Animals

Joe Exotic has apparently made up his mind -- he will die behind bars and refuse further treatment -- because his medical team believes his prostate cancer spread to his bladder.

In a letter obtained by TMZ, Joe says he's recently had a lot of blood in his urine and has been bleeding a lot during his prostate cancer treatments. Joe met with his urology specialist Wednesday who thinks Joe's cancer has spread to his bladder.

While Joe says his specialist wants him to go through some testing to be 100%, he's decided he won't seek treatment, writing, "I want to stay here and just let it take its course.”

It's unclear just how much longer Joe has to live, but he makes one thing very clear -- he won't stop his fight for justice, saying, “The world has to know just how corrupt our justice system is … If I have to be the one to die innocent in here fighting for the truth maybe people around the world will finally speak up for the truth for once.”

TMZ broke the story, Joe recently wrote up a new will, leaving everything to his fiancé, Seth Posey, who he met over the internet.

Joe's clearly still got Seth on his brain, ending his most recent letter by saying, "I could care less about dying, my birthday is coming up soon and all I want is to see Seth.”

The 911 call from an alligator's deadly attack on an 85-year-old woman in Florida has just been released ... and it's terrifying.

The frightened caller, who saw it all go down, tells the 911 dispatcher ... "There's a woman in the lake. The alligator's got her!"

The caller says the huge gator grabbed the woman as she walked her small dog by the water, telling the dispatcher ... "He pulled her into the lake."

The dispatcher asks if the gator dragged the woman below the surface ... and the caller says "Yes."

As the call unfolds, the caller says she hasn't seen the woman surface for several minutes ... but about 8 minutes in the caller notices a body floating in the water and exclaims, "I think she's gone, oh my God."

As we reported ... the attack happened Monday at a retirement community in Fort Pierce, FL, where the victim, 85-year-old Gloria Serge, was walking her dog near a retention pond when the gator lunged at them.

The roughly 10-foot alligator was ultimately captured and killed ... but the woman's dog survived.

Just when you think you've seen it all ... check out this crazy clip of a couple of snowBOARders gettin' their shred time interrupted by a wild animal in a pretty violent way.

The video of the porky perp comes all the way from a snow resort in Myoko, Japan ... you can see the animal come from higher up on the mountain, ramming directly into an unsuspecting snowboarder.

After taking a few shots at the first person -- and knocking them to the ground -- it takes off to victim #2, who defends themself with a few swings of their board. The boar eventually runs away from the humans, which is when the video cuts off.

Staff nearby reportedly didn't buy the snowboarders' claims of a boar attack ... that is, until they saw the crazy clip for themselves.

The video's since gone pretty viral, and comments show just how divided the internet is on it -- some call the defense strategy cruel to the animal, while others say they couldn't help but laugh.

Spencer -- the dog who became a star for cheering on runners during the Boston Marathon each year -- has sadly passed away after battling cancer. He was 13.

Spencer's owner, Rich Power, made the announcement on Tuesday ... saying the golden retriever died at their home last Friday under the care of their veterinarian.

"We are devastated to share the news of Spencer's passing,' Powers said on social media.

"Spencer has overcome some severe medical challenges over the past several years. We thought we would be lucky to have him for an extra month."

Powers -- who was gifted the pup in 2009 -- explained he was diagnosed in September 2022, and unfortunately, the cancer was inoperable.

"Spencer was not ready to give up and with the love and positive energy sent to him by hundreds of thousands of fans, He beat the odds and gave us 28 months."

Spencer went viral back in 2018 after he was seen holding a "Boston Strong" flag during a rain storm at the race -- his usual spot at the event for nine years -- and the runners always showed him love.

In fact, the Boston Athletic Association named Spencer the official dog of the marathon last year and honored him with a portrait and medal at a ceremony in Boston.

"Spencer, your spirit and determination inspired us all," the B.A.A. said after his death.

"We'll miss you, and are proud to call you a friend and forever the Official Dog of the Boston Marathon."

Spencer's owners are asking fans to donate to his memorial fundraiser ... which helps the Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study.

The study focuses on canine health studies in the U.S. to "identify the nutritional, environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk factors for cancer and other diseases in dogs."

An elderly woman is dead after an alligator attacked while she was walking her dog -- and her efforts to save her pooch ended up costing her her life.

The tragedy happened Monday at a retirement community in Fort Pierce, FL where the beast lunged at 85-year-old Gloria Serge. The gator reportedly went after the dog first, but Gloria wasn't giving up her pet without a fight.

Unfortunately, Serge got knocked over in the struggle, and the alligator yanked her by the foot into a nearby pond ... where she drowned. Not too long after that, the authorities were called in to wrangle and kill the gator.

Photos released by the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Dept. show the dramatic scene ... officers straddling the reptile and tying it up as they prepared to haul it off in the back of a truck.

This one was estimated to be 10 feet in length, and was ultimately euthanized ... while the dog survived the ordeal.

As we know, gators are a dime a dozen in the sunshine state, and are incredibly dangerous. A toddler was killed under similar circumstances at Disney World in 2016.

Terrifying moment for Jon Jones and his family ... the UFC legend says his 9-year-old daughter came face-to-face with an agitated wild bobcat, but thankfully, she wasn't hurt.

The Jones fam lives in Albuquerque, NM ... and the area was hit with a winter snowstorm Tuesday night. Jon says someone accidentally left the door to his guest house ajar ... and as you're about to find out, a wild bobcat hit the jackpot, finding a warm place to rest.

Fast forward to Wednesday morning ... Jon says his daughter Olivia went to the guest house to retrieve a pair of sneakers, but she got a lot more than a Chuck Taylor.

"After completely walking into the room she was met with an aggressive hissing sound, she jumped on a countertop and a bobcat sprung out from underneath the bed, it stared at her," Jon wrote, describing the harrowing situation.

Jones -- who will return to the Octagon at UFC 284 in March -- says the bobcat ultimately bolted in the opposite direction ... a huge relief for dad.

"I'm so incredibly grateful this morning, that could've turned out so many different ways. Been thanking God all morning 🙌🏽"

Seven-time Super Bowl champ, three-time MVP, 15-time Pro Bowler ... and now, cat daddy?!

Tom Brady has just officially added that last title to his resume this week ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned he's adopted two Siamese mix kittens!!

We're told the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star got the kitties after he and his daughter, Vivian, fell in love with animals while volunteering at the Humane Society Of Tampa Bay this past season.

According to a spokesperson from the Humane Society, Brady and his daughter had been on the lookout for some new cats for the past few weeks ... and the perfect pair ultimately arrived right in time for Valentine's Day this week.

"Vivi wins again," Brady wrote in a video of the two cats playing around his house on Wednesday morning.

"This is what my mornings are like now," he added.

The future Hall of Famer also promised the Humane Society that the newest additions to the Brady household "are in good loving hands."

No word on the names of the cats yet ... but we're told the duo is just 10 weeks old -- and very adorable.

As we reported, Brady and his kids worked at the Tampa animal shelter all throughout his final NFL season -- alongside his former teammate Logan Ryan and his family.

Ryan's wife, Ashley, praised the ex-QB for the work earlier this month, writing, "It wasn’t about publicity, fundraising or recognition, it was about being a human being. It was about Tom taking the very thing his little girl loves the most and turning it into an opportunity to spend time together."

It's Gisele Bundchen's first Valentine's Day without Tom Brady in over a decade -- but she's still showing love for the romantic holiday nonetheless ... shouting out her doggos in a sappy IG post.

The supermodel -- who used to write about her love for TB12 every Feb. 14 -- switched up her message in the wake of her recent divorce from the NFL legend ... this year, choosing to pen a note to her pups.

"Pure love!!" said Gisele, who officially filed to split from Tom in October. "I am convinced they are little angels on Earth. Happy Valentine's Day to all! ❤️❤️❤️"

She added three photos to the post as well -- showing her getting some lovey kisses from the pets.

Of course, on this day just 12 months ago -- before trouble in paradise with the couple brewed -- Gisele and Tom swapped mushy messages about each other on their social media pages.

Bunchden even revealed she was planting trees in his honor to show him love.

The couple had dated since 2006 -- and were married for 13 years.

LeBron James' dinner wasn't baa-d ... it was literally goated -- 'cause the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was in the presence of two live farm animals at a gathering with his wife and friends.

King James was honored with a pregame ceremony for becoming the NBA's all-time points leader before L.A.'s home matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks ... and the celebration continued into the night, with Bron and about 20 of his close friends hitting up A.O.C. in West Hollywood for some wining and dining.

LeBron and Savannah arrived at the fancy wine bar after the game ... and moments later, two goats and their handlers showed up for the shindig.

We're told the four-legged friends stayed for about 15 minutes before making their exit ... which probably isn't too shocking, considering animals chilling in a restaurant might be a big no-no with the health department.

Of course, LeBron recently deemed himself the G.O.A.T. in an interview with the O.C. Register ... saying, "What I bring to the table as a basketball player ... I feel like I’m the best basketball player that ever played the game."

#6 is really leaning into the whole "GOAT" title now ... and while the haters may say it's a bit much, he doesn't seem to care.

There's a super big game coming up, and we're not talking about the Super Bowl ... dozens of puppies will face off in the 19th annual Puppy Bowl and it's all for a great cause!!!

Dan Schachner -- the 12-year Puppy Bowl "Ruff-eree" -- joined "TMZ Live" Thursday, and while we love Dan, we're mostly thrilled that we got a visit from some furry and adorable reps for the upcoming game. Yeah, we're suckers for puppies, but these came on a mission.

Dan tells us, the event is all about raising awareness for rescuing dogs ... because shelter animals will be competing Sunday for the Lombarky Trophy. This year, more than 122 four-legged friends will play for either Team Ruff or Team Fluff ... and they hail from 67 different rescues and shelters across the country.

If you're interested in giving one a home, all the pups are adoptable & from Paw Works.

Look for stars like Tailen Hurts, Jimmy Kibble, and Josh Allenhound -- repping for Buffalo, of course -- come game day. Heck, they even got Tom Barky to come outta retirement!!!

Dan says there's a ton of pets who need homes, and that number only increased when folks returned to work after the pandemic.

This year's bowl is super special ... 11 pups with special needs will be featured. And it's the first time ever a dog from Dominica, West Indies will compete as well as a doggy from a Native American animal org.

If you're more of a cat person, there's even a kitty halftime show featuring cats from 3 different shelters.

Priscilla Presley nearly lost two children in two weeks ... at least according to her son, Navarone Garcia, who says a camel almost killed him days before Lisa Marie Presley died.

Navarone, Lisa's half-brother, claims he had a brush with death during a visit last month to an animal sanctuary outside Los Angeles ... where he says a hungry camel tried to eat him.

Priscilla's son says his mom was with him when he was feeding a 2,000-pound camel out of the palm of his hand ... telling People the camel started biting him when he ran out of food.

Navarone says the animal first bit his hand and lifted him up, then dropped him to the ground and pounced on him. With the camel on top of him, Navarone claims the animal wrapped its mouth around Navarone's head and bit him as sanctuary workers struggled to get the camel to release.

Priscilla, Navarone says, was freaking out as she watched the horrific scene unfold right in front of her, but fortunately, he claims a dog was Johnny on the spot and scared the camel off.

Navarone says the animal sanctuary called 911 but he preferred to make the hour trek back to Los Angeles to go to an emergency room closer to home. He says he walked into the ER with blood all over him and needed 34 staples in his head.

Cops say they nabbed the guy who stole those monkeys from the Dallas Zoo ... they nabbed him at an aquarium.

Dallas PD says 24-year-old Davion Irvin has been charged with 6 counts of animal cruelty. They say he's the same guy who was caught on surveillance video with a bag of Doritos, strolling through the zoo where the emperor tamarin monkeys were taken.

The 2 monkeys were found in the closet of an abandoned home.

Cops apparently got a tip Thursday ... a man matching the description of the guy on the surveillance vid was hanging around the Dallas World Aquarium.

As for the 6 counts of animal cruelty, cops tell us he's been hit with 3 counts per monkey for unsuitable habitat, abandonment and injury to animal.

Tom Brady spent his free time helping a great cause during his final NFL season -- his teammate, Logan Ryan's wife just revealed -- the quarterback and his kids regularly volunteered at a local animal shelter.

Ashley Bragg Ryan shared the touching tribute following Brady's retirement on Wednesday ... saying she didn't want to share another story about his on-field accomplishments, but rather shine a light on who he is as a human being instead.

Ashley says Tom, Logan and their kids would go to the humane society together every other weekend ... and the families would bond over playing with puppies and feeding kittens.

"It wasn’t about publicity, fundraising or recognition," Ashley said on Instagram. "It was about being a human being. It was about Tom taking the very thing his little girl loves the most and turning it into an opportunity to spend time together."

"It was about Tom reaching out to his friend, asking how to get involved, helping his community by giving something far more meaningful than money ... his time."

Ashley also shared pictures and videos of a visit back in August ... showing the two NFLers playing with the puppies and having a blast.

The 2 monkeys found in the closet of an abandoned home seem to be healthy after vanishing from a Dallas Zoo ... now officials are upping the stakes to find the culprit.

The Dallas Zoo gave a health update Wednesday on the 2 monkeys ... "Bella and Finn were so happy to snuggle into their nest sack here at the Zoo last night! Our vet and animal care teams have said, beyond losing a bit of weight, they show no signs of injury."

BTW ... these monkeys only weigh about a pound, so every ounce counts.

Officials said the 2 emperor tamarin monkeys started to eat and drink almost immediately after getting examined. Now they have to go through a quarantine period before they can be returned to their zoo habitat.

You'll recall, the 2 emperor tamarin monkeys were found Tuesday in the closet of an abandoned home in Lancaster TX ... a day after a Dallas zoo notified Dallas PD that they were missing from their habitat.

And, while health officials are watching over the monkeys, Dallas PD is trying to nab anyone involved in the heist ... the zoo's hiked the reward to $25K.

The two monkeys who went missing this week from the Dallas Zoo have been found ... cops say they were left in the closet of an abandoned home.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the emperor tamarin monkeys were found Tuesday afternoon at a home in Lancaster, Texas, and the animals have been returned to the zoo.

We're told Dallas Police received a tip the monkeys were possibly at an abandoned home in Lancaster ... with cops from Dallas and Lancaster following up on the tip and finding the monkeys in one of the empty home's closets.

As we reported ... the zoo notified Dallas PD Monday a couple of their emperor tamarin monkeys were missing from their habitats ... with the zoo also claiming there was evidence the monkeys were taken.

Cops put out an alert earlier Tuesday, saying they wanted to speak with a man who was spotted munching on a bag of chips at the zoo around the same time the monkeys vanished.

The Dallas Zoo issued a statement after the monkeys were found, saying they are "thrilled beyond belief" the animals were located. The zoo says the monkeys will be evaluated by veterinarians.

Cops say they want to speak with a man spotted munching on a bag of Doritos at the Dallas Zoo around the same time two monkeys went missing.

The Dallas PD just put out an alert expressing its interest in the hooded man -- including a photo and video taken of him walking around the zoo on Sunday. Law enforcement sources tell us at this point, he's not a suspect ... but someone who they clearly believe might have some info.

As we reported, Zoo officials noticed two of their emperor tamarin monkeys were missing Monday from their habitats ... and there was reason to believe the animals were taken from restricted areas that house them. The Dallas PD has since taken over the investigation.

It was only a few weeks ago when a clouded leopard went missing at the same zoo, causing the whole place to shut down temporality and officials to do a massive search.

Eventually, the leopard was located inside the zoo.