesome!!!

The former NBA star hit up Andres Ortega and his Onder Ink team last month to get the piece done ... and after sitting under the needle for 10 hours, most of the backside of the hooper's 6'11" frame was completely covered in ink.

On the bottom of the tattoo, Aldridge got Batman's nemesis tatted because, according to Ortega, the former San Antonio Spurs forward said there was a time in his life when nobody believed in him -- and this was his way of laughing at those detractors.

Aldridge also got images of a lion and its cub to represent the relationship he has with one of his children. The skyline of Dallas -- Aldridge's hometown -- was also added to the top of the artwork.

The 7-time NBA All-Star got his jersey No. 12 inked too ... and Ortega tells TMZ Sports he added religious imagery to honor his faith as well as family members who have passed.

Paris Hilton is getting called out by PETA for getting her new dog from a breeder instead of an animal shelter or adoption service ... and PETA's not pulling punches.

A rep for the animal rights organization tells TMZ ... "Paris Hilton has apparently been living under a rock for the past decade, because a day in an animal shelter would have shown her just how many Chihuahuas already need homes, and five minutes on Petfinder would turn up thousands more, including puppies."

The outrage comes after Paris showed off her latest addition to her family of pets ... a teacup chihuahua, who Paris says is related to her late dog, Harajuku Bitch.

Paris apparently got the pooch from Foufou's Teacup Puppies Inc ... according to their website, they get puppies from breeders, and that's the issue for PETA.

The PETA rep adds ... "PETA knows that retail therapy is what Paris loves best, but we ask her to keep the shopping to baubles and bags and give an animal a chance to be 'sliving' by adopting."

It's unclear if Paris bought the dog herself or if the breeder gave her the pooch as part of a collab ... but regardless, PETA isn't happy with how Paris is promoting the biz. These dogs go for around $6k and up.

Paris' new puppy is getting a similar reaction from PETA as Pete Davidson did when he recently got a Cavapoo puppy from a pet store.

Pete later went scorched earth on PETA, leaving an expletive-laden voicemail in response.

Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany, has found herself in the crosshairs of animal rights activists this week ... after she went on a vacation playdate with a dolphin.

Brittany had the meetup with the marine mammal several days ago while out in Hawaii with the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback ... but after she posted photos of the swim on her Instagram on Monday, fans went on the attack.

Dozens have left comments on the NFL star's wife's social media page ... ripping her for the outing -- and calling it cruel to the dolphin. PETA later jumped in, too.

"We know you love companion animals," the activist org. wrote in a lengthy note on Brittany's page, "but we hope to see you extend your compassion to marine life too."

In her photos, Brittany can be seen hugging, petting and even kissing the dolphin. At one point during her swim with the animal, she brought her 2-year-old into the water to get close to the sea creature as well.

In its note, PETA told Brittany none of it was healthy for the dolphin ... adding, "These types of interactions are dangerous for them AND us."

Brittany clearly didn't seem to believe she did anything wrong ... she captioned her pictures with "Ever snuggled a 400lbs dolphin?" She added a heart-eyed emoji as well.

She hasn't addressed the swim and its backlash publicly further.

Vanilla, the chimpanzee, who spent 28 years in an animal testing lab before finally getting a new life, is touching people's hearts, and inspiring them to open their wallets.

Save the Chimps, an animal sanctuary in Florida shared a video on social media showing Vanilla being introduced to other chimps and seeing open skies for the first time in her life ... and it's sparked a huge wave of interest and donations.

A rep for Save the Chimps tells TMZ ... Vanilla's viral moment brought in $48,600 in donations in just 4 days, plus a wave of new social media followers.

For context, Save the Chimps tells us they got $2,700 in donations the week before Vanilla went viral ... so the bump really stands out.

Save the Chimps says part of the $48,600 comes from merch sales, and about $10,000 has been donated from people who are adopting chimpanzees living in their sanctuary, which is one of the largest in the world.

Volunteer numbers are up too, and they're joining some existing celebrity supporters ... like Pink, Paul McCartney, Jane Goodall, Alan Cumming, and Anjelica Huston.

The money's going to be put to good use ... Save the Chimps has 226 chimps, including Vanilla, and because these animals can live well into their 60s, care is not cheap. The sanctuary says donations are part of a $9 million annual budget that pays to maintain a 150-acre property with 12 islands where different groups of chimps live, plus daily meals, veterinary care, and more.

There will be two versions of Oneil Cruz out on the diamond when the Pirates star makes his return later this season ... TMZ Sports has learned he just got a few new tattoos put on his body -- including one of himself!!

We're told the Pittsburgh shortstop -- who's been out since April while dealing with a broken leg -- wanted to commemorate his meteoric first few seasons in the Big Leagues with some tats ... so he hit up Jaime Ortiz to get the art put down.

The 24-year-old baseball player -- regarded as one of the brightest young stars in the sport -- sought to get a photo of himself, a lion, and an MLB ball ... and Ortiz certainly delivered.

Check out the images -- the super realistic lion and the tat of Ortiz sit side by side on Cruz's (ultra valuable!) right shoulder. The photo of the baseball, meanwhile, was placed on one of his forearms.

Ortiz, a Zen Ink Tattoos artist, tells us ... Cruz wanted the lion because it symbolizes leadership and being a protector -- while maintaining humility at the same time. The image of Cruz in a Pirates jersey, Ortiz said, represents a reminder of his roots and his prime.

As for the baseball, Ortiz tells us that was "all about his passion to the game!"

"It describes it all by itself," he added.

Cruz sat for 14 hours over two days to get it all done ... and he was clearly thrilled with the end result, posting it to his social media page earlier this week.

A huge hammerhead shark circled a couple of paddleboarders off the coast of Florida ... and the terrifying encounter was all caught on video.

The footage -- shot Sunday between the Bahamas and Lake Worth, FL -- first shows a woman on a paddleboard in the middle of the ocean being followed by a shark ... with a fin rising above the surface and getting super close to her board.

The shark appears to circle the paddleboard, then it goes over and checks out another paddleboarder.

Somehow, the woman keeps her cool through it all, paddling to a boat and hopping in the vessel ... and the shark disappears into the depths.

The woman, Malea Tribble of Fort Lauderdale, told FOX 35 News in Orlando she felt a few taps on the bottom of her paddleboard ... but she didn't realize it was a shark until her husband spotted the fin.

Folks on the boat think it was a hammerhead shark ... and it seems to be one curious fish.

Stephen King is the undisputed king of horror ... but his fictional storylines turned into a real-life nightmare at his home in Maine, with the author as the central character.

The fabled novelist of classics like "Pet Sematary" and "The Shining" got an uninvited visitor to his Bangor, Maine home Thursday, when a deer impaled itself on his spiked fence in front of his gothic mansion.

TMZ obtained a photo of the white-tailed fawn draped over the sharp spikes in the center of the wrought iron fence. The spikes drove into the midsection of the helpless animal whose legs were half inside and half outside King's property.

A rep for the Bangor PD tells us ... the one-year-old buck apparently tried to jump over the fence, but it was too high. The deer then attempted to maneuver through the middle portion of the metal barrier, but, unfortunately, the poor thing got skewered.

Unclear if King was home at the time ... but we know he didn't call cops. A woman driving by spotted the injured deer and dialed 911.

Police responded and put the deer out of its misery, shooting it. Per state law, officers are authorized to kill any wild animal they deem to be in distress.

It appears the house is a vacation home for Stephen and his wife. It gets its share of tourists who come by to gawk at the mansion.

We reached out to King's rep for comment ... so far no word back.

Two University of Buffalo football players have been charged with animal abuse ... after prosecutors say they were seen on video earlier this month beating a 4-year-old miniature Poodle with a leather belt.

According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office ... the incident happened at around 9 PM on June 13 inside an apartment in Amherst, N.Y.

Authorities allege 19-year-old Blake Hiligh, a cornerback, and 20-year-old Zachary Pilarcek, a tight end, filmed themselves striking the dog repeatedly ... in what was an apparent attempt to discipline the animal. Prosecutors say the two then uploaded the footage to social media.

On June 14, prosecutors say they hit both men with one misdemeanor charge of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals.

Officials also say the poodle, named Kobe, was seized and transported to a local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ... where it received treatment for abrasions and bruises.

Both Hiligh and Pilarcek appeared in court for their arraignment on Thursday ... and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following the proceedings, Hiligh's attorney told a group of reporters, "My client regrets the actions."

"We love our dogs," the lawyer added. "We love our pets. Sometimes they do frustrate us. Sometimes we do discipline them sometimes. I don't believe it was in a cruel manner."

Both Hiligh and Pilarcek have been dismissed from the UB football team over the allegations.

"The UB football program has zero tolerance for this type of behavior,” UB football head coach Maurice Linguist said.

"After learning about this incident, I immediately suspended the two young men from all team activities before permanently dismissing them from the program earlier this month. At UB, not only do we expect our student-athletes to excel on the field and in the classroom, but we also expect them to be outstanding citizens in our community."