Animals

James Cromwell was back on the frontlines for animal rights this weekend -- taking the fight to Louis Vuitton in the Big Apple ... and showing them they had blood on their hands.

The actor/activist was one of the notable faces among a massive group of protests Saturday who descended upon the Louis V flagship store in SoHo ... where barricades had been set up, and where folks were loudly chanting through megaphones -- complete with signage.

Check out this video we obtained ... you can see that James went past the barricade and was right up on the sidewalk, facing off with what one can presume would be management.

Somewhat dramatically ... he pours some red liquid onto the sidewalk and points it out to Louis Vuitton -- echoing what the protesters behind are shouting. Earlier, he made an impassioned speech in support of veganism -- and laying out what they were there for.

Of course, this has to do with the use of real fur -- something LVMH has been accused of using to this day. As for James ... he's been in this animal rights world for a long time.

Bob Barker's animal rights legacy is something PETA wants to honor with a street name change on the most iconic boulevard in L.A. ... which could actually happen!

A rep for PETA tells TMZ ... they've made an official request with the City of Los Angeles for an honorary add-on to Sunset Blvd. -- to pay tribute the late 'Price Is Right' host, who just died last weekend.

Don't worry ... this isn't as wacky as it sounds. PETA assures us this would only be a minor change, and it wouldn't even require the removal of an actual "Sunset Blvd." sign hanging from street lights.

Basically what we're talking about is a second sign -- under one of the Sunset Blvd. signs -- that would read "Bob Barker Blvd." The PETA rep says they'd love to have this on their block on Sunset.

There's also this ... PETA tells us they've actually taken steps to make this happen. They've contacted City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who reps their area. We're told PETA brass and Soto-Martinez's staff are scheduled to meet in the coming weeks.

PETA says they're pushing this because Bob actually made a generous donation way back when that allowed them to open this L.A.-based office, and they wanna return the favor.

Lil Uzi Vert found himself in the middle of a stolen puppy case in Pennsylvania -- but he's not the wanted dognapper, and it sounds like cops didn't do their due diligence.

The rapper's photo appeared Thursday in a Facebook post from the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department alerting the public to a puppy that had been taken from a pet store.

Problem is ... Lil Uzi Vert is NOT the suspect.

Cops have since taken down the post with Uzi's photo and replaced it with a different man with face tatts -- who is the actual suspect accused of swiping a pooch from Brookside Pups.

The Uzi version lived on the internet for about 30 minutes -- enough time for the FB post to be flooded with comments about the Philly artist.

So why the confusion? Brookside Pups tells TMZ ... the guy who allegedly grabbed a puppy and fled Thursday afternoon has Lil Uzi Vert's face as his profile picture on a social media account, which they sent to cops.

Police are blaming the pet store for providing them with the photo of Lil Uzi Vert.

Brookside Pups says police took down the photo once they realized the face tattoos on Lil Uzi Vert didn't match the suspect's. The store sent a new photo for cops to share.

Roc Nation says Uzi was nowhere near Philly at the time and the incident has left them fuming ... telling us, "The Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department should be embarrassed and ashamed for disparaging [Uzi's] character. This grave error could’ve had significant repercussions on Uzi’s career and epitomizes how Black men can be wrongfully charged and arrested by police departments across the country."

And just in case anyone's got it twisted, they add ... "Uzi loves all animals and this serious mistake has deterred the apprehension of the kidnapper. Our collective hope is that the puppy is safely and promptly rescued."

This is 100% no bulls*** ... besides what was left all over a modified taxi pulled over by cops because of the suspicious passenger riding shotgun -- a massive bull out for a joyride in Nebraska!

Norfolk Police got a call Wednesday morning about a man driving down a highway with a cow ... and while officers expected to see a calf -- it is Nebraska, after all -- footage from News Channel Nebraska shows they grossly underestimated.

Check it out -- it looks like the driver modified his ride so the big Watusi breed of cattle, named Howdy Doody, can cruise down the road right next to him instead of gettin' towed.

It looks like the driver, named Lee Meyer, and Howdy were in a state parade over the weekend ... because a banner on Lee's car read, "Nebraska’s Big Rodeo Parade: Best Car Entry.”

One thing, though, looks like Lee's driving scared the you-know-what outta Howdy, and he dumped all over the ride!!! Hope they've got BIG carwashes in Nebraska.

A British guy is going to have to wait until the cows come home to shake this saga -- 'cause he's now known as the dude who got off with cattle.

25-year-old Liam Brown pled guilty this week to sexual penetration with a living animal and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal during a hearing at the Poole Magistrates Court ... according to the Daily Mail.

It reportedly all stems from an incident last summer when Brown was caught red-handed doing the deed with a young calf on a farm in the town of Burton. Apparently, he fell victim to some booby traps set by the farmers.

You see these landowners say they'd suspected for a while that their bovines were being abused, so they installed a bunch of alarms/surveillance cams to catch whoever was banging the livestock in the dead of night. Eventually, Brown crept onto the property, triggered the system and was apprehended.

The worst part ... they say they know this guy from years ago.

The farmers told the court that members of Brown's family had actually been employed by them several years ago -- so, they were familiar with him since childhood, it seems.

As for how prosecutors were able to prove it was Brown beyond a reasonable doubt ... DNA. Indeed, the report says samples from the cow were collected. and they matched his profile.

Steve Irwin's bizarre and tragic manner of death nearly played out again ... this time on a Florida beach where a stingray's venomous spine missed killing a woman by mere inches.

Kristie O'Brien was on Apollo Beach, South of Tampa, on Tuesday, and when she waded into the water she says she immediately felt a searing sting ... although she didn't know what was causing it.

It wasn't until she turned to walk out of the water that her husband -- who was on shore -- saw the live stingray hanging from Kristie's back ... with the barb on its tail buried about 4 inches into the skin near her right shoulder blade, just missing her lungs.

Kristie says she tried to stay calm, but felt like she was certainly going to die. She says Steve Irwin's death-by-stingray instantly popped into her head.

Paramedics arrived and used shears to cut off the stingray at the base of its tail, leaving the barb impaling Kristie. She was rushed to a hospital, where doctors carefully removed the animal's tail ... and started treatment to counter the stingray venom.

She's still hospitalized, but just to make sure there's no bacterial infection from the water. Kristie says she still has waves of pain at the puncture site, but insists she'll go back in the water.

A baby dolphin has been found dead in Florida ... and investigators believe it's the same one used in an Instagram photo-op by two guys just days before.

The deceased bottlenose dolphin was found near Jacksonville Wednesday, according to local outlet News4JAX -- officials believe it's the same one seen in a photo posted on Instagram. Officials can't yet tell if the animal was already dead at the time of the pic.

The controversial snap, reportedly posted by a 19-year-old man, caused uproar online ... with the teenager claiming he's gotten death threats over the post. He's since apologized for his upload, reportedly saying he didn't catch the dolphin but merely found it.

As for a connection to the now-dead dolphin, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the deceased dolphin's dorsal fin -- which they say is unique to each dolphin -- matched the one in the photo.

Britney Spears has a new battle to handle. Along with a contentious divorce, she's now getting ripped by the animal rights warriors at PETA for buying a new dog, instead of rescuing one from a shelter.

The "Toxic" singer showed off her new puppy Wednesday on social media, introducing the world to an all-white puppy -- appropriately named Snow -- and while Britney's over the moon about her new family member, the folks over at PETA are not.

A rep for PETA tells TMZ ... "When influential people buy puppies, puppy mills cheer and animal shelters watch the homeless-animal crisis get even worse. With this one cutesy post, Britney Spears has sentenced countless deserving dogs in shelters to more days without love, a comfy bed to curl up on, or a chance at a real life."

Britney got Snow after her estranged husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce, and the former couple hammered out an agreement splitting up the 5 dogs they shared when they were together.

TMZ broke the story ... Sam's keeping their Doberman, Porsha, and Britney's hanging on to the other 4 pooches.

With Snow in the fold, Britney's back up to 5 dogs at home, but PETA is wagging a tail finger, saying ... "She could have been a force for good and adopted, but instead she chose to be toxic, and animals will pay with their lives."

A few teenage boys are celebrating a massive discovery in a Florida swamp after coming face-to-face with 16 feet of slithering reptile!!!

Chris Cronin, the father of teenage python hunters Jack and Brendan, tells TMZ ... he and his sons were out combing through Big Cypress Swamp. The Cronins and some friends call themselves the Glades Boys, and they needed all hands on deck when they stumbled upon the beast of a serpent last weekend.

Chris says they were hoping to get a hold of a 5-foot or maybe 7-foot python during the search, but instead they took things to the next level.

They recorded the whole find and capture ... first, Jack jumped on its head to secure it, and then the rest of the gang helped collect the rest of the lengthy body. Of course, they snapped a few proud pics with the python.

Worth noting the big snake was killed after this capture -- pythons are an invasive non-native species in the area, so it's standard procedure to destroy them. Chris says the snake was handed over to the state for research after their hunt was over.

Cheems, one of the most famous dogs on the internet, is dead after a battle with cancer.

The viral meme dog died Friday during a surgical procedure ... according to his owners, who say he fell asleep during surgery and never woke up.

Cheems shot to fame way back in 2017 when an awkward photo of him went viral ... sparking a meme that is still shared to this day.

Also known as Pup Balltze or just Balltze, the shiba inu was famous for his love of cheeseburgers ... and he's got his own meme character, Cheemsburger.

The pup's owners say ... "Don't be sad, please remember the joy that Balltze brought to the world. A Shiba Inu with a round smiling face connecting you and me, he has helped many people during the pandemic and brought a lot of joy to many of you, but now his mission has completed."

Cheem's family believes he's in a better place now ... "running freely in the sky and having a lot of delicious food with his new friends."

Naturally, Cheems is getting a grand send-off on social media ... with the meme getting posted all over the place.

Cheems was 12.

Britney Spears is taking to social media, immediately on the heels of Sam Asghari filing for divorce ... but oddly enough, she's making no mention of their split.

The singer shared a pic Wednesday night of herself riding a horse, something she posted very shortly after the news of Sam's divorce filing -- but her caption's focusing entirely on the fact she wants to buy a horse for herself.

Of course, her silence on the divorce can't be an accident ... some fans think she's intentionally taking an unbothered approach to the whole thing.

BTW, the equestrian pic is still kinda relevant to the split -- it's from a trip she took with Sam last month, maybe their last together.

TMZ broke the story, Sam called it quits with Britney after getting into a "nuclear" argument about her allegedly cheating on him ... although it's unclear if that rumor was legit.

As we reported, Sam filed divorce docs Wednesday, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split. He's asking for spousal support and attorneys' fees -- there was a prenup set in place, but the docs suggest Sam's going to contest it.

We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

One tough matador is on the mend after getting gored in the ass during a recent bullfight ... but despite the horrifying scene, he says he's doing OK.

It all went down this week at the annual Prieto de la Cal in Madrid ... when Alejandro Conquero -- the son of famous matador The Hurricane of Huelva -- challenged a white bull with a pink cape.

In footage of the competition, the 28-year-old matador clearly held his own until one of the bull's horns caught him ... and he got sent flying into the air.

That's when it turned gruesome -- the massive bull rammed his horns right into Conquero's rear end and threw him up several feet for a second time.

Thankfully, other matadors jumped into the ring to divert the bull away from Conquero ... and he was rushed to a nearby hospital.

Doctors told COPE that Conquero suffered "a goring in the posterior perianal region, which dissects the rectum through the coccyx and could affect the external sphincter of the anus" ... but the matador says he feels fine.

"I am excited and I give a thousand thanks to those who at this time have thought or have been interested in me," Conquero said per his IG story.

"The evolution is positive, there is no fever, pain, the normal one but with the hope of being able to dress up soon. Thank you very much."

The goring comes just weeks after the "Messi of Matadors" was struck by a 1,100-pound bull in Spain during a show ... suffering injuries to his neck, face, and legs.

Aaron Rodgers is used to dropping jaws with his arm, but at a recent Jets team meeting, he was the one in awe -- absolutely awestruck over a wild magic trick that featured a real, live goldfish!

The guys over at "Hard Knocks" dropped the footage of the hocus pocus in a teaser for this week's episode of the hit show ... revealing Rodgers and his teammates were enthralled by some sleight of hand from famed mentalist Oz Pearlman.

In the clip, you can see Pearlman asking Rodgers to pick one of his favorite cards after going through a deck of 52 ... before he correctly guesses the quarterback had taken the three of diamonds.

But, the trick didn't stop there, because he then asks New York safeties coach Marquand Manuel what animal he had been thinking of earlier in the trick.

"A goldfish? Seriously?" Pearlman asks. "I got you. Look in your hands, Aaron."

Sure enough, Rodgers was then holding a goldfish in a clear case ... rather than the deck of cards he had believed he was fondling.

The trick baffled Rodgers -- as well as everyone else in the room, who all screamed out in shock.

David Montgomery and his girlfriend's offseason move to Detroit didn't get off to an auspicious start ... TMZ Sports has learned one of the couple's dogs was involved in a bloody biting incident just days after the new Lions running back got settled into his new Michigan home.

According to police documents, officers were called out to Montgomery's new Grosse Pointe Shores residence on June 4 ... after his and his GF's pitbull mix, Lola, was accused of escaping the house and attacking a smaller dog on the sidewalk.

In police body cam footage from the scene ... Montgomery's girlfriend -- Tatum Causey -- can be heard explaining to officers that she was in the backyard when she realized her pooch had gotten out.

"I go inside, literally opened the door and I said, 'Anybody see Lola?'" she told an officer at the scene. "So, I'm looking in the backyard for her -- she normally stays right in the backyard -- but when I walk out, I see my brother carrying her."

The owners of the dog who claimed Lola bit their pup said in an incident report that during the attack, Lola grabbed their animal's leg and would not let go.

"I heard our dog's leg break," one of the complainants wrote in the documents.

The owners said they suffered bite wounds and lacerations of their own during the attack. They added that their pup was diagnosed by the vet with two leg fractures. They also claimed it required stitches.

Causey -- who has a child with Montgomery -- was charged with misdemeanor harboring a vicious dog over the incident ... though court records show she pleaded not guilty to the count at a hearing in late June. The records show she's due for another hearing on the matter in September.

As for Lola, Causey shared an emotional tribute post to the dog one month after the biting incident that seemed to indicate the animal had passed away.

"So many quiet days just filled with your unconditional love," she wrote on the IG post. "You are and always will be the best. My soul dog, I love you forever and ever my Lola Bear."

The wildfire disaster in Hawaii is breaking hearts across the world, including those in the surfing community ... and, according to Kelly Slater, it's now planning to step up in a big way to help victims -- by sending boats, supplies and cash.

The 51-year-old surfing legend explained the plans to TMZ Sports this week ... after flames have ravaged Maui and the Big Island during August.

"Everyone within our surf community is rallying to get boats in, supplies, donate money," Slater said out at LAX, "but that's all not organized yet."

The reason for the delay, according to Slater, is all the debris blocking the harbor, including boats that have caught fire near the piers ... as well as the lack of power in the affected areas.

"There's still a lot of people not in touch with family because they don't have cell towers and power there and they're blocked off on both sides actually," Slater said, "the north and southern side from Lahaina got blocked."

Slater -- who holds 56 championship tour victories -- says several of his friends have been impacted by the blazes ... with some even running for their lives.

"One friend lost everything he owns but he was able to save his dog and a backpack and that was about it," Slater said.

"I know at least two friends, right now, that lost their houses -- actually three. I just got a text about another one, but that's just the beginning."

An Arizona woman had a "holy s***" moment when she returned home and found a live rattlesnake in -- of all places -- her toilet!!

Michelle Lespron stepped inside her house in Tucson on July 15 after a 4-day excursion and went to relieve herself in the bathroom, according to the Associated Press.

When she opened the lid of the toilet, she was horrified to see a large black snake slithering around inside and staring up at her.

She quickly contacted Rattlesnake Solutions, a company that specializes in wildlife removal, and an employee responded ... and after 3 attempts, he was able to seize control of the reptile.

Video of the shocking moment was posted on Facebook and it's nothing less than spine-tingling. Check out the handler grabbing the snake, and yanking it out of the toilet as it hisses.

Michelle told the AP everyone she knows thought it was a gag at first ... but when they found out it was real, they all had the same reaction, "Oh my god, that's my worst nightmare."