Pets

Peanut the squirrel’s heartbreaking story has tugged at the heartstrings of thousands nationwide after the rodent was seized and euthanized by authorities last week -- but a notable NYC Assemblywoman tells us despite it being a sad situation, human lives need to be prioritized.

Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the Majority Whip in the New York State Assembly, tells TMZ that while she’s an ardent animal-rights advocate and sympathizes with Peanut’s owner, Mark Longo ... she believes euthanizing Peanut was the only option, since the N.Y. State Dept. of Environmental Conservation's investigation revealed the squirrel bit someone.

Hermelyn explains to us DEC had no choice but to put down Peanut so they could test the rodent for rabies, which is deadly for 99% of humans who catch it. She also notes it's well-known there are no approved methods to test animals for rabies while they're still alive.

The agencies that raided a New York farm and seized Peanut the squirrel were actually there because some officials had a problem with porn ... that's what some sources connected to the drama believe.

As we reported, the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation and the Chemung County Health Dept. got a search warrant and showed up at Mark Longo's farm last week, seizing Peanut and Fred the racoon under the pretext Longo broke the law by harboring 2 undomesticated animals.

But, here's the deal ... Mark tells TMZ when officials showed up they asked questions that had nothing to do with the animals. Mark says one of the first questions -- "Do you have any cameras in your house?"

Elon Musk's humanoid robots may have a run for their money ... a robot dog-walker has taken a robot pup for a stroll in a new video making the rounds online.

Check it out ... the human-looking android stomps around a dog park in China while guiding a metallic pooch on a leash. Unsurprisingly, onlookers stare as the metal man aimlessly guides the robot pup over the grass ... not that the bot pup needs to actually do its business on the ground.

Of course, this robot outing comes weeks after Elon gave a taste of his plans for an autonomous future ... which includes Tesla's Optimus "personal assistant."

A New York congressman says he and his fellow delegates want answers from the governor about Peanut the Squirrel's tragic death ... calling the raid total government overreach.

Republican Congressman Nick Langworthy -- who represents NY's 23rd district -- tells us he and other members of New York's congressional delegation plan to demand answers from the governor's office and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation early next week.

We're told they plan to ask questions about why the raid was authorized and what exactly was the reason the gov. sought a warrant for this home.

The winner of the most adorable Halloween costume goes to ... Dave Portnoy's pups, Miss Peaches and Pete, whose outfits were inspired by WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark!!

Portnoy showed off his famous doggos fit, along with her new adopted brother Pete The Beagle on All Hallows Eve ... with Miss Peaches rocking a Clark jersey with a black wig -- while Pete played the role of the basketball!

The fit even caught the attention of the person who inspired it ... with Clark dropping a comment showing love for Peaches hairpiece!

Celeb pet-parents can't hog all the fame, likes and candy; especially when their furry kids in Halloween costumes are just so cute and dandy! Today's spotlight is on the animals, so grab your treats; these four-legged stars have earned 'em!

Ready and "Hot To Go", Antoni Porowski dressed his fur-baby as Chappel Roan, while Ariel Winter managed to costume all her precious pups, and guess which celeb turned their lil' bulldog into a chili-dog?!

Crumbs, the world’s fattest cat, has sadly died just weeks after shedding some pounds at feline fat camp, with vets saying his excessively chunky layers hid cancerous tumors.

The Russian kitty -- who ballooned to a whopping 38 pounds from living in a hospital basement and munching on cookies and soup from the staff -- suddenly had breathing issues and passed away Saturday, according to NewsX.

Galiana More, who runs the Matroskin cat shelter where Crumbs was treated, explained his fat was so deep it hid cancerous tumors on his spleen and other internal organs, which they believed triggered multiple organs to collapse.

One Ohio woman is likely feeling grateful for first responders after they pulled off a nail-biting rescue while she was trapped in a harrowing fire.

Check it out ... in body cam footage from the scene, a mix of sheriff's deputies and firefighters from York Township, Ohio work quickly to free a 31-year-old woman, who was trapped in her basement because of the flames and smoke.

You see rescuers smashing open a window in the basement ... calling out to the woman and encouraging her to follow their voices.

Werewolves, vampires and other ghouls are sure to come out on Halloween night ... but, Saturday was all about dogs -- with costumed creatures taking over Toronto.

The Howl'oween Festival at a shared space in the city known as The Bentway took place this weekend ... with local vendors hawking pet-related goods, prizes for pups who compete in the costume contest -- and, many dogs ready to strut their stuff.

Check out this rambunctious rottweiler ... dressed in a classic devil outfit -- looking ready to snap up some of the devilishly good treats the event had to offer.

If some pooches are looking a little blue in Los Angeles this week, don't be alarmed -- Dodgers fans are just coloring their dogs in the hopes it brings their team some good luck in the upcoming World Series.

Reporters over at NBCLA hit up a bunch of groomers in Southern California this week ... and found out Angelinos are flocking to shops to dye their pups' coats in an effort to support the boys in blue as they gear up to take on the Yankees.

All over Los Angeles County, paws, ears, and tails are getting dipped in Dodger blue ... but, don't worry, the groomers insist it's all "non-toxic" and "perfectly safe" for their fur babies.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Vittoria Ceretti are coparenting a baby ... but, we're not talking about a human here ... the couple is showing off a new dog.

The actor and his model girlfriend debuted a puppy Tuesday on a romantic stroll through New York City ... and the Pomeranian is super cute.

Leo looks like the more hands off parent here, while Vittoria wouldn't let the little doggo out of her sight ... literally.

The viral Hurricane Milton dog, who was left tied to a fence in rising floodwaters by his owner, is no longer up for adoption after settling in with a new foster family ... but the local Humane Society is hoping this doesn't squash interest in other rescues.

Katie Stryker from the Leon County Humane Society tells TMZ ... Trooper, who was renamed after being rescued, is no longer accepting applications for adoption ... as his foster home will be given an opportunity to adopt the pup.

Even if the foster family chooses not to move forward with adoption, Katie says the "perfect home" will be in Trooper's future.

10/16/24 8:28 AM PT -- An Amazon rep tells TMZ ... "The behavior shown in the video is unacceptable, and the driver is no longer delivering packages on behalf of Amazon."

An Amazon delivery driver is facing scrutiny after threatening to shoot a resident and his dog in a tense exchange ... and it was all captured on the home's doorbell cam.

Check it out ... the resident, who goes by royal_robs on TikTok, eagerly greeted the deliveryman as he arrived with some highly anticipated car parts. As the resident opened the door, a dog barked loudly in the background ... prompting the driver to warn the man to not let his pooch outside.

The resident tried to assure the driver everything was all right ... noting in the caption the dog was "in the living room with [his] girlfriend" at the time.

"Love Is Blind" star Stephen Richardson is getting tons of hate online for his role in a nasty split with his on-screen fiancée, but one reply in his IG comments is really striking a nerve ... a woman insinuating that he literally screws the pooch.

Stephen went nuclear on the woman after she left this comment on his page, "Someone call animal control because god knows wat this pervert does to satisfy his own selfish needs."

At first, Stephen replied, "DONT YOU DARE COME AFTER MY F****** DOG I WILL DESTROY YOU!!" Then he doubled down and dedicated an entire IG post to the comment.

A rescued Florida dog that went viral after its owners left it tied to a fence to surely be killed amid Hurricane Milton is readying for adoption ... with a fantastic new name.

Here's the deal ... an adorable Bull Terrier made national headlines this week as Milton was barreling down on Tampa when he was rescued by a state trooper who found him tied to a fence ... essentially left for dead by his heartless owner.

Now the pup ... who has been given the fitting moniker "Trooper" ... is ready to be placed with a family who actually gives a damn about him, according to Leon County Humane Society.

Lupita Nyong'o is taking some time away from the dating scene ... confirming she and Joshua Jackson aren't together anymore -- and, saying she's focused on another little guy in her life.

The actress sat down for an interview with Harper's Bazaar UK, published Tuesday, in which she confirms she's no longer involved with Jackson after less than a year together.

When talking about her rescue cat, Yoyo, Lupita said her love for him is singular ... explaining that if she's "ever so lucky to be in a romantic relationship again," it'll be all thanks to Yoyo.