Pets

The ruff winter weather is heating up at the sight of these hotties with hounds ... Dig your paws into our gallery of shirtless stars with dogs to see who's treating us with these puppy day pictures!

1:38 PM PT -- TMZ Sports has learned Zelda is doing just fine after the incident, being taken care of by trained professionals at the SPCA of Texas.

A spokesperson for the organization tells us Zelda has received full care -- including "a ton of TLC" -- since she's been in their custody ... and is expected to be put up for adoption within the next few days.

Ex-UFC star Frank Shamrock is reportedly being investigated by cops after he tied a dog to a truck and abandoned it for 5 DAYS at a Dallas airport earlier this month.

Shamrock had to move his ailing mother out of her Texas home -- and in the process, was forced to take control of her two dogs.

Frank tells WFAA in Dallas he was able to find a shelter for one of the dogs ... but when he couldn't find a home for Zelda, the other dog -- he tied her to a truck and left her at Love Field Airport.

Shamrock admits the act was "terrible" ... and says he ran away from the dog in tears.

But, Frank also says his actions helped keep the dog alive, saying, "Here is what I guarantee, that dog is alive and safe right now and I couldn't guarantee that before I tied that dog to the truck and left."

Police seem to disagree ... and are reportedly investigating Shamrock -- and considering levying animal cruelty charges against the fighter.

For his part, Shamrock says he'll accept responsibility for it all, saying, "They can charge me with whatever. I will show up. It is what it is. I'm not hiding in any way."

"It's an unfortunate and terrible thing. I'm an animal lover and I ran away crying."

Zelda is reportedly safe and in custody of Dallas animal control.

3/21 5:30 AM PT -- A spokesperson for KLM tells us ... "The dog's owner has been notified and we express our condolences. In cooperation with the local health authority in the US, the CDC, the dog was initially examined to ensure there was no immediately obvious public health threat. The dog was loaded correctly according to KLM's pet policy."

They concluded by saying they'll need to wait for the necropsy results to determine the cause of death.

2:14 PM PT -- A rep for PETA tells us, "Tragedies like this one are exactly why airlines must require that animals travel in the main cabin only. PETA urges Air France-KLM to join airlines such as JetBlue and Southwest in prohibiting companion animals from being flown in the cargo hold, where they endure noise, extreme temperatures and sometimes inadequate pressurization, before yet another sensitive animal suffers and dies, terrified and alone."

A dog that made a trip aboard an Air France-KLM jetliner that took off in Amsterdam ended up dead in L.A.

Airline sources tell TMZ ... the dog, which looks like a husky, was found dead Tuesday afternoon in the cargo hold.

One Air France employee with knowledge of the incident claims ... the dog was incorrectly loaded in the cargo hold and lost oxygen during the transatlantic flight. According to flight trackers, the flight time was 10 hours, 45 minutes.

We're told the dog's owner picked up her dead pet at Air France's LAX warehouse ... and as you can imagine, she was devastated.

We've seen pictures of the dead dog ... but the images are too disturbing to share.

As we've reported ... dead dogs on commercial flights are becoming all too common, and some deaths end up triggering criminal investigations.

Air France and KLM merged in 2004 to create Air France-KLM.

We've reached out to Air France for comment ... so far, no word back.

Animal Planet has pulled the plug on its long-running show about fish tanks, but it has nothing to do with the drama involving one of its hosts and his now estranged wife.

"Tanked" has officially been canceled, and Animal Planet tells TMZ ... "After 15 fantastic seasons the series came to a natural end late last year." Fact is ... ratings for the show -- which follows a Las Vegas aquarium manufacturer as they install epic custom tanks for celebs -- have been in the tank.

Production sources say the decision to end the show was made months before the recent domestic violence incident between the husband-and-wife stars, Wayde and Heather King.

We broke the story ... Heather was arrested for domestic violence last week for allegedly slapping and kicking Wayde in the stomach following a heated argument. He had also claimed she had him hanging out the window of her car as she drove away ... but she denied it.

Two days later, Heather filed for divorce. She wants temporary spousal support, child support and primary custody of their kids.

The couple had just hit their 21st year of marriage last year.

Dak Prescott had the chance to prevent his pit bull from violently attacking a neighbor, according to officials ... who say they warned the QB MULTIPLE times his dogs were escaping from his house.

It's all in court docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... where officials allege they told either Dak, or residents of Dak's Frisco, Texas home ... TWICE that his dogs were getting out and running loose in the streets.

They say there's a door near the Cowboys star's garage that doesn't close properly unless it's locked ... so they told Dak he needed to fix the issue to prevent his pit bulls from escaping.

But, the QB seemingly didn't take care of the problem ... 'cause his dogs broke out of the door once again on Feb. 25, tearing into a neighbor's yard and attacking.

As we previously reported ... a woman claims she lost part of her finger when she tried to pry Prescott's dogs off of hers ... telling 911 operators she believed her dog was "probably" injured in the attack as well.

Now, Dak's dog, Icon, is facing a "dangerous dog" hearing ... where if he's found to be dangerous, he could be put down.

The hearing is set for March 20 at 8 AM PT.

"THEY BIT OFF MY FINGER!"

That's the woman who claims she was attacked by Dak Prescott's pit bull ... struggling to breathe and compose herself while calling 911 -- and the audio is intense.

TMZ Sports has obtained the call from the Feb 25 incident -- when two pit bulls belonging to the Dallas Cowboys QB escaped from his home in Frisco, Texas and went over to a neighbor's home.

One of the pit bulls, named Icon, attacked a neighbor's dog and then turned on Beth Taylor, the woman who tried to break up the scuffle.

"They've broken down my fence in my backyard and then they bit off my finger!" the alleged victim tells dispatch ... "The tip of my finger!"

"I don't know if it's completely off," the 50-year-old said of the fingertip that was bitten ... "There's something partially there. It's like from mid-finger nail. It's still there I think. It's just one half on."

Taylor pleads with the operator to send cops ... saying the dogs were still looming in her front yard even after she shooed them away.

Taylor also tells dispatch she believes her dog was "probably" injured in the attack.

As for Taylor's injury ... a neighbor described the wound to the operator as, "Her hand seems to be not shredded, but it is bleeding."

As we previously reported ... Icon was placed in quarantine following the incident and is set to face a hearing to determine if it will be, or should be, classified as a "dangerous dog."

If it is indeed found to be dangerous, a possible punishment includes the death penalty.

Cops tell us that hearing is set for March 20 at 8 AM PT at a Frisco courthouse.

Dak Prescott's pit bull is possibly facing the death penalty after attacking a neighbor in Frisco, Texas last week ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Prescott's dog, Icon, was quarantined last Monday after it escaped from the Dallas Cowboys QB's home and attacked a woman who was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for her injuries.

Icon was supposed to be held in quarantine for 10 days -- which means it was scheduled to be released today -- but there's been a change of plans due to the seriousness of the incident.

Law enforcement tells us ... the case has been referred to the City of Frisco Municipal Court for a hearing to determine if the dog will be, or should be classified as a "dangerous dog."

If found to be dangerous, we're told there are multiple options on how to deal with it -- one of the options is euthanasia.

One official tells us the goal is to work with all parties for an amicable resolution -- but putting the dog to sleep is a real possibility. Another option could be removing the dog from city limits.

Aaron Carter's a grown man making responsible, grown-up choices, but he still scored a pretty baller bachelor pad ... with a nice yard for his puppy to boot.

The singer tells TMZ ... Aaron's party has officially moved to Lancaster, California -- he dropped $430k on his first home ... a wise investment for his future and proving he's got his s**t together.

Aaron says he chose a house away from Hollywood and the beaches because he wanted to get more bang for his buck, and his new pad's close to dirt biking and camping sites ... a couple of his favorite activities.

He also scored a spacious yard for his 11-month-old Doberman pinscher, Diamond, to run around.

Aaron's 3-bed, 3-bath pad comes with a backyard pool and a 3-car garage, and with 2,686 sq. ft. ... there's plenty of room to entertain. It was listed by agent Christie Limpus.

Dak Prescott's pit bull is being held by authorities in Frisco, Texas -- after it escaped the QB's home and bit a neighbor, cops confirmed.

According to the Frisco Police Dept., officials received a call from a neighbor on Monday around 10:51 AM to report a loose pit bull fighting with another dog through a fence.

The neighbor claims she tried to intervene and break up the fight -- but Dak's dog snapped at her -- causing enough damage that she was transported to a local hospital.

Officials say the woman's injuries are not life-threatening.

Cops determined the pit bull -- along with another dog that got on the neighbor's property -- belonged to the Dallas Cowboys QB ... and had escaped his house while he wasn't home.

Investigators determined the dogs got out through an unsecured door.

Here's where things get serious for Dak -- cops called Frisco Animal Services which captured the animal and brought it to a nearby animal shelter where it will remain in quarantine for 10 days.

Cops say the incident is being classified as a Class C misdemeanor -- punishable by a $500 fine.

But, we've seen a ton of cases like this before where the victim follows up with a civil lawsuit -- just look at the Blake Griffin situation in Los Angeles.

Blake Griffin's dog is a violent menace -- so says an L.A. man who claims the Detroit Pistons star's pooch bit the crap out of him at a fancy restaurant ... and now he's suing.

The man behind the suit is Emmanuel Aframian -- who claims he was dining at A Votre Sante restaurant back in June 2018 when Griffin's "vicious" dog attacked him out of nowhere.

Aframian says he suffered real injuries from the attack which required expensive medical care -- and he thinks Griffin should have to cover all the bills ... plus other damages.

And, Aframian says Blake KNEW his dog had a history of biting random people -- so he should have taken proper steps to make sure he protected the public from his ferocious canine.

He's also going after the restaurant -- saying it had a duty to protect customers.

Aside from physical injuries, Aframian says he's also suffered -- and continues to suffer -- from "severe emotional harm."

FYI, Griffin signed a $171 MILLION contract extension in 2018.

2/5 -- A rep for PETA tells TMZ, "PETA has not, to date, received any communication from Paws for Effect and stands by its claim."

Shelby -- the adorable pooch starring in the movie, "A Dog's Way Home" -- is at the center of a defamation lawsuit against PETA, which flat-out lied about animal abuse ... according to Shelby's owners.

Paws for Effect is the company that adopted and trained Shelby for her starring role. She's reportedly a mixed-breed pup who was rescued from a shelter in Tennessee -- so, a true Hollywood rags to riches story. However, Paws for Effect says it was blindsided by what it calls PETA's smear campaign ahead of the movie's release.

In docs obtained by TMZ ... Paws says PETA first fired off an email to an exec at Sony Pictures, the distributor of 'Dog's Way Home' ... alleging Paws had racked up citations under the Animal Welfare Act. PETA allegedly repeated that claim to an "unknowable" number of film industry types.

Paws says PETA's email is a straight-up lie, and insists it's never received a single citation under the AWA. According to docs, PETA either knew its statement about Paws was false, or could easily have found out if it did the slightest bit of research.

In the suit, Paws says even now -- after PETA's been informed its statement is false -- it has yet to correct or retract it.

Shelby's owners say the potential fallout for them is no one in Hollywood will work with them in the future -- and, as a result, they want PETA to pay through the snout.

If you're wondering when Lisa Vanderpump's relationship with the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" castmates went down the toilet ... look no further than Dorit Kemsley's dog.

Sources say the ongoing feud between Lisa and the castmates started back in September because some Housewives believe Lisa planted a story accusing Dorit of giving up a dog she got from Lisa's rescue biz.

We're told the cast thinks Lisa went all holier than thou -- putting out the story while simultaneously denying it and playing peacemaker. You'll recall, we caught up with LV a day after the story broke. We're told the clip set off such a crap storm between the ladies, it will be referenced in the upcoming season of 'RHOBH.'

Our sources connected to Lisa denied she had anything to do with the Dorit dog drama, and they maintain that to this day. We're told she only decided to talk to our photog in an attempt to set the record straight and protect Dorit.

It's been downhill since then. As you know, 'RHOBH' cast members have felt Lisa's isolated herself from them. For her part, LV's said she wasn't as involved in season 9 because of her brother's sudden death.

Of course, the latest brouhaha came this week after Kyle Richards says she misinterpreted a pap's question about Lisa not attending Andy Cohen's baby shower.

Even 9 lives can't withstand 20 degrees below zero -- which is why Chicagoans are on a mission to save hundreds of thousands of stray cats ... with the help of tons of straw.

A grassroots community in Chi-Town called "Chicago Community Cats" has been bracing for a week for the polar vortex temperatures by prepping makeshift shelters for stray and feral cats. Erica Roewade, who runs the group, says about 200 people have been working around the clock to build straw-stuffed bins to keep the kitties warm.

It's a huge undertaking. Chi-Town reportedly has roughly 200k feral cats roaming its streets and alleys.

Roewade says the group has also purchased about 100 "Snuggle Safe Disks" (which also keep pets warm), heated water bowls and other supplies to distribute throughout the city.

Considering temps are expected to stay in the negative all week -- Roewade says the most important thing is to keep the frigid wind and airflow off the kitties.

7:28 AM PT -- The accuser's attorney tells us his client is suing for $8 million.

The woman who claims she was attacked by boxing superstar Sergey Kovalev has now filed a lawsuit against the Russian ... claiming the 35-year-old also brutalized her dog.

It's all in court docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... Jamie Frontz (who has identified herself publicly) claims she met Sergey at the grand opening of a boxing gym in Big Bear, CA back in June.

Frontz -- a model and actress -- claims Sergey and a friend followed her home from the party and Kovalev aggressively tried to have sex with her.

"At one point, Kovalev pinned Jamie to the couch, leaning over her with his hands on either side of her shoulders, such that she could not move away."

Jamie claims her dog sensed the danger and tried to intervene -- but Kovalev shoved the dog away and then kicked it in the chest.

While tending to her dog, Jamie claims, "Kovalev turned to [her] and punched her with full force directly in the face one time with a closed fist."

In her suit, Jamie claims Sergey fled the scene -- so, she called the cops.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... cops tracked down Kovalev and arrested him. He's been charged with felony assault and faces up to 4 years in prison. Kovalev has pleaded not guilty.

In her suit, Jamie claims she went to the emergency room where she was treated for a broken nose, head injuries and a concussion. She also suffered severe back and neck injuries.

The next morning, Jamie claims she saw Kovalev crawl out of the bushes near her cabin, and he yelled her name -- so, she called 911 and later got a restraining order against him.

Jamie is suing for more than $3 million in damages.

We reached out to Kovalev for comment -- so far, no word back.

Sergey is due back in court in March to face the criminal charge. He's also set to fight Eleider Alvarez this Saturday, in a rematch of an August bout that he shockingly lost.

Boo The Pomeranian -- once dubbed "World's Cutest Dog" -- has died.

Boo's owner posted the news Friday night, saying, "With deepest sadness I wanted to share that Boo passed away in his sleep early this morning and has left us to join his best friend, Buddy."

Boo was a fixture on social media ... mixing it up with celebs, attending meet and greets with fans and gaining more than 16 millions fans on Facebook.

Boo's brother Buddy died in 2017. In Friday's post, Boo's owner said, "Shortly after Buddy died, Boo showed signs of heart issues. We think his heart literally broke when Buddy left us. He hung on and gave us over a year. But it looks like it was his time, and I’m sure it was a most joyous moment for them when they saw each other in heaven."

Boo was 12 years old.

Meghan Markle's got some pretty sweet perks, even beyond the castles and tiaras ... she gets to do some volunteering with super cute dogs.

The Duchess of Sussex stopped by The Mayhew shelter in London Wednesday to meet the staff, and pet some puppers. She even got to hold a sweet Jack Russell Terrier named Minnie.

We're told Meghan's been there before, but it was her first visit since Kensington Palace announced the charity as one of her 4 royal patronages last week.

Markle -- who's about 6 months into her pregnancy, has reportedly had rescue dogs of her own before ... so, naturally, the cause is near and dear to her.

Along with meeting the doggos, we're told the Duchess also spent time checking out The Mayhew's animal therapy program ... which provides dog visits for people in need.