Pets

Frodo -- the final surviving dog from the infamous Michael Vick dogfighting ring -- has died ... officials at the BADRAP animal rescue org. confirmed on Monday.

The pup was estimated to be 15 years old.

According to BADRAP, Frodo was one of 48 dogs that were saved after Vick's dogfighting ring was broken up by law enforcement back in 2007.

The org. says Frodo found a new home following the former NFL star's arrest, and spent the last 14 years "being pampered like a prince with his new family."

But, sadly, the org. says he died on Saturday ... though they did note the dog had one final steak before he passed away.

Officials at the org. say two other known surviving dogs from the Vick case died recently as well.

As we previously reported, Vick was released from the Atlanta Falcons and also spent time behind bars over his role in the case.

The ex-quarterback did apologize for it all ... and he later went on to start for the Philadelphia Eagles following his release from prison.

He's since fought tirelessly against animal abuse ... even advocating at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2015 to pass a bill to allow cops to rescue pets from hot cars.

It's very much out with the old and in with the new, as President Biden's dog Major is getting the boot from the White House ... and several biting incidents followed by failed training attempts to fix the pup seem to be the catalyst.

The White House just announced POTUS' German Shepherd will "live in a quieter environment with family friends" ... with the Bidens making the move after consulting with dog trainers, animal behaviorists and veterinarians.

You'll recall ... Major was involved in 2 biting incidents at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. ... with the first one in March getting him and his late pal, Champ, sent back to Delaware.

Major eventually returned from the dog house, but there was another biting incident at the White House only days after his return ... resulting in a new trainer and some extra dog handlers.

As we reported ... Joe and Jill have a new puppy at The White House, a new German Shepherd puppy named Commander, arrived as an early Christmas present.

Christmas came early for President Biden -- the guy has a new four-legged addition to his family ... and he's showing off his present at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

First Lady Jill Biden's press secretary confirmed Monday ... yes, the Bidens have a new dog in their midst, a German Shepherd puppy named Commander. Shortly after the news broke, the Prez took to Twitter himself and gave official word with a sweet shot.

He tagged his pic with "Welcome to the White House, Commander" ... showing off the cute little guy running through some grass with a ball in his mouth.

Joe posted a video, too, that featured Commander ... and he seems to be making himself at home already.

Word of a new pooch in the Biden brood started percolating when folks saw Commander here running across the South Lawn. According to reports ... he's a gift to the Prez from his own family, one they apparently couldn't keep hidden until this weekend.

The dog is a welcome sight, we're sure, for 46 and Dr. Biden ... who just lost their first beloved Shepherd, Champ, back in June at the age of 13. They have another GS, Major, that's still kicking -- but he's been a bit of a bad boy lately with his chompers.

Here's hoping Commander is better behaved. Oh, and BTW, the pets could well keep rolling into the front doors of the WH in the near future. The First Lady said earlier this year they'd be getting a cat soon.

Another Amazon worker has been caught saving the day! This time, a driver jumped in front of a pit bull to stop it from attacking a young woman and her dog ... all while delivering holiday packages in Las Vegas.

Stephanie Lontz came to the rescue earlier this month for 19-year-old Lauren. As you can see in the Ring Camera video ... Lauren began screaming for help with her dog in her arms,  as the larger dog was biting and lunging at them.

After several terrifying seconds, they were only able to escape safely into the house, thanks to Stephanie, who ran from her delivery van and got in between Lauren and the pit bull.

The Amazon driver says she was just doing the right thing ... "The screams made me think of my own child. I would only hope someone would jump in and help her if she was in a similar situation," She told the local NBC TV station, "I wouldn't even think it's motherly, it's just the human thing to do."

Though Lontz saved Lauren's day, she says Amazon workers go through so much on a normal basis that this sort of thing was not unusual for her. In fact, she says she herself was bitten by a dog 2 days prior to this incident.

Steve Harvey committed another gaffe during a Miss Universe show -- this one wasn't as bad as what he'd done before ... but it was still pretty dang cringeworthy.

The comedian was tapped yet again to host the beauty pageant during Sunday night's broadcast, which was being televised all the way from Israel. While talking to the finalists, he got around to the eventual winner, Harnaaz Sandhu of India, and asked a strange question.

Watch ... the guy reads from his card and notes she supposedly has an interesting talent -- impersonating animals ... and he asked her to do just that right on the spot.

You could tell she wasn't prepared for that, let alone having to actually do it. And yet, Sandhu toughed it out anyway like a champ, telling Steve she would, since she had no other option on live TV. And then ... she did a cat impression, and it was actually really good.

Sandhu belted out a handful of loud meows, and went on to say that a particular skill -- such as this one -- could lead to bigger and better things ... so dream big, kids!

Now, while this might seem relatively harmless -- SH is actually catching some backlash for the ask here ... because, apparently, he didn't pull this same stunt with other contestants he interviewed in the moment. Instead, he asked about their legit accomplishments.

Of course, this brings back memories of him mistakenly announcing the wrong Miss Universe winner in 2015 ... and while this isn't nearly as big a blunder, it's still not great.

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are finally back from Mexico after celebrating her big 4-0 birthday for nearly a week in Cabo ... and turns out their festivities included a third and fourth party!

Brit and her fiancé's private jet touched down Tuesday morning in Los Angeles, and they had quite the disem-barkment. Yes, the singer was holding one of her dogs, while an assistant carried the other off the plane ... and Sam trailed behind.

We didn't realize Lacey, a Maltese, and Hannah, the Yorkie, were with the couple during the birthday celebration. Good to see Brit kept the whole family together during the vacay.

As we previously reported ... the pop star's dogs were taken away from her briefly during the summer, because her housekeeper believed the pups were being neglected.

The Philadelphia Flyers' season just got a whole lot crappier ... 'cause on the day they fired their head coach amid a losing skid, a police K-9 defecated all over their center-ice logo.

Just hours after the team canned Alain Vigneault, several dogs from the Philadelphia Police Dept. took a trip to Wells Fargo Center ... and you can see in video of their visit, things got messy quickly.

One of the dogs walked all the way out to the red line ... popped a squat and then let its bowels go.

The dog pooped for several seconds -- and then appeared to unleash even more on the logo!!

Of course, we're pretty sure it'll all get cleaned up in time for the Flyers' Monday evening game against the Colorado Avalanche ... but it's yet another reminder of how badly Philly's season has gone so far.

The team is currently in the midst of an 8-game losing streak ... and they've played so poorly recently, there's not a whole lot of optimism in the City Of Brotherly Love at the moment.

Things could have ended much worse for a family's dog had it not been for a pane of glass stopping a hungry mountain lion from making it dinner.

The video, taken by a woman in Colorado, shows her dog named Dash frozen in fear as the mountain lion spots it from outside. The mountain lion seems puzzled by the barrier, trying different ways to get in, even tapping on the glass with its paw.

You can hear the fear in the woman's voice as she records and tries to get Dash away from the door, without any luck. The dog is clearly terrified, not moving.

Yung Joc is denying claims from a dog breeder that he's an irresponsible dog owner who lost his pit bulls soon after getting them ... he says the dogs managed to chew through their enclosures.

The "It's Goin' Down" rapper tells TMZ ... he did his part to keep the dogs contained on his property, with kennels and two chain-link fences, but he was surprised they were still able to bite their way out.

Yung Joc says he paid over $20,000 for the pit bulls, Nispey and Bruiser, back in April from a dog breeder in Los Angeles ... but after they escaped, the dog breeder blamed the rapper and offered a $5k reward for info on their whereabouts.

While the dog breeder, Andre of Big Gemini Kennels, claims Yung Joc was being irresponsible and might be hiding something ... Joc tells us he's been transparent with authorities, even sharing the video of their escape.

Yung Joc is firing back about accusations he was in over his head ... he says he thought there was no way the dogs could get past not just one, but two fences ... and he says it wasn't a case of being cheap.

An Indiana cop captured on video kicking a dog on someone's front porch will not be prosecuted ... and his bosses say that's due to the full picture of what happened.

The disturbing video was posted this week by a woman who wrote, "Yesterday evening while my family and I were at work, someone broke into my home. My dogs ran the intruder off. This was the response shortly after a neighbor called. My home needed help and all it received was hurt."

Of course, outrage ensued ... and many were calling for the officer's badge number, not to mention his job. On its face, it looks like the cop is just going to town on the unleashed dog, which was barking at him.

Well, apparently there's more to the story. Terre Haute PD tells TMZ neighbors had been calling about this dog and another from this home constantly being on the loose and attacking people, including kids.

On this particular night, Nov. 29, they got a call about a white pit bull on the loose in the neighborhood -- just the latest call for this exact thing, they say. Officers came out, and THPD says they actually encountered 2 dogs -- including the one seen in this video -- which were allegedly lunging at the officers.

After talking to neighbors about how the dogs escaped their backyard, THPD says this sergeant walked onto the porch ... and that's where the video picks begins. The owners apparently weren't home, so the officers waited ... and then cited the owners when they eventually arrived, ringing 'em up for 6 separate counts related to the dogs being loose.

As for what happens now ... well, THPD says the Virgo County Prosecutor's Office has already reviewed the case, and found the cop didn't violate any laws. Still, the department says it's conducting its own review, and the cop is on leave for now.

Cops at LAX are working a sad and gruesome case -- a dead dog was found there, and someone seems to have dumped the poor pup's lifeless body in a trash can ... TMZ has learned.

The horrific scene unfolded Tuesday afternoon when airport janitorial staff were alerted by a citizen who had discovered the animal's corpse in a bin -- and then the janitors alerted airport police.

We're told the dog -- apparently a French bulldog -- was stuffed inside a duffel-type bag that might have been the animal's carrier. Worth noting there was also a ripped luggage tag nearby.

Cops are trying to figure out what happened to the dog, and who placed it in the trash bin. Luckily, it's LAX and that means there are cameras almost everywhere -- we're told officers are checking all available surveillance footage.

Sadly, we've reported on way too many pets dying on airplanes -- usually in cargo holds, overhead bins or occasionally on the tarmac -- but this is the first time we've seen a dead dog turn up this way at an airport.

Ex-UCF star football player Otis Anderson Jr. was allegedly shot and killed by his dad on Monday night ... after the two had gotten into an argument over a dog bite.

It's all spelled out in new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which cops say Otis Jr.'s mom, Denise Anderson, told them the whole, violent altercation started after her son's girlfriend's dog had bitten Otis Anderson Sr.

Cops say Denise told them Otis Sr. was so enraged over the bloody wound caused by the dog -- he and Otis Jr. proceeded to get into a verbal altercation.

Denise claimed the two were eventually separated when she told Otis Jr. to go upstairs ... but cops say she then got into an argument with Otis Sr., one in which Otis Sr. flipped over a recliner, causing Otis Jr. to come back downstairs to check on his mom.

When Otis Jr. made it back downstairs, cops say Denise told them the father and son "got into another verbal altercation and it appeared like they were going to fight."

It's unclear exactly what happened next -- the report was heavily redacted by police -- but in the docs, cops note when they arrived on the scene, they found Otis Jr. suffering from "at least one gunshot wound to the chest."

The cops also noted in the docs Denise was "suffering from multiple graze wounds."

Officers say Otis. Jr. was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while Denise was treated for her wounds at the facility and later released.

In the docs, cops say they eventually arrested Anderson Sr. and booked him on charges of murder and attempted murder.

Jail records show he's still currently in custody.

As we reported, the NFL community is mourning the loss of Otis Jr. -- who signed with the Los Angeles Rams earlier this season before getting cut in September -- with stars like Jalen Ramsey and Micah Parsons expressing sadness over the situation.

UCF has also commented on the tragedy, saying in a statement, "He was revered by his teammates, our fans, and everyone within Knight Nation."

"Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who loved Otis. He was taken too soon and will truly be missed."

History repeated itself on Turkey Day, when a pooch snagged back-to-back championship titles at the National Dog Show.

Her name is Claire -- a Scottish Deerhound -- and she killed again when she was named Best in Show. It's the first time in its 20-year-history the org doled out the trophy twice in a row to the same canine.

It was a doggie breath of fresh air, with a vaccinated crowd showing love for the various 4-legged contestants, but it was all about Claire. The event went down at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.

There was more than a trophy on the line. Claire's owner, Angela Lloyd, snagged $20k.

As for those Claire left in the dust, MM, a Lakeland Terrier, Jade, a German Shorthaired Pointer, Mo'Ne, a Kuvasz, and then there's Winter, a Bulldog.

Unlike "The Bachelor," The National Dog Show sticks with its hosts. John O'Hurley and David Frei have fronted the show for its entire 20-year run.

Paul Shaffer's kid is following in her old man's footsteps -- not so much with the music, per se, but certainly with spreading positive vibes for dogs in shelters and the people who love them!

We talked to David Letterman's longtime bandleader and sidekick, as well as Mr. Shaffer's daughter, Victoria, on "TMZ Live" about this new initiative she's got going that puts an emphasis on dog ownership via adoptions/fostering from shelters.

It's called Pup Culture Rescue, and basically ... Victoria and co. are here to educate people on the process of becoming a pooch parent, and why shelters should be the first place to look for a furry friend.

She's also got an accompanying book out -- "Pup Culture: Stories, Tips, and the Importance of Adopting a Dog" -- which helps serve as a guide to picking out the right pup, where to look and how to help your new pet get acclimated to its new home.

It sounds like VS and the rest of the folks working for Pup Culture Rescue have been pretty busy during the pandemic -- when people were adopting dogs like crazy while stuck at home ... but she says a lot of owners are now returning canines to those same shelters.

That's pretty sucky, in Victoria's view ... as she notes, adopting a dog isn't just a hobby or a fad you pick up for a while -- it oughta be seen as a lifelong commitment.

Madonna's former Miami mansion has hit the market for more than $31 million ... and we have the poop and the scoop about the seller.

It's Gunther VI ... a German shepherd with some pretty impressive lineage. Turns out Gunther inherited the property, along with a fortune estimated at $500,000,000!!!

Yeah, it seems absurd, but here's the deal. A German countess named Karlotta Leibenstein created a trust and made Gunther's great grand-paw, Gunther III, the beneficiary. When Karlotta died in '92, Gunther III struck gold.

A succession of pooches have come before Gunther VI and embraced lavish lifestyles with trips to Milan and the Bahamas, etc. In fact, Gunther VI has a thing for the Bahamas, where he dined at various restaurants.

And, there's more ... Gunther has a chef cook him breakfast. He likes caviar and travels by private jet, and not in the cargo hold.

As for his digs, well, Gunther sleeps in Madonna's former bedroom. The house sits on more than an acre, and it's one of the best pieces of real estate on the market. Madonna bought it for $7.5 million 20 years ago, so the current $31.75 million price tag is eyepopping.

The realtor selling the home is clearly impressed with the canine, saying, "He literally sleeps overlooking the most magnificent view in an Italian custom bed in the former bedroom of the greatest pop star in the world."

Hundreds of people honored Tina Tintor and her golden retriever, Max -- who were both killed in the Henry Ruggs car crash on Nov. 2 -- by having a special dog-walking event in Las Vegas this weekend.

The "Pack Walk" happened in the Town Square shopping center in Vegas on Saturday -- just two days after the 23-year-old was laid to rest.

About 200 people -- including Tintor's family -- showed up for the tribute with their canines, dressing the dogs up in white bandanas to symbolize peace.

Tintor's family brought Tina's other dog, a 3-year-old husky named Bella, to the event.

"Las Vegas is a large community of dog lovers and knowing this unfortunate event brought so many feelings," one of the organizers said.

"We need this. We need the family to know the community is here for them as well."

Tintor was also honored with over 2,000 donations to her GoFundMe that was launched a few days after her death. In total, over $103,000 was raised.

As we previously reported, Tina was tragically killed after officials say Ruggs struck her Toyota from behind with his Corvette.

Cops say Ruggs was going 127 MPH at the time of impact, causing Tintor's car to burst into flames and ultimately killing her and her dog.