Pets

Michael Holston, the internet sensation famously known as The Real Tarzann, is being sued over a prickly little critter ... a woman claims he's got her pet porcupine locked in a cage and won't fork it over!!!

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Corinne Oltz, the operator of Wild Animal World in Florida, claims a prehensile-tailed porcupine named Pickles went missing from her operation last year and ended up in Holston's care ... and she says he's refusing to return her exotic pet.

Oltz claims the animal disappeared back in December, and this May she was notified of Pickles' whereabouts ... a cage on property in Miami, where Tarzann is the primary caretaker.

In the docs, Oltz claims she's made several attempts to bring home Pickles ... but says Tarzann, who fancies himself an animal educator to his 500k YouTube subscribers, is giving her the cold shoulder.

Oltz claims Tarzann is NOT Pickles' owner -- she claims she is -- so she's suing Holston and the owner of the property for $5,000 ... what she says Pickles is worth.

We reached out to The Real Tarzann ... and we're on pins and needles awaiting a response.

Model Tiffany Keller is serving up the ultimate combo ... smoking hot bikini pics with a puppy!!!

Tiffany took her pups -- and her pooch -- to the beach, setting up shop in some sexy swimwear, just steps away from the world famous Santa Monica Pier ... and these images are sure to make your tongue wag!!!

Bonus points for the dog name, Tiffany ... she's dubbed her furry friend here Johnny Drama ... and doggone it, this just keeps getting better and better!!!

Tiffany's a force in the modeling world ... she's walked the runway at Miami Swim Week for Beach Bunny Swim and Prey Swim, and she's been featured in Galore Magazine and modeled for Windsor Store ... solid resume, for sure.

Easy to see why Fat Joe and Chris Brown wanted her in their hit music video, "Another Round" ... Tiffany's a straight-up dime!!!

Disney's new Tramp, in the upcoming live-action remake of "Lady and the Tramp," didn't slum it for too long before catching his big break ... we've learned the pup went from kill shelter to shelter before becoming a huge movie star.

Monte, the 2-year-old terrier mix had a rough start to life. He was on the verge of being euthanized at a kill shelter before the folks at HALO Animal Rescue in Phoenix scooped him up, saving him from death.

So, now's the terrier's big break ... Mark Forbes, the animal trainer for "Lady and the Tramp," was on the hunt for a scruffy canine, and Monte must have worked his magic at HALO because the trainer saw potential ... a potential movie star!!!

Forbes adopted Monte -- after the pooch spent just 7 days at HALO -- trained him well, and Disney execs fell in love ... i.e., Monte nailed the audition.

Good on the folks at HALO, because they wanted to make sure Monte didn't become one of the has-beens that litter the streets of Hollywood. The org made Forbes promise Monte would become a family pet once filming was over.

Forbes agreed, and he now lives with the fam and even has a newborn baby and pet raccoon to keep him company.

Monte's making his film debut on the new Disney+ streaming service this November ... and HALO hopes his story will lead to more adoptions for dogs in shelters across the globe.

Justice is served!

Deborah Sue Culwell -- the woman who was caught on surveillance video tossing 7 pups into a dumpster in Coachella earlier this year -- has pled guilty and been sentenced to 1 year in jail.

The sentence, which also includes 6 years' probation after her time behind bars, was reduced to 174 days with credit for time served.

Culwell was originally charged with 7 felony counts of animal cruelty, plus 7 misdemeanor counts of abandoning the dogs – and she pled guilty to all 14 charges. She was initially facing up to 7 years behind bars, so it's surprisingly good luck for the Cruella de Vil wannabe.

In addition to the jail time, she must undergo random drug testing, and also complete mental health counseling. She also cannot possess any animals during the probation. Thank God.

At the time of the bust, the 54-year-old animal abuser reportedly had 38 other dogs in her custody.

As we reported, the woman was caught in April casually dropping a plastic bag filled with 3-day-old puppies into a dumpster, with temperatures hovering around the mid-90s.

A Good Samaritan dug the lil guys out of the trash. He alerted authorities and the animals were taken to Riverside County Animal Services.

6 of the 7 puppies survived, and the case triggered mass outrage across the country. The 6 pups all went into foster care and we're told several were adopted.

Danny Masterson is being sued by 4 women who accused him of rape ... who claim they've been mercilessly stalked by the Church of Scientology in an effort to silence them.

In a lawsuit, the women claim the "That 70's Show" star is involved in an unrelenting Church conspiracy to cover up their allegations. The stalking claims are pretty brutal. For instance, Chrissie Bixler says in the suit ... her dog mysteriously died after she came forward with the rape claims -- and she says an autopsy revealed it died from unexplained traumatic injuries to its trachea and esophagus.

According to the docs, Bixler adds she's been run off the road by a vehicle that had been following her back in June -- and that same month a friend of Masterson's allegedly threatened to release nude photos of her when she was underage.

Bobette Riales publicly accused Danny of sexual assault back in 2017, claiming he drugged and sexually assaulted her while they dated from 2002 to 2004. She says she's since been surveilled and followed. In one instance, she says neighbors observed a man snapping pictures from her driveway, and then later that night someone broke a window at her home.

The 2 other alleged victims, who are suing as Jane Does, make very similar claims about being mysteriously menaced.

For her part, Bixler says the attempts to silence her started even before she went public with the allegations. In the suit, she says she first disclosed the alleged rape to a Scientology employee ... who told her, "You can't be raped by someone you are in a consensual relationship with." She claims the employee also told her the Church considers it a "High Crime" to report Masterson to cops -- and she would be labeled an SP (suppressive person).

The women are suing Masterson, the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige.

We've reached out reps for Danny and the Church of Scientology for their response to the lawsuit.

Michael Holston, the internet sensation who became famous as The Real Tarzann, has been arrested for burglary and assault ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Holston was a zookeeper from Miami who produced viral videos of him cavorting with chimps, lions, giraffes, snakes, otters, kangaroos, sharks, reptiles and other animals was arrested in Miami Friday. He was booked on 3 charges -- all involving burglary and battery.

It's unclear, so far, exactly what he's accused of doing. We will update as soon as we get more info.

Holston has said he wants to be the next Steve Irwin, his hero. He's become popular for sure, with more than half a mil YouTube subscribers. He also fancies himself as an animal educator .. he travels to various schools and teaches kids about creatures in the wild. And, this is funny ... he was afraid of spiders, but eventually overcame his fears.

Holston is still in custody and being held on no bond.

Brooke Houts says she's no animal abuser, but we found her history with the dog in question raises serious anger issues she has toward the pooch.

Houts -- who is currently under investigation by the LAPD for animal abuse -- appears to have gotten her Doberman, Sphinx, last November. It wasn't long before Houts began to post a series of angry tweets and videos, venting over the dog ... bitching about his bad behavior.

In one video, Houts talks about a time when Sphinx pulled her down the stairs. She also went on a long rant last month when Sphinx ate a pair of her leggings, saying, "-sigh- goodnight to everyone except my dog."

She also bitched about Sphinx peeing on her bed.

As we reported ... Houts accidentally uploaded a video earlier this week, showing her smack, spit on and shove Sphinx. The LAPD Animal Cruelty Task Force is now on the case, though she will keep custody of the dog, at least until authorities decide if the risk factor is too great.

Houts maintains she's never aggressive with Sphinx ... and that he needs some serious training. That's revealing, considering in one of the videos we uncovered, she says punishment training isn't the way to discipline a dog.

AWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

Here's the most adorable thing you'll see all day ... the Cleveland Browns helped 82 puppies find new homes this summer -- and the pics of some of the little guys are the cutest things ever!!!

The Browns partnered with the Northeast Ohio SPCA once again this summer to create the "Browns Puppy Pound" -- a place where fans can see and adopt dogs during training camp practices -- and so far, it's been a huge success.

The team says it's helped nearly 100 pups from all over the area get adopted ... and says fans still have 5 more practices left to get a dog of their own from the program.

Overall, the Browns say the partnership with the SPCA has been a resounding success since 2015 ... saying with the 82 adoptions this year, they've now helped 442 total dogs find new homes!!!

In fact, the team says Sugardale -- the sponsor of the team's puppy pound -- is presenting a $5,000 donation to the Northeast Ohio SPCA to celebrate the occasion on Saturday!!

Wayne Newton's monkey ain't your average Curious George ... cause the teenage girl who says the animal bit her says the injury required medical attention.

TMZ's obtained a pic of the injury allegedly caused by Wayne's Capuchin monkey, Boo. The girl's mother is suing Newton claiming Boo bit her daughter's right wrist 2 years ago while visiting Newton's former estate, Casa de Shenandoah ... a tourist attraction and museum in Las Vegas.

Their attorney, Marc Naron of D.R. Patti & Associates, says the bite broke the girl's skin ... causing it to swell -- and she had to go to a hospital where she got a tetanus shot. The pic, btw, was taken the day after the alleged incident.

We're told the alleged victim, who was 15 at the time, underwent follow-up treatments and was left with a gnarly scar that may be permanent. She claims she underwent counseling because of her fear of animals.

In the lawsuit, the family says Boo was not caged nor on a leash when they visited back in October 2017. Wayne and his wife, Kathleen McCrone Newton, tell us they haven't seen the lawsuit. They add ... their company stopped operating Casa de Shenandoah in July 2017, "due to Wayne's almost dying from a spider bite" -- so they have "no idea what happened in October 2017."

YouTube loser Brooke Houts still has the Doberman she allegedly abused on camera ... at least while LAPD investigates her for animal abuse.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Brooke has maintained custody of the dog -- for now -- because LAPD's Animal Cruelty Task Force determined the pooch is not in immediate danger.

As we first reported ... the Animal Cruelty Task Force launched an investigation after Brooke mistakenly uploaded video showing her shoving and berating her Doberman named Sphinx.

Our sources say the video itself does not show enough proof Sphinx is in immediate danger under Brooke's care, and that's why the dog has not yet been removed from the home. Of course, that could all change.

We're told LAPD could take the pup from Brooke once the investigation wraps ... if investigators determine she abused the pet.

Brooke issued a long-winded apology after the video surfaced and she caught tons of flak online ... saying it's too expensive to hire a trainer and claiming she's NOT a dog abuser.

YouTube loser Brooke Houts beat, shoved and spit on her Doberman -- and it's all captured on a gut-wrenching piece of footage she accidentally uploaded for the world to see.

Fair warning, the clip will definitely upset all animal lovers ... or anyone with a heart.

In the shocking video, you see Brooke hitting the poor pooch, named Sphinx, multiple times ... yelling at him and forcefully shoving him to the ground ... all in the name of recording an animal prank video for her YouTube channel.

Brooke apparently uploaded the abusive clip by mistake ... before posting the final cut of the prank, which isn't even funny or all that original.

As you can imagine, Brooke is catching TONS OF HEAT ... and she's already issued a lengthy apology, claiming she's not an animal abuser -- despite what you're seeing in the video.

Brooke says ... "I am NOT a dog abuser or animal abuser in any way, shape, or form. Anyone who has witnessed or heard true animal abuse will be able to clearly see that. My dog, in no way, shape, or form was hurt by any action that I displayed in this video." She also claims it's too expensive to hire a trainer for him.

Aaron Carter adopting dogs and allegedly selling them for a profit is NOT against the law -- but that doesn't mean it would be right ... according to the county of Los Angeles.

L.A. County Animal Care and Control tells TMZ ... IF Aaron is actually adopting dogs from around the area only to later flip them for cash, he wouldn't be committing any crimes by doing so. That said, it sounds like the LACACC frowns on the practice.

Lancaster Animal Care Shelter -- which is run by L.A. County -- says, "Our goal is to find each animal a forever home and when someone adopts, they become the legal adopter. His actions aren’t illegal and there have been no reports of him harming the animal." They add, "Unless, there is criminal activity going on, we are unable to ask for the adopter to return the dog."

We're told selling off rescue dogs is a moral issue in L.A. County, not a legal one, though.

You'll recall ... the animal shelter where Aaron adopted his English bulldog appeared to be concerned over allegations that Aaron was trying to sell it just a couple days after taking it home. They updated their Instagram with a flash warning of sorts, saying they were "working on this situation." Presumably, people were blowing them up about this.

Most private animal shelters require you, by contract, to return the animal if you no longer want it ... instead of selling it or even giving it away to someone else.

For the record, Aaron has flat-out denied any wrongdoing.

In fact, he doubled down with us ... reiterating that the IG Live video in which he's heard discussing selling the bulldog for $3,500 is simply a joke. Aaron did not clarify what exactly he was joking about though ... he sounded sincere in his vid.

Joke or not ... apparently it's no biggie out here in Hollywood.

"Them That Follow" -- the new thriller about scary snakes and a religious family that handles them to prove themselves to God -- had a tragedy on set when a bird died in the hands of one of the stars ... and the cameras were rolling.

Footage from the movie set -- obtained by TMZ -- shows actress Alice Englert with a quail in her hands right after the moment she realizes something is horribly wrong with the bird.

It sounds like Alice says, "Oh my god, this is so f****d" as she hands the bird to its handler ... and becomes increasingly distressed as she processes what happened.

Englert then asks, "Is it dead?" ... and begins to sob as she gets confirmation.

Producers from the movie have confirmed with TMZ the animal died, but tell us nobody knows why. They insist it was not mistreated or mishandled in any way.

The producers add ... "We hired top animal wranglers and working professionals in the business ... we take full responsibly and deeply regret this isolated incident."

We're told in the scene, Englert's character pretends to feed a quail to a snake. You see couple of snakes in cages just off to the right of Alice.

The bird wrangler on set tells TMZ, "We are ultimate professionals and care about each and every animal we handle. The overriding theme of our educational program is the importance of all animals. No one of the cast or crew did anything to affect this sad event."

Aaron Carter is being accused of trying to flip a dog he recently rescued for money -- something he denies -- but the shelter that was involved is now looking into it.

The singer was catching tons of backlash this weekend after a video he posted to Instagram Live made the rounds, in which he's heard saying that a bulldog he recently got from the pound is now available for purchase for a cool few thousand bucks.

In the video, which Aaron appears to have acknowledged as authentic, he says ... "This is my new buddy. So by the way, if I can't keep him, I am going to be listing him." Aaron goes on to say, "He's 10 months old, and he's running for $3,500. So if anybody wants to give my English bulldog (a home), I rescue him and I find him homes."

He finishes by saying, "So if anybody wants to have my English bulldog, he's being sold for $3,500." Aaron makes reference to another dog in the video that he "couldn't keep."

Welp, it looks like the animal care center where Aaron got this latest dog is aware of his intentions, and made that clear with an update to the pup's page. On Instagram, the Lancaster Animal Care Center -- which has photos of Aaron adopting the dog 2 days ago -- wrote ... "UPDATE - We are working on this situation. Thanks to all for your concern."

As for an explanation for this, Aaron has responded ... and suggests it's a misunderstanding and tried clarifying what he does with his pets. He tweeted, "I think it’s apalling that I actually even have to explain myself I’ve rescued many dogs & found many dogs homes. what I said in my Instagram live video was a joke. Find one dog that I adopted and sold for money, be my guest. WONT HAPPEN. I’m a good person and i deserve respect."

He followed up by saying that he doesn't need to flip dogs for quick cash, as he makes millions of dollars a year. Seemingly in response to fans, Aaron says, "And with all due respect I own a home I make over $3 million a year I don’t need to sell a dog for money so have some respect and don’t try to slander my name because I will defend myself and I will take legal action. DONT TRY IT. So back the f*** off... gn."

Aaron says he's not in it for the money, but the question must be asked ... why put a price tag on the dog at all? On another note, the typical adoption contracts with these types of shelters prohibit the adopter from peddling the dog onto someone else. If a person cannot care for the dog, they are usually required by contract to return the dog ASAP.

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner are getting over the death of their dog with the help of a new furry friend ... they got a new pup in their company just over a week later.

The couple was out Saturday in Miami, settling into what appears to be a vacation home with Joe's bro, Kevin, his sister-in-law, Priyanka Chopra, as well as some friends in tow. No word on whether Nick and Danielle tagged along -- they might be joining later.

The biggest addition to the crew though was a puppy golden retriever, who Sophie brought out of the van on a leash and what looks like a harness of some sort. Later, she gave this little lady a bath in the pool, and she didn't even seem to mind. Good girl (we think)!!!

There was another pooch there with them too, but Joe and Sophie's other dog, Porky, didn't show up in these photos. He's the brother of their Alaskan Klee Kai, Waldo -- who was tragically hit and killed by a car in New York last week, after breaking free from his leash.

As you'll recall, the pet owners were devastated in the following days ... and definitely didn't hide their emotions in grieving the loss of their canine family member.

Someone's really screwed the pooch this time -- at least that's how the owner of a reigning dog surfing champ feels after getting blocked from defending the crown.

Sources connected to the World Dog Surfing Championships, going down in San Fran this weekend, tell TMZ ... the reason Gidget The Pug was not invited back to compete this year -- after winning 2 categories last year, including the Goughnuts Top Dogs Award -- is Gidget's owner's fault.

We're told Gidget's owner was pissed that despite her pooch's victories, she was not featured in press materials or social media campaigns. Instead, WDSC hyped another doggo named Derby ... who's bigger and rocked shades while hanging 20.

Our Dog Surfing sources say the owner was constantly blowing up event staff and organizers demanding Gidget get more promotional face time. Not only that, but we're told the owner was riling up folks in the pug community to crap on the event.

We're told WDSC's top dogs made a call to cut loose Gidget and her owner.

Now, as for what the owner has to say about this ... she feels strongly Gidget was snubbed, but doesn't understand why. The owner claims that after making a simple request to get Gidget's photo in a WDSC press release, the event staff got argumentative and demanded the medals and accolades back.

The owner says she didn't budge on that. She says Gidget also won a bunch of categories in 2017 and claims the pup was slighted then too. Her biggest complaint is the lack of recognition is sabotaging Gidget's shot at a book deal. No joke.