Pets

***WARNING: THESE IMAGES ARE VERY, VERY GROSS!!!***

A bodybuilder in the UK says he nearly lost both of his legs after he violently fell down his staircase about a month ago ... but, fortunately, he says his Amazon Alexa saved him.

The story is absolutely terrifying ... Dante McNulty -- a 40-year-old diehard gym-goer -- says he got up in the middle of the night to let his dog out when he slipped and fell down his stairs.

McNulty says the crash left him unconscious in a kneeling position for hours ... and with his entire 230-pound frame crushing his legs for that long, he suffered serious damage.

McNulty says blood flow was blocked to his lower legs ... resulting in acute compartment syndrome, which can sometimes be so severe, it can cause the loss of limbs.

"I just remember I couldn’t feel my legs," McNulty said of the incident. "I couldn’t walk or move, I felt paralyzed. Below my knees was cold, they didn’t seem swollen but I had a lot of veins pop just under my kneecap."

McNulty, though, says he was able to yell for his Alexa to call for help ... and he was able to get emergency medical care right away.

According to a GoFundMe set up for the bodybuilder, McNulty underwent immediate surgery ... with doctors cutting open his calves to the bone with the hopes of relieving swelling.

"He was put into an induced coma and on a ventilator, alongside dialysis and blood transfusions," McNulty's family said in a statement on the GoFundMe.

Thankfully, after several more surgeries and days recovering, McNulty's family says he was just recently discharged from the hospital and is attempting to re-learn how to walk.

"It really is unbelievable," McNulty said of the whole incident. "Thank God my WiFi was working that day."

President-elect Joe Biden isn't the only one being ushered into the White House with pomp and circumstance ... his rescue dog, Major, is getting "indogurated."

Major, a German Shepherd, is getting honored by the Delaware shelter where the Bidens rescued him ... with a special inauguration of his own this Sunday on Zoom ... and the "indoguration" is raising money for other pups like Major.

The Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association back in 2018, and now Major's set to become the first shelter dog in the White House ... hence the big virtual celebration.

Major's "indoguration" is being hosted by 'Today' show's Jill Martin, and folks can join the Zoom event with a $10 minimum donation, with all proceeds going to the DHA.

Sunday's event sounds like a fun time ... it's being hailed as "the world's largest virtual party for dogs."

Tragic news coming out of Annapolis -- retired Navy football goat mascot, Bill 33, has died, the Academy announced Thursday. He was 14.

Bill 33 -- AKA "Blue Eyes" -- recently battled age-related health issues that would not improve ... and was euthanized in his Navy home with his caretaker by his side, USNA said in a statement.

The angora goat was donated to the Academy alongside Bill 34 in 2007 ... and repped the football team through the 2015 season before taking on a mentorship role to the younger goats.

The Navy says Bill 33 enjoyed hay and treats during retirement ... and was wise enough to stay clear of the younger, "more rambunctious" goats.

The Academy notes Bill 33 is the only goat in the school's history to have blue eyes -- hence the nickname.

"The Academy would like to publicly confirm that he was quite 'old and gnarly' and had 'never been to school,'" USNA added.

Bill 33 is survived by Bill 34 and current mascots Bill 36 and Bill 37.

Tim Tebow is releasing a brand new children's book based on his late beloved dog, Bronco -- and it's really sweet.

Bronco passed away back in Nov. 2019 after spending 9 years with Tim. The two were inseparable and Tebow often referred to Bronco as his "son."

So, to keep his memory alive ... Tim authored a children's book called "Bronco and Friends: A Party to Remember" which features Bronco as the main character.

"Bronco was such an amazing dog and I wanted to honor him," Tim explained Tuesday morning on "GMA."

And, if you're wondering ... yes, the story has a religious theme (it's classified by Amazon as Children's Christian Family Fiction).

The story features Bronco -- who wears glasses because of a vision disability -- teaming up with other animals (including a flightless bird and an allergic goat) and they make their way to a special party.

Amazon describes the book this way ... "This sweet story of animals with different challenges and abilities is core to Tim Tebow's message to fans and friends of any age who have special needs."

Tim has been heavily involved in the special needs community for years -- helping kids and families around the world.

"I wanted to write a children's book for all the young boys and girls out there to encourage them and their worth -- and that they're unique, they're special, they're wonderful."

Uncle Sam is coming after the big cats at Jeff Lowe's zoo, all because of a euthanized tiger cub ... but he says he had no choice.

Here's the deal ... the feds want to seize a bunch of big cats the 'Tiger King' star is looking after at his zoo in Oklahoma, following what they say was an unauthorized euthanasia.

According to new docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds claim Jeff put down a tiger -- which they insist is a big no-no without Uncle Sam's blessing -- so the feds are asking him to hand over all his big cats that are a year old or younger, plus their mothers.

But, Jeff says it's not his fault, telling TMZ ... he noticed a young cub, almost 6 months old, limping around its enclosure. He says the cub was pulled from its mother and taken to a veterinarian for x-rays.

Jeff tells us the vet diagnosed the cub with metabolic bone disease, and said the animal needed to be euthanized ... so they did.

Remember ... the USDA last year claimed the animals at Jeff's zoo were in "serious danger" because they were allegedly getting substandard care.

A Nashville musician whose home was decimated by the Nashville blast is starting 2021 off with his cat who was missing for 6 days, and a new guitar to boot, thanks to Brad Paisley.

Buck McCoy was in his downtown Nashville apartment when the blast hit Christmas Day. The place was destroyed, and his beloved cat Molly must have freaked out and escaped.

Authorities who were conducting the investigation at the scene of the blast found the cat roaming the streets Thursday and reunited her with Buck.

Buck was ecstatic, saying, "I know she's just a little orange cutie thing, but she was everything to me ... The last 5 years she's always been there for me."

Buck lost everything in the bombing ... he shot this video immediately after the blast and it shows the devastation inside his apartment. As for why he didn't leave, Buck tells TMZ he heard gunshots -- something others heard as well but authorities say they found no evidence of it -- and then heard something coming from a loudspeaker but he couldn't understand it so he went back to sleep and was awakened by the blast.

Buck got some help from a famous Nashville resident who saw him on TV getting reunited with his feline friend. Brad called Buck and said he was sending him one of his brand new guitars so Buck could get back to work at Legend's Corner, where he plays with his band.

Buck's gonna put the guitar to immediate use when he performs Saturday at Legend's Corner.

Brad also offered Buck unlimited groceries at Brad's place, The Store, which offers food to all the people in town who are struggling.

Watching this daring dog rescue might make you shiver, but the end result is heart-warming ... a much needed boost to end the year.

A Boxer found itself in peril Wednesday in the town of Cheektowaga, outside Buffalo, NY, stuck in an icy cold creek as temperatures were barely above freezing.

Cheektowaga PD says the super timid pup -- recently rescued from a puppy mill -- got spooked, ran from its owner and unfortunately headed toward the creek.

Cops had a hard time locating the poor pooch, but Patrolman James Rutkowski eventually spotted it and jumped into the chilly water -- up to his waist -- for the rescue mission.

Officer Rutkowski was slipping and sliding over trees to get to the cold doggie, but fortunately, it was already wearing a harness ... which allowed him to lift the dog out to safety and hand it to another cop closer to dry land.

A homeless man in Atlanta is a true hero after risking his own life by running into a burning animal shelter and rescuing 16 dogs and cats.

Keith Walker saw the burning building and couldn't just sit there and wait. He jumped into action.

The 53-year-old didn't pretend he wasn't scared, saying, "I was nervous as hell. I'm not going to lie. I was really scared to go in there with all that smoke. But God put me there to save those animals."

The fire was said to have started in the kitchen and been an electrical fire

Turns out Walker, who's been homeless since he was 13, loves dogs, saying, "If you love a dog, you can love anyone in the world. My dog is my best friend, and I wouldn't be here without him, so I knew I had to save all those other dogs."

Walker has a pit bull named Bravo, and the owner of the W-Underdogs shelter, let him keep the dog there every night.

Walker was on his way to pick up Bravo for a walk when he saw the flames. The owner of the shelter, Gracie Hamlin, said, "Even the firefighters didn't want to handle the dogs. They called animal control, but Keith was already in the building pulling out the cats and dogs until they were all safe." In all, Walker saved 6 dogs and 10 cats.

Hamlin was beyond grateful ... "I can't thank him enough for saving my animals," adding, "I'm still in disbelief because I've been around a fire and I know how fast they flare-up. He is my hero."

A police dog took a bite out of crime -- literally -- on Xmas Eve.

The incident went down Thursday afternoon in Ontario, CA, just outside L.A. Cops spotted a stolen car on the 15 freeway and tried stopping the driver, to no avail.

The car eventually stopped on the freeway and cops tried negotiating with the suspect for at least 10 minutes ... before unleashing the K-9.

You see the dog leap through the driver's side window and latch on to the suspect's arm.  The suspect tried fighting off the dog, but the dog had other ideas. A bunch of officers came in for the assist and took the suspect into custody.

Props to this man who saved this poor deer stranded on a frozen reservoir ... with the daring rescue caught on video.

Gil Lencour was heading home for a lunch break Tuesday in Wisconsin Rapids when he noticed the deer struggling in the middle of a frozen reservoir. The quick-thinking dude zoomed home to grab a leash and called a buddy for an assist.

Gil says when he got to the deer it was clear the leash wouldn't do the trick. his backup plan was the ol' heave ho ... pushing the deer as it glided to solid ground.  The deer suffers from bad manners -- it did not turn around to say "Thanks" before scampering into the woods.

Gil's buddy, John Moss, began recording after it became apparent John had the situation under control.

The holidays call for time well spent with those closest to you, and with social distancing and travel plans canceled -- for some, that means spending Christmas with your four-legged friends.

Arielle Kebbel, Wells Adams, and Bethenny Frankel are just a few of the stars that are getting into the spirit by sharing snaps of their fir fur babies in front of the tree to prep for a meowy Christmas and yappy New Year!

Anyone interested in frying up a little python?? Well, if you live in Florida, you're in luck.

Turns out python may be the new chicken in the Sunshine State, because the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Dept. of Health may give the green light to make the slithery creature a menu item in restaurants and at home.

The snakes are overtaking the Everglades, creating risks to other wildlife.

The wild card is mercury. Scientists are evaluating whether mercury levels in the snakes are at acceptable levels. Problem is ... the smart money is on mercury levels being too high for human consumption, but scientists aren't sure, so they're testing 6,000 pythons.

We're told they can actually be delicious. Some folks like to turn them into jerky, but they can also be cooked in various other ways.

A Florida congresswoman's dog appears to be just as pissed as she is that the Senate and House can't seem to pass a stimulus package -- 'cause the pooch wouldn't shut up during a live interview over the hotly-debated issue.

Rep. Donna Shalala appeared Saturday morning on CNN, where anchor Fredricka Whitfield was asking her about the stalled stimulus bill that is once again facing a logjam in the Senate ... and risks not being approved at all if Dems and Republicans can't strike a deal.

The Florida Democrat was voicing her frustration over the fact her colleagues from the other side appear to once again be holding up negotiations ... when, all of a sudden, her pup started yapping like crazy off-camera -- forcing her to go grab it to keep it quiet.

Whitfield handled the interruption like a pro ... noting this is what happens on live TV, especially when we're in a pandemic and a lot of people are working from home.

Funny enough, Rep. Shalala's dog -- whom she rescued from a shelter back in the summer, and named it Fauci -- was NOT done barking and fussing. As the congresswoman held him in her lap, he fidgeted and yelped ... at a few different points, she actually had to try and hold his snout closed, but the dog wouldn't let up.

The German Shepherd that survived an horrific incident of animal cruelty is getting a Christmas miracle ... the pooch will spend the holiday in a loving foster home in Florida.

The dog, which Volusia County Sheriff's officials appropriately named "Miracle," is being cared for by a foster care individual who kindly offered up their home ... according to Volusia County Animal Services director Adam Leath.

Miracle was in Animal Services custody after her owner, Allison Murphy, was arrested after police body cam video showed her throwing the dog off a second floor, motel balcony during an interaction with Sheriff's deputies ... but we're told Animal Services didn't want the pooch to live in a cage so they found her a temporary home.

As we reported ... Miracle amazingly didn't get injured in her fall -- thus her name -- and cops jumped to her rescue after she tried to run away.

Miracle got fully checked out at an animal hospital, where a vet only saw a few scrapes and bruises to her feet. She actually landed feet first. She was hospitalized overnight and is on pain meds.

Animal Services also tells us the exam turned up a sewing needle in Miracle's left rear thigh ... they don't know how the needle got there, and it's now part of the felony animal cruelty investigation against the owner.

While Miracle's got a new foster parent -- whom we're told will remain anonymous because of the ongoing criminal case -- whoever adopts Miracle will have to wait until the outcome of the criminal case against the owner.

We're told Animal Services will present evidence to a judge Dec. 28 to make certain Miracle is never returned to her owner.

If you're looking for a Christmas miracle, look no further than this German Shepherd ... which survived an horrific incident of animal cruelty at a Florida motel.

The pooch has, appropriately, been named "Miracle" by the Volusia County Sheriff's deputies who showed up Monday at a Daytona Beach motel ... responding to calls about a suicidal woman.

The deputies went to her 2nd floor room and knocked on the door, but got no reply from the woman for a few minutes. When she finally opened the door she quickly stepped out with the dog, immediately picked it up and threw it over the railing as deputies yelled and tried to stop her.

Cops pounced on Allison Murphy and arrested her on the spot. During the arrest, you hear them asking other deputies outside the room if the dog is okay.

Amazingly, she is! Miracle didn't even break anything, and cops were able to recover her as she tried to run away after the fall.

Miracle is now in the custody of Animal Services.

As for Murphy ... she was booked for felony animal cruelty and resisting an officer without violence. She's still in custody.

Dwight Howard has a HUUUUUGE snake -- we're talking a 200-pound constrictor -- but the 2 women tasked with caring for it say the NBA star screwed them when it came time to pay up.

It's all in a lawsuit filed by Armica Nabaa and Kamisha Shelman -- who say they were hired by Howard in Dec. 2018 to provide personal management services.

Initially, the women thought they would be handling Dwight's business affairs and administrative tasks ... but as time went on, the women claim Howard put more responsibilities on their plate.

In fact, the women claim Dwight fired his groundskeeper, butler and maid -- the people who run his 35,000 square foot home -- forcing the women to pick up the slack.

One of their new tasks, according to the suit, including caring for Howard's exotic snake collection.

In their suit, the women say the collection is "comprised of a number of large snakes" including one named Cleopatra -- "a constrictor that can grow to a final length of 25 feet and over 200 pounds."

FYI, Howard's snake collection was once featured on the show "Tanked."

The problem ... the women claim Howard suddenly fired them without warning in January 2020 while still owing them a TON of money for services rendered.

What's worse ... Nabaa claims she helped revive Dwight's NBA career -- using her "network and contacts to connect Mr. Howard with individuals that resulted in his lucrative and unexpected contract with the Los Angeles Lakers."

She says Howard even thanked her and gave her partial credit for helping land the deal during a national television interview.

Now, the women are demanding at least $50,000 in unpaid wages -- plus other fees and damages.