PETA

This is disgusting, disturbing, heartless, shameful and shockingly cruel.

The seas of Denmark are blood red for a reason ... the red is the blood of 200 dolphins that were slaughtered by locals in the Faroe Islands.

It's part of an ancient Norse tradition ... plunging metal hooks into the blowholes of dolphins before severing their spines. In case you didn't know ... these are highly intelligent animals that express emotion and feel pain.

Animal Crackers are now FREE ... from their cages, that is.

It took 116 years, but the packaging of Barnum's Animals no longer depicts the exotic creatures in pens.

Nabisco's popular snack now features a zebra, an elephant, a lion, a giraffe and a gorilla roaming free among grass and trees.

Previously, packaging showed animals and their young locked up in cages.

The stark change has been driven by PETA. In April 2016, the animal rights organization gave notice to Nabisco's parent company, Mondelez International, saying circuses would shock, chain, beat and whip animals in order to intimidate them and force them into performing tricks.

PETA also brought to light dubious practices like circuses separating mothers from their babies and holding animals in chains and cages.

Circuses across the country have also been undergoing change. Ringling Bros. shut down in May 2017 after 146 years in operation, the result of mounting pressure from animal welfare groups, skyrocketing operation costs, legal battles and declining ticket sales.

A dog on a movie set was put in a cage, violently spun around and dropped into freezing cold waters ... and nothing about it was pretend.

Sources on the set of "Crazy Alien" tell us the scene, shot in China in November, featured a German Shepherd hoisted high above the ground in the cage. According to the script, the dog was captured by aliens.

You see in the clip -- provided by PETA -- the cage turns around with considerable ferocity before being hurled into a nearby river. We're told the scene was repeated multiple times until the director was satisfied.

Our sources onset say the dog was shaken up after the stunt, but did not appear to be injured.

Matthew Morrison, who starred in "Glee," is featured as the star ... we're told he was not onset when the scene was shot.

Logan Paul is teaching millions of his young followers to be cruel to animals with his dead rat taser video -- this according to PETA, which now wants the clip yanked.

Lisa Lange -- PETA's Senior Vice President -- tells TMZ that the video posted this week showing Logan repeatedly firing a taser at a dead rat is repulsive, adding that it's clear he hasn't learned his lesson from the suicide forest debacle.

Lange says PETA is also calling on YouTube to take Logan's clip down entirely, explaining ... "This sort of content has no place on YouTube or anywhere else, as it could desensitize young people to cruelty to animals." She adds ... "PETA is calling on the platform to remove it."

As you'll recall ... Logan's catching a new wave of backlash for his latest stunt. He tases the dead rat, lifts it from the string, and tases it again once it's in the trash. Safe to say, people are pissed.

Sarah Silverman rolled her eyes at PETA for pissing on the puppy gag at the Grammys.

We got the funny lady Tuesday at LAX and asked about PETA bitching that James Corden handed out pups as a consolation prize. PETA thinks it was wrong to put the dogs under bright lights and it sent a bad message that dogs are prizes rather than family members.

The drunk Philadelphia Eagles fan who allegedly attacked a police officer AND his horse should be BANNED from owning pets AND attending Eagles games ever again ... this according to a huge animal rights org.

Cops reported the fan, Taylor Hendricks, repeatedly attacked an officer and his horse as he was being escorted out of Saturday's game against the Falcons. Hendricks was arrested for aggravated assault, illegally taunting a police horse, simple assault and defiant trespass.

But Stephanie Bell, senior director for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, tells TMZ Sports Hendricks should get more than that.

"PETA is asking the prosecutor to charge the suspect with cruelty to animals, and if he's convicted, we hope sentencing will include a psychiatric evaluation and a ban on owning or harboring any animals, from horses to dogs and cats."

"Anyone who would violently attack an animal likely has rage issues and could be a danger to the community at large."

Robert Pattinson is a hero to 4-legged friends for refusing to masturbate a dog for a movie scene ... so says PETA.

The actor told Jimmy Kimmel Thursday night the director of his latest flick, "Good Time," wanted him to shoot a scene in which he pleasured a pooch, but Pattinson drew a line in the sand and refused.

PETA is now praising Pattinson, saying the scene is both a form of mistreatment and "like child molestation."

The animal rights org refers to a story TMZ broke, involving a distressed dog that appeared to have been forced to swim in raging waters in the movie "A Dog's Purpose," saying, "PETA depends on actors and crew members to come forward when they see mistreatment."

PETA says it's now on the case, trying to determine if any laws have been broken.

Kylie Jenner felt the heat from animal rights protesters, and got the hell out ... cutting short a photo op in Vegas amid chants that she has the blood of innocent animals on her hands.

Kylie was attending the grand opening of Sugar Factory Saturday night, where she paused for photos on the red carpet ... before being bum-rushed by the protesters.

Sounds like their specific beef is with Kylie wearing fur -- which she was not doing at the event, but has in the past. Protesters were loud, but never got physical with Kylie ... unlike those who nailed her sister, Kim, years ago.

Some of Kylie's furs have been advertised as fake in the past, but that clearly doesn't matter to the activists here. Faux or not ... they don't appreciate her flaunting fur.

"A Dog's Purpose" executive producer Gavin Polone makes no bones about it ... the video posted by TMZ showing a distressed German Shepherd shows mistakes were made on the set, but he insists the animals featured in the movie were well cared for and protected.

Polone strongly believes PETA is smearing the movie by trying to mislead the public into believing the dog and other animals were put in harm's way.

And Polone has harsh words for the American Humane Association, which he says should have stopped the action when the Shepherd made it clear he did not want in the water.

PETA's first official protest poster against "A Dog's Purpose" barks out its mission statement ... "For Dog's Sake, Don't See This Movie."

We got our hands on the literature PETA just created for its planned nationwide picketing of theaters where the movie will play, starting Friday. Sources close to the org tell TMZ they'll be sending out as many boxes of the

as needed, to anyone who wants to help spread the word ... free of charge.

We're told more than 1,000 people in at least 25 cities have already requested the posters, which include a discussion about the video TMZ posted, showing Hercules, the German Shepherd, distressed while filming a scene.

People who want to see "A Dog's Purpose" will be greeted by animal rights activists and taunted if they buy tickets and enter the theater.

PETA organizers tell TMZ they have plans to hit theaters across the country ... protesting the treatment of the animal actors in the flick. As you know, the controversy erupted after TMZ posted video of a German Shepherd in distress when a handler tried to pull the canine into the water.

The studio says the dog was treated humanely throughout the filming and the 40 second incident was harmless ... the dog was willing to go in the water but got freaked out because producers changed the point of entry.

We're told the picketers will be reminiscent of striking union workers, protesting scabs who attempt to cross the picket line.

The studio already canceled the Hollywood premiere and press junkets for fear of violence by animal rights groups.

The movie opens Friday.

Eddie Alvarez isn't the only one taking shots at Conor McGregor ... 'cause PETA is calling out the MMA superstar over the flashy mink coat he wore during the UFC 205 presser Thursday, TMZ Sports has learned.

Aside from McGregor's usual news conference antics, all eyes were on his outfit ... which featured what he claims to be an all white Gucci mink.

PETA's Senior Vice President, Lisa Lange, took notice ... and called out the Notorious for his fashion choice.

"There are few things more out of touch than draping yourself in the skins of animals who were beaten, electrocuted, and even skinned alive for their fur," Lange says.

"Real men leave the beatings in the ring -- and fight, not support, animal abuse."

Gronk isn't the only future Hall of Fame tight end to bare his buns to the world ... 'cause NFL legend Tony Gonzalez says he publicly stripped down too ... but for a good cause.

Gonzalez was out at Bristol Farms when we asked for his thoughts on Gronk's nude shoot in GQ ... and if he'd ever strip down and show off the goods himself.

Check out the clip -- Tony lets us know he beat Gronk to the punch ... saying him and the lovely wife took it all off for PETA way before Gronk actually showed Hailey Clauson his scoring machine.

Take a look below ... Tony in all his glory.

8:40 AM PT-- Hackenberger just announced he is stepping down as Director of the zoo ... but still proclaims his innocence.

Bowmanville Zoo owner Michael Hackenberger, the trainer PETA filmed whipping a tiger, has been charged with 5 counts of animal cruelty by Ontario's SPCA.

The SPCA filed the charges Wednesday after thoroughly reviewing the Bowmanville Zoo, which he owns and where he trains his animals.

The charges against Hackenberger are based on the video which surfaced 4 months ago, and include causing the animal distress by striking it with a whip handle, repeatedly striking it with a whip, and pushing his thumb into the animal’s eye.

He was also charged for failing to comply with the animal care standards required by law. In Canada, the SPCA has the right to remove animals and file charges. For now, it's only closely monitoring Hackenberger's zoo.

Jada Pinkett Smith is starting to catch heat for adorning her living room with what appears to be some sort of ivory tusk ... but we've learned it's as fake as a Big Foot sex tape.

We're told the tusks -- there are actually 2 of them -- are ceramic and hollow.

For the record, it's illegal to buy and sell elephant tusks.

Get the point?

PETA is blowing the whistle on celebrity animal trainer Michael Hackenberger by releasing a brutal video showing him whipping a tiger several times until it cowers on its back during a training session.

Hackenberger is the director of the Bowmanville Zoo in Ontario, Canada and his Hollywood credits include "The Interview," "Life of Pi" and "George of the Jungle," a Disney movie.

It's painful to watch ... Hackenberger appears to whip the animal about 20 times. At one point in the video, he admits PETA would burn his training facility to the ground if they saw his training techniques.

Hackenberger's denying PETA's claims ... he argues he was hitting the ground with his whip and that PETA sliced the video to make it look worse.

It's been a bad year for big cats.