Pets

President Biden's White House Press Secretary explains Commander the recidivist dog biter this way ... hey, The White House is a super stressful place!

Press Sect'y. Karine Jean-Pierre fielded questions during Tuesday's briefing, and of course ... she was asked about Commander, Joe's German Shepherd -- who has been allowed to call 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. home, despite biting 7 people in a 4-month period.

That 4-month period ended in January, and when Jean-Pierre was asked if the dog has sunk its chompers into anyone else since then, she punted, referring the reporter to the Secret Service.

When asked if there were any plans on relocating the canine, Jean-Pierre didn't say. She did, however, promise there'd be more leashing/training.

A WH rep also said the Secret Service and executive residence staff would work to carve out designated areas and times for Commander to run around and play -- so, for now, it would appear there's no sign of him getting shipped off to Delaware, like Major.

As far as the Secret Service agents who were bitten ... the WH says their injuries were dealt with according to workplace injury protocols, and noted the Prez and First Lady appreciated the Secret Service's understanding through all of this.

President Biden's pooch Commander is not some sweet, loving pet, but rather a complete menace to society.

Commander -- a two-year-old German shepherd -- went on a four-month rampage, biting SEVEN people, including at least two Secret Service agents, according to an internal Secret Service memo obtained by the New York Post.

The document states ... Commander allegedly sank his teeth into one agent's arm and thigh, sending the uniformed officer to the hospital for treatment.

On a second occasion, Commander was accused of getting toothy with another Secret Service member, biting their arm and hand during movie night at the White House.

A third attack occurred at Biden's Wilmington, Delaware home, where Commander gnawed on a security technician. And, of course, Commander allegedly carried out four other nibbling assaults.

The revelations come after Biden's other canine, Major, got booted from the White House for his hostile behavior, even losing his title as first dog. Major was turned over to the care of a Biden family friend after chewing on a Secret Service agent in 2021.

"Vanderpump Rules" star James Kennedy has chosen a new name for his pup ... the same one he scooped up from a shelter after living with his ex, Rachel Leviss.

James shared a cute snap Sunday of the dog formerly known as Graham Cracker -- now called Hippie, according to the DJ. He says it carries some sentimental weight, being "a tribute to my late godfather, George Michael's dog's name."

He says the legendary singer's pooch was "the only dog I saw around the house growing up" ... and he thinks both George and Hippie are watching over him today and would be pretty proud of him.

As we reported, James posted some pics with his dog and his GF Ally Lewber last week, during the "VPR" Lake Tahoe trip.

Sources told us it was recently dropped off at a shelter after having a biting problem, and Rachel's mom, Laura, claimed she was bit down to the bone while caring for Hippie while her daughter was at her mental health facility, according to ET.

After some rehabilitation, Vanderpump Dog Foundation learned where the pup was and set up the reunion with James.

G Herbo just cut a plea deal in his federal fraud case ... and could end up spending a good chunk of time behind bars.

According to his plea agreement, Herbo will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making false statements. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining counts.

He faces up to 20 years on the wire fraud count and up to 5 years for the false statements.

As we told you at the time of the arrest, Herbo, music promoter Antonio Strong and several others were accused of running an identity fraud ring to obtain stolen payment card information in order to buy private jet flights, exotic car rentals, a luxury villa during a Jamaican vacation and high-priced "designer puppies."

Feds claim they intercepted several messages showing the men participating in the scheme.

Under the plea deal, Herbo will also have to pay around $140k in restitution to Planemasters, Epic Jet, Woof Woof Puppies and other companies.

TMZ Hip Hop just broke the story of Herbo being arrested in Chicago for gun possession, and he also had a hearing for that case.

Rachel Leviss is making some more big changes in her life ... she changed her name, and now, she's no longer a dog mom.

James Kennedy posted some photos with Graham, the dog he once shared with Leviss when they were dating, claiming the pup is back with him for good. Sources with direct knowledge tell us James found out through a mutual friend Raquel was trying to find a new home for Graham ... she didn't connect with him directly.

Clearly, the "Vanderpump Rules" star is thrilled to have his pooch back, kissing him in photos with the caption ... "Look who made his way back home, back into my life, I'll take care of you forever and I love you. ❤️"

It appears the images are from the 'VPR' trip to Lake Tahoe ... where some of the cast members are currently hanging out. James is with his girlfriend Ally Lewber in one of the pics, kissing the dog while on a boat.

Remember ... Leviss and James originally got Graham back when they were dating, but she took the pooch with her when they ultimately split.

Now, James has the dog ... and the timeline suggests Graham Cracker made his way back to James when Rachel went to the mental health facility she ended up calling home for 2 months.

In any event, it looks like Graham Cracker has a loving home.

Lady Gaga just won a legal case over her huge dog reward offer that a woman was trying to claim -- 'cause a judge just told her ... ya can't have your stolen cake and eat it too.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge tossed Jennifer McBride's lawsuit against the singer ... in which she was attempting to get a court to force Gaga to fork over a $500k reward that she promised to anyone who helped recover her stolen pets in 2021.

The judge said one major problem with McBride's lawsuit -- she was actually convicted in connection to that crime ... namely, pleading no contest to knowingly receiving stolen property.

Hizzoner makes it clear in the ruling -- saying allowing McBride to pursue the claims "would allow her to benefit from her admitted wrongdoing."  Lady Gaga has called it ridiculous ... now, a court agrees. AKA, uh ... duh!  The judge did say McBride would have 20 days to try to amend the complaint, but it's not clear how she could find a way around the ruling.

You'll recall ... Gaga's 2 Frenchies were jacked in plain sight out in Hollywood -- being taken at gunpoint, no less, and with some injury sustained by LG's dog walker, Ryan Fischer. He was shot at the time and hospitalized, but eventually (and thankfully) made a full recovery.

The miracle children who survived a fatal plane crash and 40 days in an unforgiving Colombian jungle have been rescued, but the rescue dog that first located them is MIA.

Wilson the rescue dog actually found the kids days before rescuers got to the kids, ages 13, 9, 4 and 11 months. Wilson stayed by the children's side for several days, but when rescuers located the children, Wilson was gone.

The 13-year-old, Lesly, drew a picture from her hospital bed of her experience in the jungle, and Wilson was right there, front and center. The dog gave the kids comfort and hope.

No one knows where Wilson went. It's possible he left to find rescuers to lead them to the children, but it's simply a mystery. The kids were rescued June 9, and the dog hasn't been seen since. Nevertheless, there's a rescue team out there, trying to find the canine hero.

7:16 AM PT -- 6/20 -- KT Smith took to Instagram and shared that the dog, Legend, was dropped off to a new family that lives on a farm, where he will live out the rest of his life.

She wrote, "I couldn't have asked for a better family for him to be loved on by. and they're east Tennesseans so we can visit any time we need to. Thank you guys again, for helping but for also crying with me and lifting me up."

Morgan Wallen's son Indigo took a dog bite to the face ... and now the boy's mother is looking to rehome the pooch.

The country music star's baby mama, KT Smith, says her Great Pyrenees bit the two-year-old child she shares with Morgan, and the kid needed stitches.

Morgan's ex says the dog, Legend, is a rescue ... and she doesn't want to put the dog down, as some are suggesting.

KT, who lives in the Nashville area, says she is instead looking to rehome Legend with a family that has a lot of land and no small children.

The dog-biting incident happened Sunday and KT says her pup had never shown aggression before. Still, she says she just can't keep the dog in the house knowing her and Morgan's son may be traumatized.

As for Morgan's kid, Indigo's mom says he will be OK ... though he may come out of this with a scar.

Celebrity stylist Jonathan Wright recently took to IG to mourn the death of his pet monkey Deor ... an animal PETA says he had no business owning in the first place.

As a result, PETA has sent a letter to Dallas authorities requesting an investigation into Deor's death. The org also wants Wright banned from buying another exotic animal.

PETA thinks Wright might have violated a city ordinance that prevents the ownership of prohibited animals, like the 2 macaque monkeys Wright owned ... in addition to a Texas Penal Code designed to enforce the proper care of domesticated animals in one's custody.

Deor is the second monkey since 2021 to pass away in Wright's care -- the other was named Freeenn.

It's unclear why either animal died, but PETA Foundation primatologist Debbie Metzler tells TMZ that monkeys that are snatched at too young an age from their mothers are at high risk for zoonotic diseases.

Metzler says Herpes B, which is deadly to humans, is commonplace in macaque monkeys. Medical risks aside, she says humans are generally ill equipped to give monkeys the highly social environment they need to thrive.

Pete Davidson is going to war with PETA over the new dog he bought, and he fired the latest shot via a profanity-laced voice mail for the animal rights group -- a move he doesn't regret, but says came from a place of grief.

PETA says the actor left the heated message Monday for the org's Senior VP of Cruelty Investigations, Daphna Nachminovitch. He got her name because she'd issued a statement to TMZ, expressing PETA's collective disappointment in Pete buying a puppy at an NYC pet store instead of adopting from a shelter.

On the voice mail, Pete announces himself and says he's responding to Daphna's statement, which he calls uneducated and premature. He notes he's allergic to dogs -- as his rep told us -- and that's why he had to get a cavapoo, a nearly hypoallergenic breed because they don't shed.

He also says the dog is for his mother, whose previous pup just died.

Then comes an expletive-laced diatribe that might rival Christian Bale (not really, though) ... in which he angrily tells Daphna to do her research before talking to media, drops an F-bomb and makes a vulgar suggestion involving his penis.

PETA isn't backing down, though, telling TMZ, "If Pete had done his research, he would know that there’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, that at least a quarter of dogs in shelters are purebreds, and that Petfinder has listings for homeless dogs of every breed under the sun, including the one he purchased."

We contacted Pete about his furious voice mail, and he admits he was unaware he could "adopt a specific hypoallergenic dog." He says he was told "it wasn't an option, and if it was, it was rare."

As for his anger, he addressed that by emphasizing his family was really going through it after his mother's dog died -- "I haven't seen my mom and sister cry like that in over 20 years. I was trying to cheer up my family. I was already upset that the store had filmed me without my permission or acknowledgement. Then this organization (PETA) made a public example of us, making our grieving situation worse. I am upset. It was a poor choice of words. I shouldn't have said what I said, but I am not sorry for standing up for myself and my family."

Prior to Pete offering that explanation, PETA told us ... "Our hearts go out to the Davidson family for the loss of their dog, but Pete must know in his heart that there's no excuse for buying a dog and propping up the puppy mill industry when millions of dogs await loving homes in shelters, and we hope he'll do the right thing and adopt next time."

It's clear neither side is blinking in the shop vs. adopt a dog debate.

2 Chainz is mourning the sudden loss of his beloved French bulldog, TrappyGoHard, his adorable sidekick for nearly a decade.

2 Chainz posted the sad news on Monday and said the loss is hitting him like a ton of bricks.

The Atlanta rap star praised Trappy for his laid-back demeanor, and fondly recalled how he was able to make the pooch a permanent part of his entourage for worldwide treks.

2 Chainz got Trappy from a top breeder back in 2015, and they instantly became a recognizable duo.

The "T.R.U." rapper says he's confident their union inspired fans to acquire French bulldogs of their own, and openly admitted his love for Trappy runs greater than his care for some humans out there!!!

Trappy was a regular on 2 Chainz's "Most Expensive S**t" series and also made frequent cameos in interviews and social media.

Losing a pet can be just like losing a family member in most cases ... and 2 Chainz's dog was a bona fide star.

Pete Davidson getting his new dog from a pet store and not from an animal shelter comes as a disappointment to the folks over at PETA.

Daphna Nachminovitch, the Senior VP of Cruelty Investigations over at PETA, tells TMZ ... "It's tragic that Pete didn’t seek out a borough-born mutt from a city animal shelter, because a scrappy New Yorker with charm, personality, and unconventional handsomeness could have been his perfect match."

As we reported ... Pete and his actress girlfriend Chase Sui Wonders picked up a cavapoo puppy last month from Citipups in Manhattan, and the dog is from a breeder.

PETA is urging Pete to consider adopting the next time he needs a four-legged friend, with Daphna telling us ... "Since shelters in New York and across the country are overflowing with homeless animals, PETA urges Pete to show some big heart energy by adopting, not shopping, in the future."

Remember ... Pete picked out the pup after seeing a photo of him on Citipups' website.

Of course, the whole reason Pete was looking for a puppy in the first place was because his dog Henry recently died at just 2 years old.

We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Instagram model Liziane Gutierrez and her 10-lb pooch fell victim to some nasty crooks who not only broke into her home but decided they also needed to mace the pup in the process.

Check out the video, obtained by TMZ, showing 3 men break into Liziane's Vegas home Thursday night through a back door. You see her maltese, Duchess, approach the intruders in a friendly manner only to be blasted with pepper spray.

From there, the men rush upstairs and into Liziane's bedroom, ransacking her closet and making away with Gucci bags, a Rolex, a gold chain and designer sneakers.

Thankfully, Liziane was at the gym at the time of the incident ... but she tells us the men made away with over $50K in luxury goods. She called the cops as soon as she got home.

As for Duchess, she was taken to the vet -- given a bunch of baths and some medication for her lungs and eyes -- we're told she's still having a tough time recovering and isn't yet back to 100% ... though things are looking good.

Paris Hilton is sharing some sad news ... her Chihuahua, Harajuku Bitch, has died.

The reality star/entrepreneur revealed the loss Monday morning, saying ... "Today, my heart breaks as I say goodbye to my precious chihuahua, Harajuku Bitch.💔🐶"

Harajuku got a pretty complete eulogy, as Paris added, "For an incredible 23 years, she filled my life with so much love, loyalty, and unforgettable moments.🥰 She lived a long, beautiful and iconic life, surrounded by love until her final peaceful slumber."

Paris says HB was "more than just a pet; she was family to me, a loyal friend who was always by my side through every twist and turn life brought my way."

She ended her post by thanking HB for blessing her life with unconditional love -- "You will forever be my little angel, forever missed, and forever loved. 😇 You may be physically gone, but the imprint of your pawprints on my life will never fade.🐾"

It's been a tough year for Paris as a dog mama.

You'll recall, her dog Diamond Baby went missing last year ... and still has not been found, despite PH offering a "big reward" for her return.

Ariana Madix is not keeping quiet about how ugly the cheating scandal with her ex-Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss went down -- revealing the cheaters first had sex in the car, while she was mourning the death of her dog.

In a preview clip of the season 10 finale of "Vanderpump Rules," Ariana opens up about how she found out about the whole 'Scandoval' for the very first time ... and how the call went when she first confronted Raquel.

If you already thought things were bad, the story gets worse.

Ariana says, she first found a screen recording of them on FaceTime, and, "That's when I called Raquel and I started, like, making her, like, f***ing tell me, 'What the f***? When did this start?'"

To her surprise, Raquel explained it had all started after a girls' trip to Vegas last August -- a trip Ariana left early because her dog Charlotte died.

To make matters worse, Ariana says Raquel still didn't tell the whole truth -- only confessing to kissing -- but later Tom Schwartz revealed Sandoval and Raquel banged in the car.

She adds, "And he didn't have a key to get in so he had to ring the doorbell and I had to let him in" ... yikes!

As you know, it's been a whole lot of drama involving the entire cast after TMZ broke the news Ariana had discovered the cheating was going on ... blowing up her 10-year relationship with Sandoval.

Sydney Sweeney and Jonathan Davino seem to still be going strong despite breakup rumors ... as evidenced by her fiancé's latest outing with Sydney's close childhood companion.

Jonathan spent some QT Tuesday with the actress' dog Tank, taking the pup out for a walk. We gotta say, if Jonathan's worried about Sydney romancing her costar Glen Powell ... he wasn't showing it in his shades and athletic wear. Cool as a cucumber, this guy.

FYI, Tank has been in Sydney's life for years ... she adopted her 4-legged friend when she was a teenager. So, the pooch is definitely hers, and not JD's -- another sign the couple's still together.

It's further confirmation of what we first reported ... Sydney and Jonathan's engagement is still intact.

As you know, Sydney and Jonathan got engaged last year, but recently rumors started to swirl they might have called it quits -- a theory fueled by Sydney and Glen seemingly getting very cozy while filming a rom-com down in Australia.

And even after filming ended ... a vid of Glen and Sydney goofing off together recently went viral.

On top of that, the costars were at CinemaCon this week to promote their new flick, and were looking super into each other. Plus, Glen's GF Gigi Paris unfollowed Sydney on social media.

Our sources are shutting down the idea SS and GP are really an item ... making it clear all the flirting was just to pump up their movie.