Animals

Chris Brown’s housekeeper swears she thought she was going to be killed by an aggressive dog at his Los Angeles mansion ... testifying the canine dragged her by her skin.

On Monday, Maria Avila, who had only worked at Chris’ home four times, took the stand in her $90 million dog attack case against Breezy ... telling the jury she was unaware dogs were present at the home ... until one viciously attacked her.

Avila said she was not warned by Chris or anybody on his team about the dogs. 

The only quacks that prospered from the new Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool are the ones who installed it, because duck life really sucks now.

When you dive into the before and after, it's no wonder at least one of the flock is already a dead duck. The algae is everywhere. Even though the before pic is kinda gnarly, it was like paradise compared to the new and less improved.

The algae could be the dreaded cyanobacteria, which are extremely toxic to animals that skim the pool.

7:11 PM PT -- Mayor Karen Bass released the following statement after the footage dropped ... “What I saw on the bodycam footage is disturbing and tragic. The Chief and I agreed that it was important to release the bodycam footage swiftly. While the investigation is ongoing, I am very concerned about why shots were fired and Jameson was killed. This shooting makes clear that while LAPD provides officers with written guidance on the use of force and pets, this is not enough."

She added ... “I have directed the Police Commission President and the Chief to examine the Department's Use of Force policy on Dog Encounters to determine best practices from around the country, and use this opportunity to update the LAPD's overall tactics, policies, and training related to the use of lethal force to increase safety for everyone – officers, Angelenos and their pets.”

Warning: Graphic Video

An officer fired not once, but four times, in the controversial fatal shooting of the Canoga Park dog, Jameson, on Saturday.

The LAPD just released the bodycam footage from the officer who killed Marie Marseille's golden retriever, Saint Bernard, and poodle mix ... and it's difficult to watch.

When officers first approach Marie's apartment, she cracks the door ... and Jameson pokes his head out and barks.

The family of the doodle shot and killed by the Los Angeles Police Department during a New York Knicks celebration says they will sue if the LAPD doesn't admit to their wrongdoing ... TMZ has learned.

The dog's family tells TMZ his owner, Marie Marseille, has hired an attorney as an investigation is underway over the shocking shooting of the beloved 2-year-old poodle mix named Jameson on Saturday ... and she's ready to put up a fight against the LAPD so Jameson gets justice.

The attorney, Brett Greenfield, tells TMZ ... "If the LAPD does not address this appropriately relating to the officer and my client, I will be filing a lawsuit. We play to win, it's just that simple. We are not happy about this."

Another horse-drawn carriage incident has rocked the Big Apple ... this time, a horse took off running, and a teen passenger fell out of the carriage and died, TMZ has learned.

The tragedy, which occurred Wednesday afternoon, was partially captured on video shared online that showed the horse dashing away with the 18-year-old male seated in the carriage in Central Park.

In the vid, the carriage clumsily jumps a sidewalk as the horse gallops away, causing the teen to topple to the ground. Police sources tell us the horse raced off after getting startled by something.

Los Angeles' top cop is speaking out after outrage erupted over the fatal police shooting of a dog in Canoga Park ... with Chief Jim McDonnell promising a "full and comprehensive review."

In a newly released statement, McDonnell stressed there's "no incident more serious" than when an officer fires a service weapon ... adding, "The loss of a pet is deeply personal."

The chief said the probe will take time to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability, while adding that officers face unknown dangers daily but are still expected to exercise sound judgment, restraint and respect for life whenever possible.

Karen Bass isn't letting the LAPD off the hook for killing a cute, fluffy dog last during a Knicks NBA Finals celebration.

The Los Angeles mayor has ordered a probe into the LAPD officers who shot to death Jameson -- a mixed golden retriever, Saint Bernard and poodle -- after police responded to Saturday's distress call of a woman screaming at an apartment complex, the California Post reports. 

In a statement to the outlet, Bass said ... "Every life lost to violence is a tragedy, and we know that the devastating loss of Jameson will be felt by his family forever."

A startling photo circulating on social media appears to show a man eating a rabbit while walking through a residential Milwaukee neighborhood ... and now city officials are reviewing the matter ... TMZ has learned.

The image, shared in a local Facebook group, appears to show a man holding what looks like a partially skinned rabbit carcass to his mouth while walking down a sidewalk on the city's East Side. According to the post, the incident occurred within the last several days.

The cause of death for the Central Park carriage horse that collapsed in front of horrified onlookers has officially been revealed ... and investigators say a toxic plant is to blame.

According to a report released Tuesday by the Transport Workers Union of America, the horse stopped during a ride near East 90th Street in Manhattan and ate part of a Japanese yew shrub ... an ornamental plant known to be highly toxic and often fatal to horses.

The union cited findings from the horse's necropsy report, arguing the death was not the result of mistreatment ... pushing back against renewed calls to ban carriage horses in New York City.

The Los Angeles Police Department shot and killed a 2-year-old dog after his owner had the cops called on her for screaming after the Knicks the NBA title ... and we're told police have yet to apologize to the grieving woman.

Marie Marseille is the late dog's owner and her sister, Vanessa, tells TMZ ... the family is mourning the death of Marie's doodle, Jameson, and they're trying to comfort each other amid a "very shocking and devastating" situation.

And to rub salt into the wound, Marie's sister tells us LAPD has NOT offered the family an apology following Saturday night's tragedy.

Texas GOP Convention attendees got an unexpected live demonstration of why you should always know where the nearest exit is ... 'cause an elephant being led through the event suddenly stopped and unleashed a massive stream of pee near a crowd ... and it's all on video.

The wet and wild moment was caught on camera Friday ... footage shows the elephant casually making its way through the convention floor before nature called and it answered in a big way.

Reporters and conventiongoers nearby appeared stunned as the animal turned part of the venue into an impromptu splash zone. Fortunately, it doesn't appear anyone was hit ... though a few people may have gotten more excitement than they bargained for.

Ten years after a 2-year-old boy was killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World, newly released records reveal the resort has removed a staggering 414 gators from its property since the tragedy.

The staggering number comes a decade after 2-year-old Lane Graves was fatally drowned by an alligator while playing near the shoreline of a lagoon outside Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in June 2016.

According to records, obtained by ClickOrlando, hundreds of alligators have been trapped and removed from Disney World property since the tragedy, highlighting the ongoing challenge of managing wildlife at the massive Florida resort.

A carriage horse in NYC's famed Central Park collapsed and died ... traumatizing onlookers as efforts to revive the poor animal were unsuccessful ... and it's all on video.

Heartbreaking footage shows the horse laid out on the ground and the carriage driver in distress ... as someone rushes in to do compressions on the brown-and-white equine.

NYPD tells us ... officers responded after a 911 call came in around 7:30 PM Tuesday for a horse suffering a medical episode. Police confirmed the horse did not survive.

9:50 AM PT -- A spokesperson for DC BLOX tells TMZ ... the company "has heard and appreciates the concerns that have been raised about our newly proposed data center in Nashville near the zoo ... we look forward to discussing with community leaders how our project can responsibly address the concerns expressed about the Nashville project."

Brad Paisley is super pissed about a plan to build an artificial intelligence data center near the Nashville Zoo ... and he's hoping to stop the development.

The country star posted a video message slamming the "absolute nightmare" the proposed data center would create ... telling fans it's a crap idea that would ruin the area.

A permit has been filed to demolish two buildings in the area to make way for the proposed 69,000-square-foot data center, which the zoo says would be about 50 yards from some of its animals, including leopards.

Brad says ... "It doesn't belong there. It would be an enormous monstrosity, an absolute eyesore, and detract in every way, for not only that zoo, but also that area."

"Tiger King" star Doc Antle is celebrating a huge legal win ... after Virginia's Supreme Court threw out all of his remaining convictions stemming from his lion cub purchases.

Antle had been convicted on charges tied to buying lion cubs from a Virginia zoo owner in 2018 and 2019. But Virginia's highest court ruled the law prosecutors used never actually made it illegal to purchase the animals.

The justices found the statute banned the sale of endangered species -- not the purchase of them -- and tossed Antle's convictions and the indictments behind them.

Matt Damon spent some quality time with a few four-legged friends searching for forever homes ... meeting with a group of rescue dogs at a famous animal rescue center founded by Clint Eastwood's daughter.

The Oscar winner recently appeared in The Dodo's "Dream Date" series at Eastwood Ranch Foundation in Agoura Hills, CA where he got to know several adoptable pups with big personalities.

The video follows Matt as he spends time with each dog ... playing, cuddling, and learning their stories along the way.

Among the cute pups ... Jojo, an endlessly playful dog, Piper, a deaf and blind sweetheart, Duke, a Doberman with a serious love of toys, and Betsy, an affectionate pit bull who's been waiting more than 18 months for a family to choose her.