'Air Bud' Creator Kevin DiCicco Hospitalized With Severe Pneumonia

Kevin DiCicco, the man who owned Buddy -- star of the popular "Air Bud" movies -- and helped create the film series, is being treated by medical professionals as he battles a severe bout of pneumonia that landed him in the hospital ... TMZ has learned.

Kevin tells TMZ ... he contracted severe pneumonia two weeks ago and has been hospitalized in San Diego. He tells us the pneumonia is bad and he's currently being treated with an arsenal of antibiotics.

Kevin -- who found future dog-actor Buddy near his Yosemite cabin and took him in back in the day -- tells us amid his hospitalization for pneumonia ... he's still battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which he believes he got from his use of medical marijuana.

He's also suffering from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- MRSA -- a type of staph infection. He says the recovery process for the infection itself requires four to six weeks of antibiotics and medications to help him avoid sepsis, which can be fatal.

We broke the story ... DiCicco was staying in a shelter in San Diego in November but his 90-day limit was nearing its end. He had no idea where he'd go after leaving the shelter -- until a friend launched a GoFundMe.