Pets

Tyreek Hill is fighting back against the model who said he broke her leg during a fit of rage in a football drill ... saying she got injured merely because she tripped over a dog.

In a lawsuit filed in Florida last week, Sophie Hall -- an influencer with over 2 million followers on Instagram -- claimed that after Hill courted her through a series of direct messages last summer ... she showed up at his Southwest Ranches mansion.

She alleged that while there, the two engaged in some football drills -- and when she "held her own" against the Miami Dolphins star, he became embarrassed and enraged. She said he then "charged into her violently and with great force," causing her to sustain a serious leg injury.

But, Hill's attorney, Julius B. Collins, said in a statement to TMZ Sports on Friday that Hall's lawsuit is complete BS ... and an attempt to shake down the NFL player.

According to Collins, Hall did show up to Hill's home and the two did engage in some "playful" drills ... but she hurt herself when she fell over a dog -- not because Hill turned violent.

Collins called Hall's claims "disgusting and cunning."

"This lawsuit is baseless," Collins said, "and nothing more than an attempt to bring bad publicity to Mr. Hill and force him into paying them and their client monies."

Collins added that Hill has opened up an insurance claim for the injuries Hall suffered while at the wide receiver's residence ... but Hall filed the lawsuit "in an attempt to 'scare tactic' him into personally covering the cost of Ms. Hall’s medical bills."

"Mr. Hill is prepared to defend against this baseless lawsuit head on," Collins said.

For the Dolphins' part, general manager Chris Grier told media members at the NFL Combine this week they were aware of the suit and are still gathering information.

Jon Stewart tugged at heartstrings when he tearfully talked about his dog dying, and folks opened up their wallets ... donating 5 figures to the animal shelter he shouted out during the emotional 'Daily Show' segment.

The comedian got emotional Monday, breaking down over the death of Dipper, his Brindle pit bull, and viewers were so moved they started sending money to Animal Haven, the NYC no-kill animal shelter where Jon first met the pup.

Tiffany Lacey, the shelter's executive director, tells TMZ ... Animal Haven has raised almost $25,000 in donations since Jon mentioned the shelter in his tribute to Dipper.

We're told the money's pouring in from more than 500 new donors ... and the funds will help the shelter pay for general care of their animals, plus operating support, vet care, food, staff time, and dog walks.

Remember ... Jon said he got Dipper from Animal Haven about 12 years ago when his kids were raising money for the shelter ... adopting the dog on the spot after being introduced. The pup was missing a leg after being hit by a car in Brooklyn.

Tiffany tells us the wave of donations is coming at just the right time for Animal Haven ... she says the shelter is at full capacity with more than 100 rescue animals in their care, including 3 dog moms who recently gave birth to 20 puppies.

In addition to financial commitments, we're told Jon's monologue has spurred some folks to inquire about adoptions ... and Animal Haven is so grateful for everyone reaching out.

Tiffany says Animal Haven's reached out to Jon too, thanking him and offering their sympathies and condolences as he grieves his beloved companion.

La policía de Los Ángeles tuvo un inesperado cara a cara con un perro que atacó a uno de sus caballos, lo que llevó a uno de los oficiales a golpearlo, provocando un feroz debate.

Echa un vistazo a este video que se ha vuelto viral: Dos policías son vistos a caballo patrullando Melrose Ave. en Los Ángeles, cuando de repente un perro suelto corre hacia ellos de la nada y comienza a morder las piernas del caballo de la policía.

En respuesta al ataque, el otro policía que estaba en la escena salta de su propio caballo y comienza a agitar su bastón contra el canino, y parece que hizo contacto un par de veces.

El perro intenta esquivar los golpes y continúa tras el caballo, quien empieza a inquietarse. Por supuesto, el oficial que está montado sobre el caballo hace todo lo posible para estabilizar al animal y tenerlo bajo control, pero es una situación difícil, por decir lo menos.

Finalmente, el presunto dueño del perro corre hacia la escena y recoge a su perro. Aunque también tiene dificultades para hacerlo y el oficial en el suelo consigue darle un último buen golpe antes de que él y su dueño huyan. En ese momento, todo se calmó.

Ahora tenemos un poco más de información que esperamos arroje luz y proporcione contexto, como por ejemplo si esto cayó en el radar de la policía de Los Ángeles o qué pasó exactamente al final. Fuentes policiales nos dicen que este incidente en realidad ocurrió hace un buen año o así, a pesar de que el video está siendo viral en este momento.

Nos dicen que el perro y los dos caballos terminaron bien y que los caballos fueron revisados por un veterinario después. Nuestras fuentes dicen que el perro saltó por la ventanilla de un carro a la calle y por eso no llevaba correa... algo raro.

Según nuestras fuentes, el civil/propietario no fue citado por este incidente y nos han dicho que todo se resolvió una vez que las partes involucradas pudieron hablar. También nos dicen que el propietario no estaba enojado.

Eso no quiere decir que Internet no esté enojado con el asunto porque una buena parte definitivamente lo está.

La situación ha provocado reacciones encontradas en la red, y muchos han salido en defensa del policía, sobre todo porque Los Ángeles tiene leyes muy claras sobre las correas. Por si no saben, los dueños de mascotas están obligados a mantener a sus perros con correa en público en todo momento, ya que está prohibido para ellos vagar libremente.

Otros, por supuesto, están crucificando al policía diciendo que reaccionó de forma completamente exagerada y que estaba dañando al perro sin una buena razón. Estos son en su mayoría los amantes de los animales y los activistas por los derechos de los animales.

Tuvimos un debate sobre esto en nuestra propia oficina e imaginamos qué argumentos podríamos presentarle a la gente para digerir el asunto. Por un lado, el perro estaba sin correa y causó un problema que podría haber llegado a ser más peligroso.

Aun así, la brutalidad del oficial se siente demasiado para quienes no soportan ver sufrir a los animales, incluyendo algunos en nuestro propio equipo, que son apasionados de esto.

Suponemos que vamos a plantear la pregunta, ¿quién está equivocado aquí, el policía o el propietario?

LAPD officers had an unexpected face-off with an unleashed dog that attacked one of their horses -- which ended with one of the officers beating the pooch ... and it's sparked a fierce debate.

Check out this video that's gone viral ... 2 cops are seen patrolling Melrose Ave. in L.A. while on horseback -- when, all of a sudden, an unleashed dog runs into frame out of nowhere and begins to nip at the legs of the police horse, which still has one of the officers on it.

In response to the attack ... the other cop on the scene jumps down from his own horse ... and begins swinging his baton at the canine -- and he seems to make contact a few times.

The dog tries to dodge the hits, and it continues to go after the horse -- which begins to buck and get uneasy. Of course, the officer who's sitting up there is trying his best to steady the animal and get it under control ... but it's a tricky situation, to say the least.

Eventually, the presumed owner of the dog runs onto the scene and collects his pooch -- but he too has trouble with it ... and the officer on the ground gets one last good swing on the dog before it and its owner run off. At that point, everything settles down.

Now, we have some more info here that'll hopefully shed light and provide context -- including whether this fell onto the LAPD's radar at large, and what exactly happened in the end. Law enforcement sources tell us this incident actually happened a good year or so ago ... even though the video is just now making the rounds online.

We're told the dog and the two horses ended up being alright, and that the horses were checked on by a vet afterward. Our sources tell us the dog actually jumped out of a car window there on the street, which is why it didn't have a leash on ... so kind of a freak thing.

Our sources the civilian/owner did not get cited over this, and we're told everything sorted itself out once all the parties were able to talk. We're also told the owner wasn't mad.

That's not to say the internet isn't pissed about this ... 'cause a good chunk definitely is.

The situation has prompted mixed reactions online -- with many coming to the cop's defense, especially since L.A. has pretty clear leash laws. If you don't know, pet owners are required to keep their dogs on a leash in public at all times -- as it's prohibited for them to roam free.

Others, of course, are crucifying the cop here ... saying he completely overreacted and was harming the dog for no good reason. These are mostly the animal lovers/animal rights camps.

We had some debate about this here in our own office ... and we figured we'd present our arguments for people to digest. On the one hand, the dog was unleashed and caused a problem right then and there that could've become more dangerous.

Still ... the brutality the officer inflicts here just feels like too much for folks who can't stand to see animals suffer -- including some in our own ranks, who are passionate about this.

We suppose we'll just pose the question ... who's in the wrong here, the cop or the owner?

Jon Stewart se quebró de emoción al referirse a la muerte de su perro en el programa de esta semana, con un homenaje del que apenas pudo contener las lágrimas.

El comediante estuvo de anfitrión el lunes en "Daily Show" y se tomó un momento para reconocer el fallecimiento de su perro de toda la vida, Dipper, quien murió recientemente.

Echa un vistazo, es increíblemente triste ver lo desconsolado que está Jon en frente de la audiencia. Incluso tuvo que parar varias veces mientras se secaba las lágrimas.

Durante el programa contó cómo Dipper llegó a su vida y a la de su familia, explicando que lo adoptaron de un refugio en Nueva York llamado Animal Haven. En el refugio les explicaron que tenían a un pitbull que había sido atropellado por un carro y que había perdido una de sus piernas.

Este acabó siendo el perrito de la familia de Jon y su recuerdo es conmovedor y emotivo. Como dice el propio Jon: "En un mundo de buenos chicos, él era el mejor".

No está claro cómo murió Dipper exactamente, pero parece que podría haber sido de viejo. Jon dice que el perro estaba preparado, pero él no y queda claro por lo triste que está.

Jon Stewart was an emotional wreck on his comedy show this week -- breaking down over the death of his dog ... with a tribute he could hardly get through without sobbing.

The comedian was playing host again on Monday for the 'Daily Show,' and at one point during his time in the chair -- he took a moment to acknowledge the passing of his longtime pooch, Dipper, who he says recently passed away.

Check it out ... it's incredibly sad to watch, as Jon is pretty inconsolable here in front of an audience -- having to stop his train of thought several times as he chokes up and tears up.

He gives the backstory of how Dipper came into his and his family's life -- explaining that they adopted him from a no-kill shelter in NYC called Animal Haven ... and noting that they had a Brindle pit bull in their ranks who'd been hit by a car and who'd lost one of his legs.

That ended up being Jon's family doggo ... and his remembrance here is poignant and moving. As Jon says himself, "In a world of good boys, he was the best."

Unclear how exactly Dipper died, but it sounds like it might've been due to old age. Jon says the dog was ready, but he wasn't -- and that much is clear by how moving this is.

El hombre trágicamente asesinado por pit bulls en Compton podría haber sido capaz de evitar la muerte si hubiera seguido algunas técnicas útiles, esto de acuerdo a un gran criador local.

El hombre que fue mutilado hasta la muerte por sus propios pitbulls en Compton -California- el pasado jueves, fue encontrado muerto el viernes.

Big Gemini Kennels -un criador de pit popular con un gran seguimiento en la comunidad canina de Los Ángeles- le dice a TMZ que la víctima de este horrible incidente parece haber tratado de manejar a demasiados perros al mismo tiempo. Esa es la opinión del experto al menos.

Big Gemini nos dice que tratar de manejar a 13 perros -incluso con algunos de ellos siendo cachorros- es demasiado. No solo eso, los informes del Condado dicen que este hombre estaba alimentando a todos los perros cuando murió, y esto destaca como otra bandera roja.

Al momento de comer, los perros entran en un frenesí.

Cabe señalar que Big Gemini no tiene toda la información que tienen los investigadores y basa sus conclusiones en informes de prensa y otra información disponible al público. Dicho esto, la compañía está bastante segura de que había unos cuantos perros de más aquí.

BGK nos dice que la alimentación de tantos perros a la vez puede conducir a una mayor agresión y teorizan que dos perros adultos probablemente estaban luchando por algo de comida cuando el criador trató de separarlos (es algo muy común). En ese momento, sospechan que todos los perros podrían haberse vuelto contra él.

En lugar de alojar a todos los perros en un solo lugar en su patio trasero - entre una variedad de perreras - Big Gemini perreras dice que este hombre debería haber considerado la división de los cachorros ... la alimentación de solo dos o tres a la vez en lugar de todos los 13.

Los perros desde entonces han sido sometidos a eutanasia, un movimiento que Big Gemini dice que es necesario porque podrían haber ido a atacar a sus futuras familias. BGK nos dice que creen que los cachorros podrían haber sido rehabilitados, pero también señalan que podría no haber valido la pena el riesgo de que estos perros lastimen a otra persona. Así es como el Condado de Los Ángeles se sentía al respecto.

Big Gemini continúa diciéndonos que la gente ha estado preguntando sobre los riesgos de que los pit bulls ataquen a las personas a raíz de esta nueva historia viral ... pero hacen hincapié en que las personas deben temer a las personas más que a los propios perros - como señalan, todo se trata de cómo se crían los perros.

The man tragically killed by pit bulls in Compton might've been able to avoid death if he'd followed some helpful techniques ... this according to a big-time local breeder, that is.

ICYMI ... a dog owner was mauled to death by his own pit bulls in Compton, California, last Thursday, though his body wasn't discovered -- bloody and lying in his backyard -- until Friday.

Big Gemini Kennels -- a popular pit breeder with a huge following in the Los Angeles dog community and no association to the mauling -- tells TMZ ... the victim of this horrible incident appears to have perhaps taken on more than he could handle by trying to herd so many dogs together. That's BGK's view here, anyway.

Big Gemini tells us they feel like trying to manage 13 dogs -- even with some of them being puppies -- is just far too many. Not just that, but reports from the County that this man appeared to be feeding all the dogs when he died stands out as another red flag to BGK.

We're told that giving them food like all at once may have exacerbated the issue ... and maybe even sent the dogs into a frenzy.

It should be noted ... Big Gemini doesn't have all the info investigators do and is basing their findings on news reports and other publicly available info. With that said, the company's pretty sure there were a few dogs too many here with all of them running around the property when the body was found.

BGK tells us feeding so many dogs at once can lead to heightened food aggression ... and they theorize two adult dogs were probably fighting over some chow when the breeder tried to break things up. At that point ... they suspect all the dogs might've turned on him.

Instead of housing all the dogs in one location in his backyard --- among a variety of kennels -- Big Gemini Kennels says this man should have considered splitting the pups up ... feeding just two or three at a time instead of all 13.

The dogs have since been euthanized ... a move Big Gemini says is necessary because they could have gone on to attack their future families. FWIW ... BGK tells us they believe the puppies could have been rehabilitated ... but they also note, it might've not been worth the risk of these dogs hurting another person. That's how L.A. County felt about it.

Big Gemini goes on to tell us people have been asking about the risks of pit bulls attacking people in the aftermath of this viral new story ... but they emphasize people should fear people more than the dogs themselves -- as they note, it's all about how the dogs are raised.

Jack Harlow's currently dominating the Billboard Hot 100 -- but says the real celeb is his pet pooch ... and he's got a tight leash on the animal's true identity, which he won't reveal.

We shot the breeze with JH in Bev. Hills this week as the Kentucky-born rapper's hit is killing the charts -- his "Lovin On Me" smash hit returned to #1 for the sixth time this week ... and Jack humbly tells us he's currently the act to beat in the rap game.

He totally has the motion to back it up ... his cameo in Ben Affleck's star-studded Dunkin Donuts ad earned high marks on Super Bowl Sunday -- allowing for all the exclusive merch to sell out in minutes!!!

Jack says Ben's relatability made shooting the spot easy-peasy... apparently, they gelled through their connection as actors -- something JH says he appreciated as they collab'd.

Jack's clearly not running from the limelight but when we asked his dog's name, he refused to give it to us ... out of respect for her privacy!!! Aww ... 🥰

The adorable doggy helped JH sell the single to the masses -- he used the doggo in promoting it -- but we respect the insistence on secrecy all the same. Dogs have rights too, dammit!

Nobody knows her name at this point ... and it sounds like Jack's keeping it that way.

One last thing that was kinda funny about this ... we're not 100% sure, but it looks like Jack's pup here might've left a little mess behind. Hard to tell for certain if the crap came from his dog -- it looks a little big for that small thing if we're being honest -- but there it lay.

Ha salido a la luz más información sobre el perro del presidente Biden, Commander: el pastor alemán mordió en al menos 24 ocasiones a agentes del Servicio Secreto.

Commander ya no vive con los Biden en la Casa Blanca, pero cuando estaba allí, el Servicio Secreto tuvo que cambiar sus tácticas como resultado de todos los incidentes con él.

La asombrosa cifra se revela en nuevos documentos internos del Servicio Secreto obtenidos por CNN y esta ni siquiera incluye las veces en que Commander mordisqueó a miembros del personal de la Casa Blanca. Aquí solo se documentan los incidentes con el Servicio Secreto.

Commander no solo hundió sus dientes en los agentes en 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, sino que también los atacó en dos casas de la familia Biden en Delaware, además de en otros viajes a Nantucket y Camp David.

El perro de Biden mordió a miembros del equipo de protección del presidente, además de otros agentes uniformados del Servicio Secreto, y en al menos 10 casos, el agente del Servicio Secreto que fue mordido requirió tratamiento médico.

Commander mordió a agentes en sus brazos, manos, piernas e incluso sus cinturas.

Como hemos informado, el perro del Presidente fue sacado de la Casa Blanca en octubre como resultado de estos incidentes. En ese momento, el Servicio Secreto solo reconoció que había registrado 11 incidentes de este tipo.

En los meses previos a la expulsión de Commander, el Servicio Secreto emitió esta advertencia en un memorando interno: "Las recientes mordeduras del perro nos han desafiado a ajustar nuestras tácticas operativas cuando Commander está presente".

La advertencia también dijo que los agentes del Servicio Secreto "deben ser creativos para garantizar su propia seguridad personal".

More insight on the biting problems with President Biden's family dog Commander ... the German Shepherd bit Secret Service agents on at least two dozen occasions.

Commander is no longer living with the Bidens at the White House ... but when he was, the Secret Service had to change their tactics as a result of all the biting incidents.

The staggering figure is revealed in new internal Secret Service documents obtained by CNN ... and the 24 biting incidents don't even include the times Commander chomped on members of the White House staff ... only incidents with the SS are documented here.

Commander not only sunk his teeth into agents at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, he also attacked them at two Biden family homes in Delaware ... plus trips to Nantucket and Camp David.

Biden's dog bit members of the Prez's protective detail, plus other uniformed Secret Service agents ... and in at least 10 instances, the Secret Service agent who was bit required medical treatment.

Commander bit agents on their arms, hands, legs and even their waists.

As we reported ... Commander was kicked out of the White House back in October as a result of his human-biting ways. At the time, the Secret Service only acknowledged 11 biting incidents.

In the months leading up to Commander's ouster, the Secret Service issued this warning in an internal memo ... "The recent dog bites have challenged us to adjust our operational tactics when Commander is present – please give lots of room."

The warning also said Secret Service agents "must be creative to ensure our own personal safety."

A man was mauled to death by his own pit bulls in L.A. County ... and the bloody aftermath was captured by news choppers, as officials found his body in a backyard kennel.

This horrific incident went down Thursday night in Compton -- although, this poor man wasn't discovered until Friday ... and at that point, he was dead. As you can see in the images above -- which have been circulating on social media -- the scene is downright gruesome.

Unclear what exactly led up to the mauling, but the guy's reported to have been in the business of breeding/selling pitties ... and he had at least 5 grown ones in his backyard. Cops say they believe he might have been trying to feed the animals when they turned on him.

Helicopters surveying the scene early Friday appear to have captured images of his body in one of the enclosures on his property -- but later in the day, first responders arrived to contain the situation ... apprehending the dogs themselves.

The drama wasn't over by then, though ... even after the authorities had arrived, a woman had somehow found her way into the yard and needed help escaping from the dogs.

Eventually, firefighters were able to rescue her and get the pits under control. No word on what will happen to the dogs -- they're now in the possession of Animal Control.

The director of LA County's Animal Control department says, "Our deepest sympathies are extended to the family and friends of the victim. We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to determine the facts and ensure the safety and well-being of both the community and the animals involved."

Un hombre fue mutilado hasta la muerte por sus propios pitbulls en el condado de Los Ángeles y las sangrientas secuelas fueron capturadas por unos helicópteros de noticias, mientras los funcionarios encontraron su cuerpo en una perrera trasera.

Este horrible incidente ocurrió el jueves por la noche en Compton, aunque este pobre hombre no fue descubierto hasta el viernes, y en ese momento ya estaba muerto.

Como se puede ver en las imágenes que han estado circulando en las redes sociales, la escena es francamente horrible.

No está claro qué causó exactamente esa mutilación, pero se ha informado que el hombre estaba en el negocio de la cría y venta de pitbull, y tenía al menos cinco de ellos en su patio trasero. La policía cree que estaba intentando alimentar a los animales cuando se le echaron encima.

Los helicópteros que estaban sobrevolando la escena temprano el viernes parecen haber capturado imágenes de su cuerpo en uno de los recintos de su propiedad. Más tarde, los primeros auxilios llegaron a contener la situación y aprehendieron a sus propios perros.

El drama no había terminado allí, sin embargo. Incluso después de que las autoridades llegaran la escena, una mujer que había encontrado su camino hacia el patio necesitó ayuda para escapar de los perros.

Finalmente, los bomberos pudieron rescatarla y controlar a los perros. No se sabe qué pasará con ellos, pero ahora están en posesión de Control de Animales.

El director del departamento de Control de Animales de Los Angeles County dice: "Nuestras más profundas condolencias se extienden a la familia y amigos de la víctima. Nos comprometemos a llevar a cabo una investigación exhaustiva para determinar los hechos y garantizar la seguridad y el bienestar tanto de la comunidad como de los animales implicados"

El perro de Goldie Hawn es una celebridad local en su propia casa llena, porque apareció en un anuncio del Super Bowl, algo que Goldi Hawn y Kate Hudson quisieron destacar en línea.

Por supuesto, estamos hablando de Roy, un adorable labrador que le regalaron a Goldie en 2020 cuando era solo un cachorro. Ahora, unos cuatro años después, el perro ha crecido y puso manos a la obra en uno de los anuncios más importantes del domingo.

No hay más que ver el video: Roy dice "sostén mi cerveza"... haciendo gala de sus dotes actorales en un conmovedor anuncio de Budweiser.

El anuncio comienza con una tormenta de nieve retrasando una entrega de Bud a un pub remoto y privado de cerveza, por lo que recurren a métodos anticuados, el transporte de la preciosa carga a través de un caballo y un carro.

A pesar de sentirse desorientado en medio del tiempo tumultuoso, un faro de esperanza emerge cuando aparece el perro leal del pub a través de la nieve a la taberna. Finalmente, con la ayuda de Roy, la cerveza llega al pub, aunque con un ligero retraso. ¡Trabajo en equipo!

Kate compartió el clip en Insta de la familia viendo el hito importante de Roy durante una fiesta el domingo, todo el mundo estaba muy orgulloso de la querida mascota.

Goldie Hawn's dog is a local celeb in his own star-studded household -- 'cause he showed up in a Super Bowl ad ... something GH and Kate Hudson wanted to highlight online.

Of course, we're talking about Roy ... a golden lab that Goldie herself had been gifted in 2020 -- when he was just a puppy. Now, some 4 years later, the dog's all grown up -- and the Russell/Hawn brood put the pooch to work in one of the bigger commercials Sunday.

Just check out the clip yourself -- despite coming from a family of big-name stars, Roy said "hold my beer" ... flexing his acting chops for a heartwarming Budweiser commercial.

The ad kicks off with a colossal snowstorm delaying a Bud delivery to a remote, beer-deprived pub ... so they resort to old-fashioned methods, transporting the precious cargo via horse and carriage.

Despite feeling disorientated amid the tumultuous weather, a beacon of hope emerges when the pub's loyal dog Roy emerges ... navigating them through the snow to the pub. Eventually, with Roy's help, the beer arrives at the pub, albeit slightly delayed. Teamwork!

Kate shared the IG clip of the family watching Roy's major milestone during an SB watch party Sunday ... everyone proudly showering him with a helluva lot of affection for his achievements.

It's almost time for the big game, but we're not talking about the Super Bowl ... the most puppies ever will face off in the 20th annual Puppy Bowl, right before they get new homes.

Dan Schachner -- the 13-year Puppy Bowl "Ruff-eree" -- joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and gave us all the details on the pooches, from big to small, playing in the game. Plus, we had some visitors in our office to highlight the real intent of the event ... getting shelter dogs adopted from Angel City Pit Bull in Los Angeles.

This year, Puppy Bowl is going bigger than ever in several ways -- Dan says there are 131 puppies playing, representing 73 animal shelters across 36 states, the most ever.

Levi the Great Dane is going to check into the game when the bigger dogs get to run in the 4th quarter -- and he's already a whopping 70 pounds at just 3 months old!

On the opposite end of the scale, Dan says the Puppy Bowl's smallest pooch ever will take the field ... Sweatpea is playing the first quarter at a mere 1.7 pounds. Yeah, she can fit in the palm of your hand!

Also new this year is Dan's assistant "Ruff-eree" ... his poodle mix rescue, Whistle.

In addition to Dan getting officiating help, he says you can also expect to see pups in several new off-the-field jobs -- like cheerleading squad and working cameras.

The best part ... Dan says the Puppy Bowl has a 100% adoption rate and helps animal shelters it partners with find new homes for their rescues, thanks to awareness raised on the upcoming TV broadcast.