PETA

Doc Antle letting Chris Brown's young daughter take a joy ride on an elephant's giant noggin wasn't just dangerous and irresponsible, but illegal too ... at least according to PETA.

The animal rights org fired off a letter Tuesday to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, calling on it to investigate the 'Tiger King' star's operation of his Myrtle Beach safari ... alleging he's violating a number of regulations ... spotlighting the most recent incident with Chris' kid.

According to the letter, obtained by TMZ, PETA claims Doc has violated the Animal Welfare Act by allowing 7-year-old Royalty to swim with Bubbles, one of the elephants. The org claims it was super dangerous for the girl to dive off the animal's giant head.

PETA cites a reg requiring certain animals to be kept at a safe and reasonable distance from people with proper barriers to ensure the safety of visitors.

By letting Royalty jump around -- not to mention get lifted up by Bubbles' powerful trunk -- PETA says it's obvious Doc's screwing up ... and they insist it's just the latest alleged violation at the property.

They're asking for a full probe ... calling on the USDA to hold him and his cohorts accountable for what PETA deems dangerous and irresponsible behavior.

Doc tells us PETA sent a similar letter when Lil Pump visited, saying, "Not a thing came of that elephant complaint after USDA investigated it. Just a huge waste of time and resources for the federal veterinarians who have to check out these erroneous allegations. We are in no ways in violation of the animal welfare act. We have continuously perfect inspections. We are well aware of the USDA protocols to conduct this type of filming; as we have been involved in film work of this nature for decades, including more than 500 films, documentaries, television productions and advertisements."

He continues, "Animal Rights activists that are unfamiliar with USDA film protocols routinely report these regulated activities to federal and state regulators as if there has been a violation. Rest assured that we are in full compliance with all federal and state regulations. USDA is our partner in animal welfare and we share a passion and commitment to providing the highest possible care for our animal ambassadors at the preserve."

Courtney Stodden insists Chrissy Teigen never reached out to them, but they're sending Chrissy a message ... some free advice on how to feel better about being in "cancel club."

Courtney's at a PETA event on Capitol Hill Wednesday, and talked to us about why they've been involved with the animal rights organization for several years -- the meat of the mission is to get folks to stop eating it.

Courtney -- who identifies as non-binary -- says major strides are being made, but there's still a long way to go, which brings us to their relationship with Teigen.

As we reported ... Chrissy was out in WeHo Tuesday when she suggested she might be in "cancel club" forever following her cyberbullying scandal, but she also told us she DID reach out to Courtney, via text.

Stodden tells us that's not true and they have no idea what Teigen's talking about, but they apparently want to move on from that issue ... and raise another one.

As we've told you ... Courtney still thinks Chrissy is a bully playing the victim in order to garner some sympathy, so they suggest Teigen do something to prove that's not the case.

PETA wants Ariana Grande to take a ride ... on them -- hence the sweet vegan tandem bicycle (yeah, that's a thing) she just got as a wedding gift and token of appreciation.

The animal rights org is sending Ariana and her new hubby, Dalton Gomez, a cool tandem bike, which features a faux leather seat ... and is built from parts and paint that didn't use any animal products, of course.

We're told PETA has long been a fan of Grande's advocacy for animal rights, and more recently was impressed by her launching of Orange Twins Rescue ... a shelter in L.A. focused on saving and rehabilitating animals and finding them loving homes.

So, Grande's wedding last month presented PETA the perfect opportunity to show its love and respect, and a Northwoods Dual Drive Tandem Bike is en route. For those curious -- it retails around $700.

As we reported ... the singer got hitched at her Montecito home on May 15 in a very intimate ceremony with just 20 guests, including her 2 adopted dogs.

New Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell is pleading with team execs to allow him to walk around the facilities with a real-life lion ... saying he's dead serious about adopting a big cat!!

"I would love to literally just have a pet lion," Campbell said. "Just a legit pet lion. On a chain -- a big-ass chain."

The 45-year-old coach explained the thought process on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" podcast this week ... saying he believes the animal could help motivate his squad to win games.

"He really is my pet," Campbell said of how he'd treat the beast. "We just walk around the building. We go out to practice. We're in 7-on-7. We're behind the kicker when he's kicking. We're just -- there we are."

Campbell added, "I mean, think about it. It'd be outstanding."

Campbell says he's approached team owner Sheila Ford about the plan ... but, sadly, he admitted there might be too many issues with it all to make it actually happen.

"The problem -- I don't know if PETA is going to allow that," Campbell said. "That's going to be hard."

SPOILER -- PETA WILL NEVER EVER APPROVE THAT IN A MILLION, BAZILLION YEARS BECAUSE LIONS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE PETS!!

That said ... if he somehow gets a lion, Campbell promised he'd take great care of the king of the jungle ... and even said he'd let it eat his arm if it meant a Super Bowl ring!!

"That would be better," Campbell said. "'Cause it would validate -- this is a freakin' -- this is a creature now. This is an animal. This thing is from the wild."

Not to milk this, but there's one very famous cow roaming the fields in India ... named after Kim Kardashian and rescued by PETA, just in time for Mother's Day.

The animal rights org said it rescued the "drop-dead gorgeous" momma cow with "striking eyes and long, dark eyelashes" ... and named it after Kim, "to thank the mother of four for showing compassion to mums of all species by promoting a dairy-free diet to her more than 200 million followers."

As you know ... Kim's been pretty vocal lately about going on a mostly plant-based diet ... which might explain her abs.

When someone asked her back in February 2020 about specifically what she eats day in and day out, Kim said "I eat mostly plant-based. No meat anymore. Oatmeal and vegan sausage for breakfast, vegan tacos are my fave for lunch! Salads are good too!"

PETA says it backed a sanctuary in India that ultimately won custody of the cow, which was believed to have been exploited for dairy after the former owner was caught abusing the cow on the street.

The rescued cow's now living in her lush new sanctuary home, where she's, apparently, successfully dodging the paparazzi ... no shots of her in the wild yet. We're also told she's made 2 friends, Sonya and Meena.

PETA demonstrators are putting the heat on a North Carolina police department where a cop hanged and choked a K-9 by its leash, and they're demanding justice for the dog.

The demonstration went down Friday outside Salisbury PD HQ -- masked up PETA protesters held signs condemning cops not only for the horrific treatment of the K-9, named Zuul, but also for an apparent attempt to cover up the alleged abuse.

As we reported ... disturbing footage surfaced this week showing an unnamed cop manhandling the hell out of Zuul, who he was supposed to be training.

Video shows the cop screaming at the K-9 before putting a leash on him, hanging him by it, slamming him into the side of an SUV, throwing Zuul into the back seat and hitting him. You can also hear an officer say, "We're good. No witnesses" ... as Zuul was getting choked.

Friday's protest comes on the heels of PETA firing off a letter to Salisbury Police Chief Jerry Stokes, urging the officer to be criminally prosecuted for animal abuse.

Tyrann Mathieu can come through big time for PETA if he intercepts Tom Brady in the big game ... a fan is dangling a 6-figure carrot for the dog-loving Kansas City Chiefs star.

The animal rights org tells TMZ ... an anonymous fan has offered to donate a whopping $100,000 to PETA if Tyrann makes an interception in the Super Bowl.

We're told the money is earmarked for PETA's fieldwork team, which operates in parts of Virginia and North Carolina and provides free pet services to low-income communities.

$100k would go a long way for dogs in distress in those areas ... PETA's fieldwork team provides free food deliveries, custom-built doghouses and straw bedding, plus flea, tick and fly-strike prevention to those poor pooches struggling through another rough winter.

Tyrann, known as the Honey Badger for much of his football career, is a longtime PETA supporter with a special place in his heart for man's best friend.

In fact, Tyrann's the star of two viral PETA videos ... he once trapped himself in a hot car to demonstrate what happens to dogs locked in the same situation, and also shivered inside a walk-in freezer to illustrate how dogs suffer when they're left outdoors on frigid nights.

PETA tells us they'll be cheering Tyrann on Sunday when his Chiefs take on Brady's Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55 down in Tampa, knowing he'd be stoked to secure the big donation.

Tyrann intercepted TB12 when the two teams met in the regular season ... can he do it again???

Kylie Jenner is going to keep getting ear-shattering attacks from animal rights protesters until she declares she won't wear fur anymore.

The SoCal Animal Defense League swarmed Kylie over the weekend in Bev Hills, slamming her and calling her a monster ... and now activist Rob Banks tells us the group targeted Kylie because she wears fur and was shopping at Moncler, which sells fox fur coats.

Those same activists tell us they will not stop going after Kylie until she swears off fur.

We're told Kylie's a target even if she's not wearing fur when protesters spot her ... animal rights activists are actively trying to hunt Kylie down, wherever she goes.

Meanwhile, honchos at PETA tell us the org would like to see Kylie join other members of her family, like Kim Kardashian, in embracing faux fur. The org says, "there's nothing uglier than stealing someone else's skin."

As you probably know, these poor animals are tortured ... often skinned alive. It's really awful.

PETA tells us they're encouraging Kylie to add Kylie Cosmetics to PETA's database of certified cruelty-free cosmetic companies ... even though Kylie Cosmetics already advertises they don't test products on animals.

A horse pulling a carriage in NYC suddenly went down in a heap this weekend -- but rather than get the animal checked out, the carriage driver kept on truckin'.

This scary incident went down Sunday in Central Park, and eyewitnesses tell NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets) the horse was pulling its carriage with the driver and a couple of passengers in tow ... when it collapsed on a slippery, icy road.

Pretty dangerous sitch for the horse ... but, apparently, the driver (and spokesperson for Carriage Cavalry) got the horse back up on its feet, loaded his passengers back inside and continued on like nothing happened. No vet check for the horse ... according to the witnesses.

The advocacy group, NYCLASS, is pissed and says it's organized a protest Sunday to decry the cruel treatment of the horse. It's been a longstanding issue in NYC -- the care for those horses used to pull so-called hansom cabs for millions of Central Park tourists.

While they're a familiar sight and tradition in Manhattan, many feel it's time to hang up the reins and stop using the horses this way.

PETA's making a strong effort to get Doc Antle in the USDA's crosshairs ... filing a complaint and asking the department to investigate him over Lil Pump's recent visit.

The animal rights org fired off a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture formally requesting it investigate the 'Tiger King' star for apparent violations of the Animal Welfare Act at his Myrtle Beach Safari.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ ... Debbie Metzler, associate director of captive animal law enforcement, cited Lil Pump's trip there this week, and a video that shows him make "direct physical contact with a juvenile tiger."

She claims it violates the law requiring that “dangerous animals such as… tigers… or elephants must be under the direct control and supervision of a knowledgeable and experienced animal handler."

Then there's the Lil Pump encounter with the elephant, Bubbles. Metzler calls the stunt exceptionally dangerous because it could have spooked the elephant and triggered the elephant to bolt and potentially injure people. PETA wants the USDA to hold Antle accountable for any and all violations it discovers during its investigation.

As we reported ... Pump and his boys took a trip to South Carolina and had one helluva close encounter with Bubbles. Video shows Pump getting picked up by the elephant's trunk. The rapper damn near fell off before safely landing on his feet.

So, this is nuts -- a popular coconut milk brand allegedly uses abused monkeys to harvest its product, which is why you won't see it on Costco shelves anymore.

The wholesale giant says it's discontinuing Chaokoh coconut milk after PETA made it aware of the alleged monkey business going down in Thailand. We know it sounds like a joke: How many monkeys does it take to pick a coconut?

But, according to PETA, there's no punchline ... just monkeys taken from their families to be chained, caged, and forced to become "coconut picking machines" until their deaths.

Now, for its part, Chaokoh denies PETA's abuse claims, saying ... "We do not engage the use of monkey labour in our coconut plantations" -- and adds all of its suppliers have signed an agreement not to do so either.

Is Shaquille O'Neal video chat buddies with Jeff Lowe from 'Tiger King?'

That's what Lowe wants us to believe ... and now PETA is calling on the NBA legend to cut ties with the Oklahoma zoo owner ASAP claiming he's just as bad as Joe Exotic.

If you recall from the Netflix doc, Lowe owns the Greater Wynnewood Animal Park in Oklahoma ... and just a few weeks ago, the zoo posted a screengrab which appears to show a FaceTime call between Shaq and Lowe.

"One of the nicest guys in the World," the G.W. Animal Park posted on Facebook on March 21 ... "Shaq facetime’d a few minutes ago to see how we were doing and if we need anything. We love you too buddy."

Shocking, considering Shaq just went on his podcast a few days ago and tried to distance himself from the park and former owner, Joe Exotic.

In fact, Shaq said he "stopped going" to the zoo when he found out what was really happening behind the scenes.

Now, PETA is begging the NBA legend to disavow Jeff Lowe the same way he disavowed Joe Exotic ... firing off a letter to Shaq explaining their position.

"It appears that the equally problematic wild animal exhibitor Jeff Lowe is now claiming to have your support, PETA said to Shaq.

"Lowe is no different from Joe Exotic when it comes to harming animals."

PETA points out Lowe "has a long history of violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act" -- and there's still an active warrant for Lowe in Nevada stemming from Lowe's failed tiger-petting business (which was also mentioned in the Netflix doc).

"It's clear that you love tigers, and we hope you will dissociate yourself from people who profit from abusing, breeding, and exploiting them," PETA said to Shaq in the letter, obtained by TMZ Sports.

"Will you please make it clear right away that you don't desire to have an ongoing relationship with Lowe? As long as he continues to use your name to support his abusive business, you will be tied to animal suffering."

"Instead, please help these tigers. Help us shut down these hellholes, move the animals to reputable sanctuaries, and keep them out of the hands of abusers."

We've reached out to Shaq for comment. So far, no word back.

Jessica Simpson couldn't escape the wrath of animal rights activists incensed over her wearing fur.

The "Open Book" author was leaving Il Mulino restaurant in NYC after midnight when she was accosted by some anti-fur protesters who shouted out "animal abuser," "murderer" and "shame on you" as she hopped in her SUV.

One guy hammered his point home by screaming ... "What type of person would wear fur in 2020?!"

This wasn't Jessica's first run-in of the day with the angry activists. Earlier Tuesday night, her Barnes & Noble book signing event for her new memoir was crashed by a much larger group of anti-fur folks.

They began screaming and holding up their signs as Simpson came out to give a speech, forcing her to take cover for a couple minutes while security booted the protesters.

The good news for Jessica ... her fans stuck around, chanting her name, and she eventually came back out and talked about her book.

BTW ... if any of the animal rights activists look familiar, it's because this isn't their first rodeo. They've crashed events and confronted several other celebs for wearing fur ... like Kate Upton, Chrissy Teigen, Lil' Kim and Jennifer Lopez.

We're certain they'll do it again too.

Kate Upton was confronted by an angry group of animal rights activists ... one of which had some nasty words about her partnership with a clothing company.

The supermodel was hosting one of her Strong4Me Fitness classes in NYC Wednesday when the protesters barged in ... led by a very loud man in a "VEGAN" hat.

Kate didn't look too shaken by their uninvited entrance, but things took an extra dark turn when the guy screamed at her ... "Coyotes get shot in the head, and are strangled to death!"

The protesters were up in arms over Upton's promotion of Canada Goose, a winter clothing company that uses coyote fur and goose down to make its coats.

Obviously, that doesn't sit well with animal rights groups, though the company insists that it sources its animal products humanely.