Pets

3:20 PM PT -- Jenelle and David just walked out of court without saying a word to anyone, and they left without their children.

7:30 AM PT -- We now have inside information in the custody case. Sources connected to the case tell TMZ, this is actually the 4th hearing, and so far Jenelle and David have been shut down by the judge. We're told their lawyer has been arguing Child Protective Services can only keep the couple away from the 3 kids for a very limited period of time, but the judge has said the only issue is what's in the best interests of the kids, and if David poses a danger to them.

We're told in the case of 4-year-old Kaiser, his dad, Nathan Griffith, is fighting for custody because he believes Eason has mistreated him. Nathan currently has physical custody after the child was removed from Jenelle's home. Our sources say Nathan wants Jenelle to visit Kaiser, but only if David isn't around. She has rejected that offer but does FaceTime with her son.

Jenelle has asked that Kaiser be removed from Nathan's home and placed with a friend, but no evidence has been presented that Nathan poses a danger to Kaiser so he continues to have custody.

All 3 kids are currently in court ... it's the only time Jenelle has been able to see them since they were removed from the family home after David brutally killed the family dog.

The hearing starts at 2 PM ET, so stay tuned.

Jenelle Evans and David Eason are back in a North Carolina courthouse fighting to get custody of their children -- but the fact they're doing it together might be their biggest hurdle.

We got the couple Wednesday morning on their way into the Columbus County Courthouse where there's a hearing scheduled to discuss the 3 kids CPS removed last week -- 4-year-old Kaiser, 9-year-old Jace and 2-year-old Ensley -- after David bludgeoned and then shot and killed the family dog, Nugget.

David and Jenelle were in this same courtroom last week, but had to leave without their kids ... who are now all staying with various extended family members, including Jenelle's mother, Barbara.

Based on everything we're hearing from various people involved in the case ... Jenelle has a choice: stay with David or get back her kids.

We asked Jenelle about making that choice on her way into court -- she did not respond.

We're waiting to see what happens in the hearing.

"Teen Mom 3" star Mackenzie McKee's neighbors have a grudge, and that's the only reason they called animal control claiming her dog was abandoned -- at least, according to Mackenzie's mom.

Angie Douthit tells TMZ ... the neighbors got pissed in the past about Mackenzie's Harlequin Great Dane, Hank, getting loose in their yard, which caused hard feelings between the households.

She says because of the past aggression they made sure Hank wouldn't get loose while Mackenzie was on a 6-day cruise in the Bahamas. Angie says she and her father were in charge of Hank and visited him every day to feed him and make sure he had plenty of water -- but insists the neighbors were just looking for any way to make Mackenzie look bad.

Angie says her dad covered the top of the pen with a huge tarp on the first day to make sure Hank wouldn't get wet in the rain. She says a few days later, they noticed someone had placed a wood pallet in the pen.

As we first reported ... the neighbors admit doing that so Hank wouldn't have to sit in mud. Angie, however, says the wood pallet might have done more harm because it was splintery.

She also says the neighbor's social media photo of all the poop in the pen is misleading ... because Great Dane's just poop a lot. Plus, she claims the mud made it look worse than it is.

As we reported ... animal control removed the dog Monday. Mackenzie told us that was only done due to tornado warnings in the area. Angie says she and her father were prepared to move Hank into the basement if a tornado had actually struck.

Witnesses claim Hank had been crying for 4 days, but Angie claims families in Miami, Oklahoma leave their dogs outside all the time and even in the rain.

Another 'Teen Mom' star is in hot water for alleged mistreatment of her dog, but Mackenzie McKee is insisting the animal wasn't abused and animal control only stepped in due to the threat of tornadoes.

The former "Teen Mom 3" star tells TMZ ... her neighbor in Miami, OK unnecessarily reported her for leaving Hank, her Harlequin Great Dane, alone in the backyard while she went on a cruise in the Bahamas.

Mackenzie says it's total BS that anyone thought she abandoned Hank. She says her mom and other family members were tending to the dog every day and Hank's pen was cleaned out daily.

As for pictures that surfaced showing dog feces throughout the pen ... Mackenzie claims the picture was taken right after Hank pooped. On Monday, the neighbor called animal control, which removed the dog -- but Mackenzie says that was because there had been tornado warnings in the area.

We've called animal control to confirm Mackenzie's side of the story ... but we're waiting to hear back.

Witnesses, however, paint a very different picture. We're told the neighbors called animal control because there was a storm Sunday and felt bad for Hank. They claim he had been crying for 4 days and whimpering outside without any decent cover from rain. We're told the neighbors added a wood pallet so Hank would avoid sitting in mud.

This, of course, is the latest incident involving animal control and a 'Teen Mom.' As you know by now ... Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, is under investigation for animal cruelty for fatally shooting her French bulldog. The fallout since has been immense ... Jenelle's kids have since been taken away from her but she continues to stand by him.

Jenelle Evans was a huge draw for the 'Teen Mom' series, but the show can go without her and do just as well -- so says JE's former costar, Kailyn Lowry.

We got Kailyn at the Crosby Street Hotel Saturday in NYC, where she was hanging out with another reality TV star, Lindsie Chrisley. Our camera guy asked if Kailyn thought Jenelle being fired from 'Teen Mom' would hurt or help the show all things considered.

Check out Kailyn's answer -- she acknowledges Jenelle's value as a cast member, but also seems to be taking a slight shot by saying she was dragging the show's reputation down and that replacing her was the right move.

Lindsie chimes in on that sentiment too, saying there's a major difference between day-to-day drama that'd play well for TV ... and real-life criminal activity, which she seems to insinuate David Eason is guilty of by killing the family dog.

The aftermath of that decision has been devastating for Jenelle and her family -- not only was she booted from the show, but her kids have been removed from her custody under a judge's order.

She and David were just in court Thursday to fight to get the kids back, but it doesn't appear they've been returned at this point.

Mary-Kate Olsen is catching major air on horseback during a professional competition.

The "Full House" star put her equestrian skills on full display this week in Spain -- riding 2 horses -- for the Global Champions Tour going down right now in Spain ... and she definitely looks the part.

MK rocked white jodhpurs with a black cropped jacket and black riding boots as she hopped on the backs of her trusty steeds, Fatum and Naomi

She soared over fences quickly enough to guide Naomi to a sixth-place finish at the tournament at Club de Campo Villa in Madrid.

The Olsen twin started riding horses when she was only 6 years old, but she took a break when she went to college at NYU ... and now she's building a new name for herself in the equine world.

Mary-Kate ... child actress, fashion mogul and horseback riding star!!!

The world is a little less grumpy ... because a cat with a real sourpuss attitude has sadly bit the dust.

Grumpy Cat -- government name Tardar Sauce -- died Tuesday. She passed "in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha," the woman who's owned the critter since birth.

As for the cause of death, according to the feline's official Twitter page, "Grumpy encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome."

"Besides being our baby and a cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world," the message continues.

Grumpy Cat became a marketing sensation, with countless products bearing her sour visage sold around the world ... She appeared in commercials for Friskies and Honey Nut Cheerios and even starred in her own 2014 movie, "Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever" on Lifetime.

TMZ got video of Grumpy leaving Pitfire Artisan Pizza restaurant in L.A. with a full entourage ... on its way to the MTV Movie Awards. BTW ... Grumpy's owner said the cat was a baller, only flying first class.

Fun, furry fact ... aside from 9 lives, the first 2 cat years is roughly equivalent to 25 human years, after which each year equates to 4 cat years. So, by human standards, Gumpy lived to a middle-aged woman of 45.

RIP

Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, has alarmed Columbus County Child Protective Services to the point of 2 of the kids who were living in their house are now out ... TMZ has learned.

Our sources say Jenelle's 9-year-old child, Jace -- who she had with Andrew Lewis -- cannot come back to Jenelle's home to visit, per orders of CPS ... sources connected to Jenelle tell TMZ. Jenelle's mother has custody of Jace and Jenelle has visitation rights, but we're told CPS has put the brakes on visits to Jenelle's home because of the dog-killing incident earlier this month.

We're told CPS will not allow visits until its investigation is completed.

We've also confirmed Jenelle's 4-year-old son, Kaiser, was removed from the home Friday and is currently staying with his father, Nathan Griffith, and Nathan's mom. By the way, Kaiser was in the house when David beat and then shot the family dog, killing it.

David Eason is quickly learning when it rains it pours ... 'cause in the wake of an animal cruelty investigation and child support case, TMZ's learned there's a looming court date over a stunt he pulled last year.

First, a little backstory ... Jenelle Evans' dangerous spouse got in hot water last December after the ex-"Teen Mom 2" star illegally towed a man's truck. The incident actually went down in June 2018 but, amazingly, cops weren't made aware until Eason uploaded a video of the incident on his YouTube page ... on Jenelle's 27th birthday, no less.

Eason captioned the video, "Learn the right way to deal with a$$holes who think it's cool to block you in a parking space." In the video, you hear Jenelle in the background laughing and egging him on.

The truck owner ultimately pressed charges, and Eason was charged with tampering with a vehicle and injury to personal property. He's due back in New Hanover County, North Carolina court June 3.

It's just the latest controversy that's practically forced Eason to have his lawyer on speed dial. As we reported ... the Columbus County Sheriff and Animal Control have launched a joint investigation into allegations of animal cruelty against him for shooting their family dog to death.

Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, viciously beat, shot and killed the family dog, but there's nothing automatically stopping him from getting a replacement ... at least not legally.

The Columbus Humane Society in Whiteville, NC near where they live, tells us it's absolutely possible for the couple to adopt a new pooch, regardless of the fate of the family French Bulldog, Nugget.

We're told the only way Jenelle and David would be blocked from adopting would be if animal control or law enforcement provided documentation detailing why the home would be a danger to the pet ... and that hasn't happened ... at least, so far.

The couple would be subjected to the same process as anyone else looking to adopt -- fill out an application and provide background info ... such as other pets in the home, whether the couple has ever returned a pet to a shelter and veterinarian contact info.

What's apparently not asked on the application, unfortunately, is if anyone in the house has ever killed a dog out of uncontrolled anger.

The humane society also conducts home visits to ensure the house is safe and appropriate for the animal ... which might DQ them if David's history with visitors is any indication.

Our source at the society says it doesn't do formal background checks, nor does it scour social media for info on applicants ... but its normal adoption procedure is thorough and does address any red flags that pop up during the approval process. It's hard to believe, however, what David did wouldn't raise a red flag.

We're told it also investigates if there are anonymous tips warning of potentially bad adopters. Again ... you would think, right?

For the record ... we've confirmed Jenelle and David did not get their previous pups from the Columbus Humane Society.

Jim Fowler -- the famous zoologist who made tons of appearances alongside Johnny Carson on the 'Tonight Show' and made a cameo on "Seinfeld" -- has died.

The longtime co-host of "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" died Wednesday at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut ... according to his family. The cause of death is unclear.

Fowler worked at a raptor sanctuary in Florida before landing his show 'Wild Kingdom' in 1963 ... co-hosting with fellow zoologist Marlin Perkins before going solo from 1985 to 1988. The show was later revived in 2002 and it aired until 2011.

Fowler, of course, appeared in over 100 episodes alongside Johnny Carson and also served as a wildlife correspondent for 'Today.' Fowler and Carson were tight ... to the point both families all went on a vacation to Africa after the 'Tonight' host retired.

Fowler was huge in the bird world ... becoming the first man to successfully trap a harpy eagle and bring it back alive in the U.S.

"Seinfeld" fans will remember him for his appearance on season 9 of the hit series ... "The Merv Griffin Show" episode. Kramer invited Fowler for his animals segment of the show. Fowler brings a hawk which hilariously attacked George Costanza, who was holding a squirrel.

Fowler was born in 1930 in Albany, Georgia. He was a standout baseball player who fielded offers from the Yankees and Phillies. Fowler was also rather tall ... standing an intimidating 6-foot-6.

But, he was a big softy when it came to all animals. The "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" wrote on its page Fowler's mission as a naturalist was to "educate the public about wildlife specifies throughout the world and how to preserve environments for both animals and humans."

"Little Women: LA" star Christy Gibel says she needs court-ordered protection against her husband, and she needs it now ... TMZ has learned.

The reality TV star filed court docs Wednesday in L.A. County asking a judge to grant her a temporary restraining order against her hubby of 5 years -- Todd Gibel.

Our Christy sources claim Todd has been making life for her and her 19-year-old daughter from another relationship miserable in a number of threatening ways. For one, Christy says Todd has been impersonating her via email and shutting her out of her social media accounts. She also suspects he's been ripping up her mail.

On a more petty level ... Christy says Todd's been doing stuff like unnecessarily raising the temperature in the house to unbearable levels. For that reason and others ... Christy says she fears for her life and needs a force field between her and Todd.

The married couple has certainly been going through a tough time lately, as Todd has been battling depression. He told us late last month that he'd be seeking treatment to better his condition -- which he explained was severely affecting his marriage to Christy.

At the time, Todd said ... "Right now Christy and I still live together, but we are just co-existing."

There's been more drama at home, it seems, in recent days -- social media posts Todd's been putting up paint a picture of constant arguing over family coming to visit and their dogs.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Todd even called cops late Sunday night ... complaining about Christy's pup not shutting its yap when her niece came to visit. We're told cops instructed them to figure it out amongst themselves.

They tried doing that by boarding all three of their dogs up for a day -- Monday, we're told -- but it appears Todd's now fighting with Christy about that too ... saying she's not releasing his own dog, Elvis, to him and holding it hostage against his will.

1:17 PM PT -- WE tv finally got back to us, and it sounds like the network is trying to distance itself from the "Marriage Boot Camp" folks who reached out to Jenelle's peeps, because a spokesperson just said, "WE tv has no plans to cast Jenelle Evans on Marriage Boot Camp."

Jenelle Evans isn't missing a beat after getting booted from "Teen Mom 2" ... because we've learned she's already been approached by "Marriage Boot Camp," and our sources say she and her husband, David Eason, will be doing the show.

Our sources say the folks at "Marriage Boot Camp" have been trying to get Jenelle and David on the show for 2 years, but MTV -- which produces "Teen Mom 2" -- has always said no. We're told one MTV exec even warned her not to do 'Boot Camp' because it would ruin her image.

But, now the decks are cleared, and we're told Jenelle and David are both game.

And, that's not the end of it ... we're told Jenelle is going to New York City next week to meet with producers of other shows. It's uncertain if networks are interested in a package deal -- Jenelle and David -- or just Jenelle alone, but it's a safe bet everyone wants both.

And, we have more info on why Jenelle got fired from "Teen Mom 2." As we reported, David killing the family dog was the last straw, but now we know what a problem it created for MTV. We're told Briana DeJesus, who also appears on "Teen Mom 2" was shooting in Florida and 2 restaurants refused to allow the show to film because the restaurant owners were so upset over the dog killing.

We're also told there were similar problems in other states as well.

Short story ... Jenelle has lost 6 figures after getting fired from MTV, but she's still marketable.

We've reached out to "Marriage Boot Camp," so far, no word back.

Jenelle Evans' days as a 'Teen Mom' are done -- MTV has severed ties with her and her family following David Eason's murder of the family dog ... TMZ has confirmed.

A spokesperson for MTV tells us, "We have stopped filming with Jenelle Eason as of April 6, 2019 and have no plans to cover her story in the upcoming season." The rep also reiterated the company's previous firing of David, saying, "MTV ended its relationship with David Eason over a year ago in February 2018 and has not filmed any new episodes of 'Teen Mom 2' with him since."

You'll remember, David was fired as a result of homophobic comments he made ... and MTV has gone to great lengths to avoid dealing with him on the show.

Our sources say MTV executives told Jenelle's manager the killing of Nugget was the last straw and they feared he was out of control and wanted no part in what they see as a looming disaster. We're told Jenelle was making six figures per season and that is now gone. Jenelle is still with David.

The decision to cut ties with Jenelle comes on the heels of her husband shooting and killing her French Bulldog as punishment for nipping at their 2-year-old daughter, Ensley ... even though video of the incident showed it was far from a vicious attack.

The Columbus County Sheriff's Office and Animal Control have initiated a joint investigation into allegations of animal cruelty against David, who allegedly slammed the poor pup against their home's back deck before taking him into the woods and shooting him to death.

Law enforcement told us Animal Control officers did visit the family's property to do an initial check, but left without talking to anyone because they were scared away by "No Trespassing" signs and a pit bull on the porch.

As we've reported ... Eason also has a history of posting gun-crazed videos online flaunting his home arsenal, and has been accused of domestic violence.

Country House -- the winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby -- will NOT get a shot at the Triple Crown after his owner pulled him from the Preakness because the horse developed a bad cough.

"He developed a little bit of a cough this morning," trainer Bill Mott told the Daily Racing Form.

"His appetite is good. He doesn't have a fever. But he's coughing. We drew blood. He's acting like he's going to get sick. He's off the training list, and if he's off the training list, he's off the Preakness list."

Mott believes the illness is probably a "little viral thing" but he doesn't want to take any chances and feels it's best to pull Country House from the May 18 race.

"Hopefully it doesn't develop into anything serious. Usually when something like this happens, a horse misses a couple weeks of training. He's not seriously sick right now, but he's showing indications that something is going on."

Probably a smart move considering Country House is now set to make a FORTUNE as a stud horse -- and the owners must feel there's not much to gain in running a sick horse in the Preakness.

Country House was named Kentucky Derby winner after Maximum Security was DQ'd for interfering with other horses during the race.

David Eason has killed their family dog and people close to the family are worried sick he poses a danger to Jenelle Evans, the 3 kids in the house and the other family pets, and they have now made their move with Child Protective Services ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to Jenelle and David tell TMZ, some have already called CPS and others will call as early as later Monday, asking the agency to remove David from the family home.

They are worried for 2-year-old Ensley, 4-year-old Kaiser and David's 11-year-old daughter, Maryssa. They are also deeply concerned about Jenelle's pit bull, Jax. As we reported, David has already shot the dog with a BB gun for chasing animals on the property.

We're told the local Sheriff and people associated with Jenelle and David are frustrated because -- without Jenelle's cooperation -- they are unable to file criminal charges against him.

We've learned the Plan B is Child Protective Services. They want the agency to remove David from the home, on grounds he's a danger to everyone living there. The end game is to get David mental health help ... in particular anger management.

The complication -- David has "No Trespassing" signs on the property, and up to now law enforcement has been concerned over entering. They're afraid the pit bull could attack them -- in addition to getting shot by David. But, we're told the pit bull is harmless. Still, David's a real concern.

David Eason, the husband of "Teen Mom 2" star Jenelle Evans, is the most dangerous man in the 3 counties surrounding their home ... and that's from an official in the Columbus County Sherrif's Dept.

A source directly connected to the dog-killing investigation tells TMZ, the Sheriff's official contacted this person saying, "He [David] is the most dangerous person we've seen in the 3 counties," but there's nothing they can do unless Jenelle wants to take action against her husband.

As we reported, David viciously killed their French Bulldog this week after the animal nipped at his 2-year-old daughter ... a nip which, by the way, didn't even break the skin or draw blood. We're told he threw the dog on the back deck before killing it with a shotgun.

Our sources say the Sheriff's Office has been informed David has also shot at Jenelle's pit bull with a BB gun for chasing animals on the property.

And, we're told, relatives believe Jenelle won't file a restraining order or take other action against David "because she's afraid of him."

We're told the Sheriff's Office has told people involved in the family they are sympathetic to them but just can't do anything without Jenelle's cooperation. They also say they can't go on the property without permission and David has made it clear ... law enforcement is not welcome. The Sheriff's official who spoke with our source fears David will do something "way more horrible" if he isn't stopped.