Pets

Spencer -- the dog who became a star for cheering on runners during the Boston Marathon each year -- has sadly passed away after battling cancer. He was 13.

Spencer's owner, Rich Power, made the announcement on Tuesday ... saying the golden retriever died at their home last Friday under the care of their veterinarian.

"We are devastated to share the news of Spencer's passing,' Powers said on social media.

"Spencer has overcome some severe medical challenges over the past several years. We thought we would be lucky to have him for an extra month."

Powers -- who was gifted the pup in 2009 -- explained he was diagnosed in September 2022, and unfortunately, the cancer was inoperable.

"Spencer was not ready to give up and with the love and positive energy sent to him by hundreds of thousands of fans, He beat the odds and gave us 28 months."

Spencer went viral back in 2018 after he was seen holding a "Boston Strong" flag during a rain storm at the race -- his usual spot at the event for nine years -- and the runners always showed him love.

In fact, the Boston Athletic Association named Spencer the official dog of the marathon last year and honored him with a portrait and medal at a ceremony in Boston.

"Spencer, your spirit and determination inspired us all," the B.A.A. said after his death.

"We'll miss you, and are proud to call you a friend and forever the Official Dog of the Boston Marathon."

Spencer's owners are asking fans to donate to his memorial fundraiser ... which helps the Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study.

The study focuses on canine health studies in the U.S. to "identify the nutritional, environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk factors for cancer and other diseases in dogs."

An elderly woman is dead after an alligator attacked while she was walking her dog -- and her efforts to save her pooch ended up costing her her life.

The tragedy happened Monday at a retirement community in Fort Pierce, FL where the beast lunged at 85-year-old Gloria Serge. The gator reportedly went after the dog first, but Gloria wasn't giving up her pet without a fight.

Unfortunately, Serge got knocked over in the struggle, and the alligator yanked her by the foot into a nearby pond ... where she drowned. Not too long after that, the authorities were called in to wrangle and kill the gator.

Photos released by the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Dept. show the dramatic scene ... officers straddling the reptile and tying it up as they prepared to haul it off in the back of a truck.

This one was estimated to be 10 feet in length, and was ultimately euthanized ... while the dog survived the ordeal.

As we know, gators are a dime a dozen in the sunshine state, and are incredibly dangerous. A toddler was killed under similar circumstances at Disney World in 2016.

Seven-time Super Bowl champ, three-time MVP, 15-time Pro Bowler ... and now, cat daddy?!

Tom Brady has just officially added that last title to his resume this week ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned he's adopted two Siamese mix kittens!!

We're told the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star got the kitties after he and his daughter, Vivian, fell in love with animals while volunteering at the Humane Society Of Tampa Bay this past season.

According to a spokesperson from the Humane Society, Brady and his daughter had been on the lookout for some new cats for the past few weeks ... and the perfect pair ultimately arrived right in time for Valentine's Day this week.

"Vivi wins again," Brady wrote in a video of the two cats playing around his house on Wednesday morning.

"This is what my mornings are like now," he added.

The future Hall of Famer also promised the Humane Society that the newest additions to the Brady household "are in good loving hands."

No word on the names of the cats yet ... but we're told the duo is just 10 weeks old -- and very adorable.

As we reported, Brady and his kids worked at the Tampa animal shelter all throughout his final NFL season -- alongside his former teammate Logan Ryan and his family.

Ryan's wife, Ashley, praised the ex-QB for the work earlier this month, writing, "It wasn’t about publicity, fundraising or recognition, it was about being a human being. It was about Tom taking the very thing his little girl loves the most and turning it into an opportunity to spend time together."

It's Gisele Bundchen's first Valentine's Day without Tom Brady in over a decade -- but she's still showing love for the romantic holiday nonetheless ... shouting out her doggos in a sappy IG post.

The supermodel -- who used to write about her love for TB12 every Feb. 14 -- switched up her message in the wake of her recent divorce from the NFL legend ... this year, choosing to pen a note to her pups.

"Pure love!!" said Gisele, who officially filed to split from Tom in October. "I am convinced they are little angels on Earth. Happy Valentine's Day to all! ❤️❤️❤️"

She added three photos to the post as well -- showing her getting some lovey kisses from the pets.

Of course, on this day just 12 months ago -- before trouble in paradise with the couple brewed -- Gisele and Tom swapped mushy messages about each other on their social media pages.

Bunchden even revealed she was planting trees in his honor to show him love.

The couple had dated since 2006 -- and were married for 13 years.

There's a super big game coming up, and we're not talking about the Super Bowl ... dozens of puppies will face off in the 19th annual Puppy Bowl and it's all for a great cause!!!

Dan Schachner -- the 12-year Puppy Bowl "Ruff-eree" -- joined "TMZ Live" Thursday, and while we love Dan, we're mostly thrilled that we got a visit from some furry and adorable reps for the upcoming game. Yeah, we're suckers for puppies, but these came on a mission.

Dan tells us, the event is all about raising awareness for rescuing dogs ... because shelter animals will be competing Sunday for the Lombarky Trophy. This year, more than 122 four-legged friends will play for either Team Ruff or Team Fluff ... and they hail from 67 different rescues and shelters across the country.

If you're interested in giving one a home, all the pups are adoptable & from Paw Works.

Look for stars like Tailen Hurts, Jimmy Kibble, and Josh Allenhound -- repping for Buffalo, of course -- come game day. Heck, they even got Tom Barky to come outta retirement!!!

Dan says there's a ton of pets who need homes, and that number only increased when folks returned to work after the pandemic.

This year's bowl is super special ... 11 pups with special needs will be featured. And it's the first time ever a dog from Dominica, West Indies will compete as well as a doggy from a Native American animal org.

If you're more of a cat person, there's even a kitty halftime show featuring cats from 3 different shelters.

The Navy veteran who claims Rep. George Santos cheated him out of cash intended for his dying dog's cancer treatment, says he'll get justice if the lyin' congressman is hit with criminal charges.

Richard Osthoff tells TMZ ... he views the alleged scam as both wire fraud and charity fraud -- calling Santos a swindler because he used an alias to get away with the whole thing.

The vet was joined by NJ Veterans Network President Michael Boll when he told us he'd already tried to bring charges against Santos -- but because he was going by Anthony Devolder back then, it led to a dead end.

Osthoff didn't fully disclose what action he's taking to now against Santos, but he tells us government agencies are looking into the case.

As we reported, his late pooch, Sapphire, was a beacon of light for him after getting out of the service and becoming homeless. He realized she needed life-saving surgery when a tumor on her stomach grew larger every day.

He claims Santos, or Devolder, told him he ran an animal rescue, and created a GoFundMe campaign that raised enough to cover Sapphire's surgery -- only to have Santos send him to a different vet, who said the tumor was inoperable.

Osthoff had no choice but to watch his pup die ... while Santos allegedly made off with the thousands raised Sapphire.

BTW -- Santos decided to put a POW-MIA flag in front of his office amid his latest scandal ... and Osthoff sees it as a huge disgrace to him and other vets.

A man was tragically shot and killed in a bizarre hunting accident -- one where his dog reportedly pulled the trigger while they were driving.

The 32-year-old Wichita, Kansas native was killed Saturday according to the Sumner County Sheriff's office ... which told local outlet KWCH the hunter's dog stepped on the rifle while it was in the back seat, causing it to discharge in the owner's direction.

The office says cops responded to the area -- north of Geuda Springs -- and found the man in the front seat ... they started CPR immediately according to reports, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. It's unclear if the animal was harmed at all in the process.

The Yankees gave Aaron Judge 360 million reasons to return to New York, but it wasn't just about the money ... #99's adorable puppy is best friends with teammate and friend Anthony Rizzo's little pup, and the MVP couldn't split them up!

Judge -- who signed a 9-year, $360 million deal with the Yanks this offseason -- joined Jimmy Fallon on 'The Tonight Show' where he revealed Rizzo's dog Kevin was one of the reasons he ultimately came back.

Judge, whose pending free agency hung over the team as he met with different organizations who pitched him on leaving NYC -- told Fallon that Rizzo texted and called him daily, letting the slugger know he needs to resign!

But, that wasn't all Rizzo did ... the 4x-time Gold Glove first baseman pulled on Judge's heartstrings, constantly reminding him of the bond that his dog shares with Aaron's dog, Penny -- and it worked!!

AJ said Penny and Kevin are best friends, adding that Rizzo leaned into their relationship to convince him to return to the Yankees.

Following his MVP season, Judge was the hottest free agent in baseball, and former Yankees like Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher publicly said the team should do whatever it takes to bring him back.

Rizzo understood the assignment.

Rep. George Santos is now firmly in the doghouse ... the embattled U.S. Congressman allegedly scammed a disabled homeless military veteran out of thousands in donations intended to keep his dying service pooch alive.

The freshman legislator from NY -- who's already copped to lying about his education and work experience -- crossed paths with Navy veteran Richard Osthoff in May 2016 and identified himself by one of his aliases, Anthony Devolder ... according to local news site, Patch.

Osthoff told Patch he and his beloved service dog, Sapphire, were living out of a tent on the side of a highway in Howell, NJ. That would be trying enough, but Sapphire also had a stomach tumor that was getting larger day by day.

Osthoff needed to come up with $3,000 for his dog's surgery, so a veterinary tech put him in touch with Santos through a charity named "Friends of Pets United" ... which was operated by "Anthony Devolder," Santos' alias. Ya, see where this is going, right?

Santos/Devolder allegedly started a GoFundMe to harness funds for Sapphire's surgery, and Osthoff says one month later, Santos posted on Facebook, "We made the goal, and then some."

This is where it gets really shady -- according to Osthoff, he and Santos discussed taking Sapphire to a different vet after a bleak prognosis from Santos' animal doctor.

Osthoff texted Santos, "My dog is going to die because of god knows what" -- and Santos allegedly replied, "Sapphire is not a candidate for this surgery the funds are moved to the next animal in need and we will make sure we use of resources [sic] to keep her comfortable!"

Osthoff says Sapphire never got the surgery, died in January 2017 ... and they never saw a dime of the donation money. Osthoff was so distraught, he contemplated suicide, pointing out he "loved that dog so much, I inhaled her last breaths when I had her euthanized.”

Now, Santos is denying the whole ordeal ... saying he has no clue who Osthoff is or what he's talking about. He told the Semafor news site, "Fake. No clue who this is."

As we've reported, Santos' track record already sucks ... he was accused of fabricating much of his resume to help him win the congressional seat repping parts of Long Island and Queens.

There are growing calls, even from Republicans, for him to resign after he admitted lying about earning degrees from Baruch College and New York University, and making misleading claims about working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

The so-called "Puppy Bus" is already a viral sensation, and we got its founders to break down all the tricks and treats behind their suddenly booming dog walking/training service.

Mo and Lee Thompson joined "TMZ Live" to talk all about their biz, "Mo Mountain Mutts" ... after their dog bus unexpectedly became a social media phenomenon.

The husband/wife duo told us the bus is just one part of a day filled with dog training and dog walking around Skagway, Alaska -- and after those incredibly calm bus rides, the pups get out for an adventure, full of exercise and socializing.

They say the outings are planned to be physically and mentally engaging for their 4-legged clients ... like challenging hikes or a beach run.

The Thompsons admit their popular bus videos are the product of carefully choosing which pups have enough obedience training to go to their assigned seats without causing a ruckus. They added that the dogs' personalities, ages and manners are also factors.

As for how it all started ... Mo says at first she was just walking friends' dogs during work breaks, and then she started doing biking and hiking trips with 'em.

A family's dog tragically lost its life while out in the woods with its owner ... because we're told a hunter accidentally mistook it for a coyote and shot it.

Jennifer Heller, owner of 8-year-old malamute Hunter, shared the loss of her pup on Facebook ... saying her husband Chris put reflective collars and harnesses on their dogs and took them to a "very commonly used walking path by our house" in Berks County, PA.

While there, she says Chris unleashed Hunter but kept him close -- eventually coming across a group of hunters. After finding out there was an extension on hunting season, she says Chris went to go leash up their dog ... but claims it was shot before he could get to him.

Jennifer says her husband yelled for help and they loaded Hunter in a truck and drove like crazy to get him to a vet, but he died before they could even get to a highway. She's now asking authorities to revoke the shooter's hunting privileges.

Northern Berks Regional Police Chief James Keiser tells TMZ ... the dog wasn't under the control of the owner and was shot by hunters who thought it was a coyote -- adding it should've been on a leash. He says there were no arrests and no charges were filed.

A rep for the Game Commission tells us the hunters were in full compliance with PA hunting laws -- saying it seems the dog was simply shot by mistake.

Cheryl Burke is dancing off with a W in the fallout from her divorce with Matthew Lawrence -- instead of going to court over custody of their dog ... he's waived the white flag.

New court docs, obtained by TMZ, show the 'DWTS' star and her now-ex-husband have struck a deal regarding the battle over who'll be the primary caretaker of their French bulldog, Ysabella ... something they'd been fighting about throughout the proceedings.

As of now ... it looks like Cheryl is going to play dog mom to the pooch, as she was awarded all ownership rights -- with ML agreeing to give up all docs/data pertaining to Ysabella, including the title of "pet parent" for their once-shared Home Again service.

There was a trial that was scheduled to take place soon if they didn't squash this, and it looks like they did that just in the nick of time -- with all discovery now being withdrawn.

While Matthew and Cheryl finalized their divorce in September, this was one of the final points of contention ... which Cheryl had even addressed publicly, calling Matt's insistence on fighting her over it "cruel." As she said in interviews, she always saw it as *her* dog.

Cheryl says she got Ysabella from an ex, and felt entitled to it. In the end, it seems he saw it that way too. Of course, he's on to new horizons ... now in a relationship with Chilli.

WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss is overjoyed that Logan Paul's former pig, Pearl, has found a new home ... telling TMZ Sports all that matters now is that the animal is getting proper care.

As we previously reported, Logan took Pearl to a horse ranch in California before he moved to Puerto Rico a few years ago ... but sadly, after being rehomed again, the pig was found abandoned and in grave condition.

While many were quick to blame Logan for Pearl's state, the YouTuber made it clear he had no idea his beloved pet ever left the ranch ... nor did he know she was in terrible shape until the Gentle Barn animal sanctuary posted about her on TikTok.

The former women's champ -- who had a pet pig of her own for years -- spoke with us at LAX about the whole situation ... and she's not focused on who's at fault, but rather the fact Pearl is on the mend.

"Unfortunate as it is, I'm happy his pig was rescued and is in a better situation," Bliss says.

"As long as the animal is taken care of, that's all that matters."

Bliss goes on to give a bit of advice to anyone looking to get an oinker as a pet -- "mini" pigs don't exist ... and she'd know, considering her pet, Larry-Steve, a Vietnamese pot-bellied breed, weighed about 150-200 pounds!!

BTW -- Alexa's pig was a social media star, racking up nearly 90,000 followers on Instagram. Unfortunately, Larry-Steve died in 2021 after battling a severe illness.

Logan Paul says he did nothing wrong with his former pet pig, who is now being cared for by an animal sanctuary ... Logan says he gave the pig a good home before it was rescued.

The YouTube star joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and talked about his former pet pig, Pearl, who is now being looked after by the Gentle Barn rescue.

Logan says he owned Pearl for a couple years and gave her a good life at his home in Encino, CA ... saying he would even cuddle and sleep with the animal and made sure she had "the best life."

But, when Logan moved to Puerto Rico during the pandemic, he says he sent Pearl to live at a horse ranch in Santa Clarita, CA because he wasn't permitted to bring her with him. Logan says Pearl received amazing care at the ranch.

Logan says Pearl lived at the horse ranch for 10 months but had to be rehomed again when the ranch owner moved out of state -- he says he was unaware of the rehoming.

Gentle Barn posted a TikTok Monday about Pearl's rescue, claiming she was "irresponsibly rehomed" and was found alone in a field next to a dead pig.

Logan says he only found out about Pearl's situation when the video came out, and he says he checked his records and is certain he didn't rehome the pig irresponsibly.

Logan's also claiming innocence on the second pig that was allegedly found dead next to Pearl ... he says the farmer denies knowing about a second pig and says Pearl was transferred to the farm alone.

TMZ broke the story ... Logan reached out to Gentle Barn after the video surfaced, explaining Pearl's history with him and pledging to help with her care.

Logan says the Pearl saga was unpredictable and unforeseen ... and if he could, he would go back in time and tell himself not to buy a baby pig.

Logan Paul's former pig is now being cared for by the famous, Gentle Barn ... and he's thanking the rescue org. for saving the animal.

Here's the deal ... the famous animal sanctuary in Santa Clarita, CA posted a TikTok Monday about rescuing a pig with tattered ears and a potentially-life threatening infection who was found alone in a field next to a dead pig ... and it turns out the pig has a connection to Logan.

The pig, Pearl, was owned by Logan a few years ago ... and says he thought it was a "mini pig" when he bought her. The pig is now huge.

Anyway ... Logan sent an email, obtained by TMZ, to Gentle Barn ... thanking them for caring for Pearl and explaining how the pig's been rehomed a few times.

Logan says Pearl lived at his home in Encino until April 2020 when he moved to Puerto Rico. He says Pearl was rehomed to a horse ranch in Santa Clarita, where he thinks she lived for 10 months until being rehomed to the farm across the street "with the purpose of care."

But, when Gentle Barn found the pig, they say she had clearly been through more trauma than they could imagine.

A source close to Logan tells TMZ ... he was very upset to learn of Pearl's condition and is truly grateful to Gentle Barn.

Prince Harry looked intense as he walked his dog along a rain-soaked path near his Montecito estate ... as he was making headlines for unloading on his family in his new book.

Harry was bundled up as he and Pula, his black Labrador, traversed an area around a public beach, then put rover in his Range Rover for the ride home.

Although he looked serious, he was clearly not surprised by the news over his book. All of the scandals he revealed were carefully orchestrated for the rollout of "Spare." He's done interviews with 'GMA' and "60 Minutes," and both shows are promoting their "big get" like crazy.

As you know by now, Harry is in full military mode, accusing members of his family of violence, racism, betrayal and a host of other misdeeds.