Pets

A shirtless man in L.A. led cops on what has to be one of the slowest and most bizarre chases ever -- going way under the speed limit in a golf cart ... with a dog in his lap!

The slow-speed pursuit went down Sunday night -- the driver, reaching top speeds of 19 MPH, had allegedly stolen the vehicle from a nearby shopping center, which is when the "chase" began in earnest.

With as many as 4 LAPD cruisers in tow ... the driver was topless and barefoot with a pup chilling in his lap.

After multiple failed spike strip attempts by officers, he drove the cart into a parking lot and hopped out with the dog in his arm ... running around a semi-truck that was unloading.

Un hombre sin camiseta en Los Ángeles llevó a la policía a lo que tiene que ser una de las persecuciones más lentas y más extrañas del último tiempo. va muy por debajo del límite de velocidad en un carrito de golf ¡y con un perro en su regazo!

La persecución a baja velocidad se llevó a cabo el domingo por la noche. El conductor, alcanzando velocidades máximas de 19 MPH, supuestamente había robado el vehículo de un centro comercial cercano y es cuando la "persecución" se puso seria.

Hasta cuatro patrullas de policía perseguían el conductor que iba en toples y descalzo y con un cachorro en su regazo.

Después de múltiples intentos fallidos de los oficiales, condujo el carro en un estacionamiento y saltó con el perro en su brazo corriendo alrededor de un camión que estaba descargando.

A woman said to be running a special needs dog rescue out of her Arizona home landed in jail after mounting allegations of animal abuse ... resulting in a major confiscation of pups.

April Mclaughlin was arrested Friday evening in Chandler, AZ following a search warrant that was executed at her house by local law enforcement ... which resulted in her being hauled away and booked on 55 counts of animal abuse, 55 counts of animal cruelty and a lone count of vulnerable adult abuse. All of this stems from what they found in this one home.

Multiple agencies were on the ground last night responding to the scene ... including the Arizona Humane Society, which assisted in removing dozens of canines from the property.

There were even hazmat teams deployed to deal with this -- as there was a reported foul odor emanating from the home that could be smelled from the street. Multiple bystanders watched as they removed dog after dog ... many of which were disabled and couldn't walk.

The bust follows weeks of claims from different animal rights orgs and other dog rescues in the area, as well as outside of the state ... with a key handful of women beating the drum on social media trying to raise awareness about what they alleged was going on here.

Essentially, they claimed this woman had gone around taking in special needs dogs from other dog rescues that didn't have the resources to accommodate them -- bringing them to a rescue called the Special Needs Animal Welfare League ... which these accusers allege is a total front, and that it simply existed as her own house as opposed to a legit facility.

Instead of providing them proper care, however ... these other orgs assert Mclaughlin treated them terribly -- allegedly removing the doggy wheelchairs of several of the pooches under her watch, and allegedly leaving them malnourished -- among other horrible conditions. Some of the court docs obtained by local outlets appear to back at least some of this up -- detailing what officers say they found inside, including several dead dogs in the freezer.

Here's another twist ... some outlets report that Mclaughlin had used multiple aliases to do what she's been alleged to have carried out. Obviously, unraveling this case will take time.

Unclear if AM's still in custody or not -- she's said to have been taken to Maricopa County Jail on $2,500 cash-only bond. Some reports have her on record as denying wrongdoing.

Singapore Airlines is getting the gas face from a couple of pissed passengers who say a 4-legged traveler's flatulence blew them out ... all the way from Paris to Singapore.

Gill and Warren Press say they ended up seated next to a dog, and its owner, during the 13-hour trek back in June.

It's a cute enough dog to look at, but the Presses say the pooch bombed on them for the whole flight ... farting so badly, they eventually surrendered their premium seats, and moved back to economy.

The couple says the gas was only half the battle, because they also had to contend with the pup -- which looks like a bulldog mix -- loudly snorting.

They were determined to get something for their troubles, and told Insider they went through several months of negotiations with Singapore Airlines before getting a $1,410 refund.

The Presses say they plan to donate the money to a guide dog org in their native New Zealand.

As for their future travels, they'd just appreciate a heads-up if they're seated next to an animal. Gil says, "I expect to see a baby. I expect young children. But, I don't expect a dog."

Gotta wonder what Singapore Airlines would pay if it were a gassy human.

We've all had those flights!

Los tiempos desesperados exigen medidas desesperadas, sobre todo cuando se trata de la huelga de actores y guionistas de Hollywood. Las celebridades han decidido subastar su tiempo para ayudar a sobrevivir a los miembros del sindicato y sus bases.

La Coalición de Solidaridad Sindical (Union Solidarity Coalition), un grupo de actores y guionistas que "se sintieron movidos a conectar con los equipos", ha puesto en marcha una serie de anuncios en eBay mientras continúa la huelga en Hollywood sin final a la vista.

Maggie Gyllenhaal y Sarah Silverman están ofreciendo "20 minutos y 20 preguntas" al mejor postor, y Natasha Lyonne le está dando a un afortunado fan la oportunidad de que la ayude a "Resolver el crucigrama dominical del New York Times". Por cierto, ya ha superado los 2.000 dólares.

Puedes pasar el rato (virtualmente) con el reparto de "Bones" o "New Girl", conseguir que John Lithgow te haga un retrato en acuarela de tu perro y que Adam Scott saque a pasear a tus mascotas. Bob Odenkirk y David Cross ofrecen incluso una cena en persona para los habitantes de Los Ángeles y Nueva York.

También puedes conseguir recuerdos firmados de películas como "Star Wars", "Knives Out", "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure", "Stranger Things", "The Bear" y muchas más.

El dinero recaudado se destinará a los miembros de IATSE y Teamster que no pueden optar a un seguro médico, ya que el trabajo sigue siendo prácticamente inexistente para miles de miembros del equipo.

Las subastas llegan en un momento en que la huelga pareciera estar derrumbándose: Drew Barrymore ha recuperado su programa de entrevistas diurno mientras el cierre sigue en vigor, junto con "The Talk", "The View" y "The Jennifer Hudson Show".

Desperate times call for desperate measures amid the ongoing actors' and writers' strike ... celebs are auctioning off their time to help the union rank and file survive.

A collection of eBay listings have gone live, all from the Union Solidarity Coalition -- a group of actors and writers who "were moved to connect with crew" as the Hollywood shutdown continues with no end in sight.

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Sarah Silverman are both offering up "20 Mins and 20 Questions" for the highest bidder, and Natasha Lyonne is giving a lucky fan the chance to let her help them "Solve the New York Times Sunday Crossword." BTW, it's already crossed $2k.

You can hang out (virtually) with the cast of "Bones" or "New Girl," get a watercolor portrait of your dog from John Lithgow, and have Adam Scott walk your pets! Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are even offering an in-person dinner for L.A. and New York folks.

There's also the chance to get signed memorabilia from flicks like "Star Wars," "Knives Out," "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," "Stranger Things," "The Bear," and more.

The cash earned is going to IATSE and Teamster members who aren't able to qualify for health insurance as work remains practically nonexistent for thousands of crew members.

The auctions come at a time when it appears the strike is breaking at the seams -- Drew Barrymore brought her daytime talk show back while the shutdown remains in effect, along with "The Talk," "The View," and "The Jennifer Hudson Show."

The K-9 that subdued escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante -- to end a 2-week long manhunt  -- had a massive area to search, but one law enforcement expert says the pup is the perfect officer for the job.

Michael Gould used to train K-9's for NY police departments, and he joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to explain the training thsese 4-legged officers go through to locate an escapee -- and he says Cavalcante's capture played out almost perfectly.

Michael says dogs go through a lot of training to learn to pick up on a human scent, and he tells us why Cavalcante waiting out in the woods for an extended period made it possible for the pup to sniff him out.

We also talked with Michael about the potential of a dog subduing a suspect like Cavalcante, and turning to deadly force if its trainer isn't nearby.

While he thinks it's natural for people to resist while being chomped on, a simple voice command from the trainer could call off a dog.

As we reported, Cavalcante, who is a convicted murderer, was arrested Wednesday morning by SWAT teams and a Border Patrol Tactical Unit in Pennsylvania after 14 days of hunting. The K-9 left a minor bite wound on his scalp while he tried to break free.

PETA is cashin' in on Pete Davidson's anger -- the organization is selling a Halloween costume based on the infamously unhinged voice mail Pete left PETA during their feud over a puppy.

We've learned PETA's limited-edition costume comes with a paper mask of Pete's face, an "I Should Have Adopted" hoodie and a hat with a censored cuss word plastered on it -- referring to his profanity-laced telephone rant after the org called him out for buying a pet store puppy, instead of one from a shelter.

It also comes with a plush dog wearing a "Shelter Dogs Rule" bandana. The whole look is going for $99.99 ... and all proceeds are going toward spay and neuter surgeries to help combat the overpopulation of homeless dogs.

According to PETA, over 70 million dogs and cats are homeless in the U.S. ... and breeders contribute to the crisis by denying animals in shelters a chance at finding a loving home.

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk says, "It’s too late for Pete to undo his puppy purchase or that voice mail, but it’s never too late to save a dog’s life by choosing adoption and shunning pet shops and other dog breeders." She hopes Pete will see the joke in having folks dress up like him ... especially since it's for a good cause.

TMZ broke the story, Pete dialed up PETA in June after the org publicly shamed the comedian for buying the new pup at a NYC pet store. In his furious defense, Pete said he's allergic to dogs and, therefore, needed a hypoallergenic pooch like the cavapoo he got.

He also said the puppy was a gift for his mother who'd been mourning the recent death of her dog.

All of that with lots of colorful language sprinkled in, too -- which you can now mock, or celebrate, come Halloween.

Bob Barker's animal rights legacy is something PETA wants to honor with a street name change on the most iconic boulevard in L.A. ... which could actually happen!

A rep for PETA tells TMZ ... they've made an official request with the City of Los Angeles for an honorary add-on to Sunset Blvd. -- to pay tribute the late 'Price Is Right' host, who just died last weekend.

Don't worry ... this isn't as wacky as it sounds. PETA assures us this would only be a minor change, and it wouldn't even require the removal of an actual "Sunset Blvd." sign hanging from street lights.

Basically what we're talking about is a second sign -- under one of the Sunset Blvd. signs -- that would read "Bob Barker Blvd." The PETA rep says they'd love to have this on their block on Sunset.

There's also this ... PETA tells us they've actually taken steps to make this happen. They've contacted City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who reps their area. We're told PETA brass and Soto-Martinez's staff are scheduled to meet in the coming weeks.

PETA says they're pushing this because Bob actually made a generous donation way back when that allowed them to open this L.A.-based office, and they wanna return the favor.

Lil Uzi Vert found himself in the middle of a stolen puppy case in Pennsylvania -- but he's not the wanted dognapper, and it sounds like cops didn't do their due diligence.

The rapper's photo appeared Thursday in a Facebook post from the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department alerting the public to a puppy that had been taken from a pet store.

Problem is ... Lil Uzi Vert is NOT the suspect.

Cops have since taken down the post with Uzi's photo and replaced it with a different man with face tatts -- who is the actual suspect accused of swiping a pooch from Brookside Pups.

The Uzi version lived on the internet for about 30 minutes -- enough time for the FB post to be flooded with comments about the Philly artist.

So why the confusion? Brookside Pups tells TMZ ... the guy who allegedly grabbed a puppy and fled Thursday afternoon has Lil Uzi Vert's face as his profile picture on a social media account, which they sent to cops.

Police are blaming the pet store for providing them with the photo of Lil Uzi Vert.

Brookside Pups says police took down the photo once they realized the face tattoos on Lil Uzi Vert didn't match the suspect's. The store sent a new photo for cops to share.

Roc Nation says Uzi was nowhere near Philly at the time and the incident has left them fuming ... telling us, "The Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department should be embarrassed and ashamed for disparaging [Uzi's] character. This grave error could’ve had significant repercussions on Uzi’s career and epitomizes how Black men can be wrongfully charged and arrested by police departments across the country."

And just in case anyone's got it twisted, they add ... "Uzi loves all animals and this serious mistake has deterred the apprehension of the kidnapper. Our collective hope is that the puppy is safely and promptly rescued."

Britney Spears has a new battle to handle. Along with a contentious divorce, she's now getting ripped by the animal rights warriors at PETA for buying a new dog, instead of rescuing one from a shelter.

The "Toxic" singer showed off her new puppy Wednesday on social media, introducing the world to an all-white puppy -- appropriately named Snow -- and while Britney's over the moon about her new family member, the folks over at PETA are not.

A rep for PETA tells TMZ ... "When influential people buy puppies, puppy mills cheer and animal shelters watch the homeless-animal crisis get even worse. With this one cutesy post, Britney Spears has sentenced countless deserving dogs in shelters to more days without love, a comfy bed to curl up on, or a chance at a real life."

Britney got Snow after her estranged husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce, and the former couple hammered out an agreement splitting up the 5 dogs they shared when they were together.

TMZ broke the story ... Sam's keeping their Doberman, Porsha, and Britney's hanging on to the other 4 pooches.

With Snow in the fold, Britney's back up to 5 dogs at home, but PETA is wagging a tail finger, saying ... "She could have been a force for good and adopted, but instead she chose to be toxic, and animals will pay with their lives."

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari shared 5 dogs between the two of them, and have already come to an agreement on who gets each pup ... TMZ has learned.

Sam was spotted walking the couple's Doberman, Porsha, Monday -- the same dog he bought as protection for Britney a couple years ago. We've learned Sam now has Porsha full-time, and got her back last week in an arrangement with Britney.

While she might be without Porsha, we're told Britney gets to keep 4 of her 4-legged friends as her own. She's got her Australian Shepherd, Sawyer, her Yorkie, Hannah, and 2 other smaller dogs.

We're told both Sam and Britney are happy with the agreement on how the dogs were split.

As we first reported, Britney's pushed almost her entire support system -- including her family -- away in the past few months -- and is really only left with her manager, Cade Hudson, and lawyer, Mathew Rosengart.

Sam Asghari is moving forward as a newly single man ... walking his dog without his wedding ring.

Britney Spears' estranged husband was spotted in public Monday for the first time since their divorce, and he was sporting a naked ring finger.

Sam was walking around Pasadena with the Doberman Porsha, he gifted Britney back in 2021 when they were engaged.

The actor was also showing off his muscles in a sleeveless black tank top ... the day after Britney had a divorce party with a bunch of shirtless men.

Sam joked over the weekend about needing help picking a disguise to hide from the paparazzi ... but here, he's only wearing a hat and sunglasses and not shying away from the cameras.

Remember ... Sam filed for divorce from Britney last Wednesday, and as we first reported, he moved out of their mansion after he believed Britney was cheating on him with a staffer at their home.

We also saw Britney without her wedding ring on the same day Sam filed for divorce, taking it off before tooling around in her Mercedes.

Cheems, one of the most famous dogs on the internet, is dead after a battle with cancer.

The viral meme dog died Friday during a surgical procedure ... according to his owners, who say he fell asleep during surgery and never woke up.

Cheems shot to fame way back in 2017 when an awkward photo of him went viral ... sparking a meme that is still shared to this day.

Also known as Pup Balltze or just Balltze, the shiba inu was famous for his love of cheeseburgers ... and he's got his own meme character, Cheemsburger.

The pup's owners say ... "Don't be sad, please remember the joy that Balltze brought to the world. A Shiba Inu with a round smiling face connecting you and me, he has helped many people during the pandemic and brought a lot of joy to many of you, but now his mission has completed."

Cheem's family believes he's in a better place now ... "running freely in the sky and having a lot of delicious food with his new friends."

Naturally, Cheems is getting a grand send-off on social media ... with the meme getting posted all over the place.

Cheems was 12.

Aaron Rodgers is used to dropping jaws with his arm, but at a recent Jets team meeting, he was the one in awe -- absolutely awestruck over a wild magic trick that featured a real, live goldfish!

The guys over at "Hard Knocks" dropped the footage of the hocus pocus in a teaser for this week's episode of the hit show ... revealing Rodgers and his teammates were enthralled by some sleight of hand from famed mentalist Oz Pearlman.

In the clip, you can see Pearlman asking Rodgers to pick one of his favorite cards after going through a deck of 52 ... before he correctly guesses the quarterback had taken the three of diamonds.

But, the trick didn't stop there, because he then asks New York safeties coach Marquand Manuel what animal he had been thinking of earlier in the trick.

"A goldfish? Seriously?" Pearlman asks. "I got you. Look in your hands, Aaron."

Sure enough, Rodgers was then holding a goldfish in a clear case ... rather than the deck of cards he had believed he was fondling.

The trick baffled Rodgers -- as well as everyone else in the room, who all screamed out in shock.

David Montgomery and his girlfriend's offseason move to Detroit didn't get off to an auspicious start ... TMZ Sports has learned one of the couple's dogs was involved in a bloody biting incident just days after the new Lions running back got settled into his new Michigan home.

According to police documents, officers were called out to Montgomery's new Grosse Pointe Shores residence on June 4 ... after his and his GF's pitbull mix, Lola, was accused of escaping the house and attacking a smaller dog on the sidewalk.

In police body cam footage from the scene ... Montgomery's girlfriend -- Tatum Causey -- can be heard explaining to officers that she was in the backyard when she realized her pooch had gotten out.

"I go inside, literally opened the door and I said, 'Anybody see Lola?'" she told an officer at the scene. "So, I'm looking in the backyard for her -- she normally stays right in the backyard -- but when I walk out, I see my brother carrying her."

The owners of the dog who claimed Lola bit their pup said in an incident report that during the attack, Lola grabbed their animal's leg and would not let go.

"I heard our dog's leg break," one of the complainants wrote in the documents.

The owners said they suffered bite wounds and lacerations of their own during the attack. They added that their pup was diagnosed by the vet with two leg fractures. They also claimed it required stitches.

Causey -- who has a child with Montgomery -- was charged with misdemeanor harboring a vicious dog over the incident ... though court records show she pleaded not guilty to the count at a hearing in late June. The records show she's due for another hearing on the matter in September.

As for Lola, Causey shared an emotional tribute post to the dog one month after the biting incident that seemed to indicate the animal had passed away.

"So many quiet days just filled with your unconditional love," she wrote on the IG post. "You are and always will be the best. My soul dog, I love you forever and ever my Lola Bear."