Pets

The wildfire disaster in Hawaii is breaking hearts across the world, including those in the surfing community ... and, according to Kelly Slater, it's now planning to step up in a big way to help victims -- by sending boats, supplies and cash.

The 51-year-old surfing legend explained the plans to TMZ Sports this week ... after flames have ravaged Maui and the Big Island during August.

"Everyone within our surf community is rallying to get boats in, supplies, donate money," Slater said out at LAX, "but that's all not organized yet."

The reason for the delay, according to Slater, is all the debris blocking the harbor, including boats that have caught fire near the piers ... as well as the lack of power in the affected areas.

"There's still a lot of people not in touch with family because they don't have cell towers and power there and they're blocked off on both sides actually," Slater said, "the north and southern side from Lahaina got blocked."

Slater -- who holds 56 championship tour victories -- says several of his friends have been impacted by the blazes ... with some even running for their lives.

"One friend lost everything he owns but he was able to save his dog and a backpack and that was about it," Slater said.

"I know at least two friends, right now, that lost their houses -- actually three. I just got a text about another one, but that's just the beginning."

Former NFL star Henry Ruggs has been sentenced to 3-to-10 years in prison over the 2021 car crash that resulted in the death of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog.

The ex-Raiders wide receiver learned his fate just minutes ago inside a packed Las Vegas courtroom.

Ruggs, 24, showed up to the Wednesday morning proceedings in a navy suit and tie ... and issued an apology to Tintor's family right at the outset of the hearing.

"To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021 have caused you, your family and those who knew Ms. Tina and Max," he said.

"I let my family, my teammates and those who believed in me down with my actions and hurt so many."

He added that there was "no excuse" for his actions.

A statement from Tintor's family was also read inside the courtroom ... before the judge made her ruling. Ruggs was then immediately remanded into custody.

Ruggs was initially facing more than 50 years behind bars in the case after authorities accused him of drunkenly slamming his Corvette into the back of Tintor's Rav-4 in Vegas ... killing her and her golden retriever.

But, the former football player reached a deal with prosecutors back in May, agreeing to plead guilty to one felony count of DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter in exchange for a prison sentence that would not exceed 3-to-10 years.

Ruggs, who will now be eligible for parole following his third year in prison, was picked by the Raiders in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft ... and had started 19 games in his two seasons with the team. The org. released him following the accident.

Leave the leash, treats, toys and water bowls at home -- these dogs are totally content on riding waves -- and make for some pretty cute pics, too.

The annual World Dog Surfing Championships went down near San Francisco Saturday, and it featured tons of pooches who threw on their life vests and went out to catch some waves ... all in the name of charity and good fun.

The event is pretty self-explanatory -- you place your pup on a surfboard and take 'em out to sea, push them up onto a relatively small wave (whitewater, really) and see how long they can stay on. In the case of some of these doggos, they were able to cruise pretty far!

As far as how this is scored ... it comes down to confidence, style and, of course, how long they can maintain their balance. As it turns out, there were some top dogs to be crowned.

Seven different categories were under consideration -- including Small/Medium/Large/XL solo rides ... as well human-dog and dog-dog tandems. There was also a category for best in show -- and that ended up going to a little guy named Carson, a Terrier of some sort.

Like we said ... this thing benefits great causes -- including raising money for nonprofits pertaining to dog rescues, surfing and environmental efforts. Folks who attended also had the opportunity to adopt shelter and rescue dogs ... a win-win for pets and prospective owners.

A San Diego thief learned the easy way that a dog isn't just man's best friend, but a crook's too ... as seen in this video.

Here's the deal ... SDPD is trying to catch this guy, who they say broke into someone's garage in the Pacific Beach neighborhood a couple weeks ago -- and then made off with one of their pricey bicycles that's valued at over $1,000.

The worst part, it seems, is that the family's pooch didn't do anything to help -- although, he did slow the burglar down. And by that, we mean he rolled over for some belly rubs.

Check it out -- this beach bum was about to walk away with the bike, but suddenly ... Fido comes running out to confront the man, seemingly determined to stop him. Just kidding -- he was mostly out to greet the stranger and to lick his face a bit ... and did exactly that.

The thief was quickly won over by the canine, who was only out for attention and scratches. Fortunately for the dog, this fella was willing to pause his caper for a little play time ... and while what he ultimately did was very wrong, it's pretty freakin' hilarious to see this.

Kesha's got some good vibrations coming her way after her mom's pet pooch chewed her favorite sex toy to pieces.

ICYMI, the singer was "livid" Tuesday when she said she "Woke up this morning and saw my mom's dog chewed my $250 vibrator to pieces."

We-Vibe is swooping in to save the day, though ... because a spokesperson for the sex toy company tells TMZ they're well aware of Kesha's tragic situation and have already reached out to her to hook her up with a brand new gadget -- and more!!!

We're told Kesha's going to be getting a sweet gift box full of goodies -- and we've obtained a pic of the products being shown off by none other than We-Vibe's human-sized Clitoris ... though it's not clear if the costumed character will drop off the toys herself.

Emily Ratajkowski has been rockin' the new red hair for just over a week now, but there seems to be some other changes in these two recent shots of the stunning star. Take a walk outside, and see if you can put your hand on the minor switch-ups ... hold onto the railing 😜 !

The actress took her cool style (and pups) for a stroll in NYC earlier this week, but not without bringing all her accessories! With the lift of a leg, can you mark your territory on the minor modifications?

Bonnie Chapman, the biological daughter of Dog the Bounty Hunter and the late Beth Chapman, is wearing her emotions on her sleeve when it comes to the pets she lost in a deadly house fire.

Bonnie got an arm tattoo to memorialize the dogs and cats that were killed when her home burst into flames.

Dog and Beth's daughter tells us she got the ink last weekend at a local tattoo parlor in Waynesboro, VA  ... shelling out a couple hundred bucks to pay tribute to her dog and three cats.

Bonnie says someone who heard about the house fire sent her some drawings of her late pets ... and she took the images to the tattoo parlor and got them inked into her skin.

TMZ broke the story ... Bonnie lost her Virginia home in a fire back in April, with the pets dying from smoke inhalation.

Bonnie says she and her boyfriend moved into a new place nearby, where they hung a framed photo on the wall of their late pets ... dog Sophie and cats Azriel, Plum and Merlyn.

The tattoo isn't the only way Bonnie is reminded of her cats ... she says she her new kitten, Valeria, looks like a mix between Azriel and Plum.

President Biden's dog Commander doesn't have to be a recidivist biter ... a former Secret Service agent -- who's trained other White House pups -- says the pup can be trained to stop sinking his teeth into people.

Marshall Mirarchi was in the Secret Service's K-9 division during the Obama administration -- when Biden was VP -- and he joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to explain why Commander's bitten 7 people over a 4-month span, and to tell us what the hell can be done about it.

Marshall says Commander absolutely can have the urge to bite trained out of him ... offering up his own dog, Hurricane, as a living, breathing example of a dog that can go from harmless to menace on command.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre brushed off Commander's biting problem Tuesday as a casualty of the stressful conditions at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

That's not just spin, according to Marshall -- he confirmed there are plenty of stressors for a White House dog, but he also believes the Secret Service can get the German shepherd to stop attacking folks.

Of course, Marshall says it's going to take a lot of training and patience to see a change in Commander ... but he's confident it can be done, and that the Secret Service has the right agents for the job.

For what it's worth, Marshall trained dogs for Barack Obama and G.W. Bush, and there were no known biting incidents with them. He says that's partly due to differences in breeds, but the guy clearly knows his stuff.

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.