Pets

San Francisco Giants fans got their wish ... the "good luck" monkey -- whose birth coincided with a string of Giants victories -- WILL be named after one of the World Series winning players, and TMZ has learned who gets the honor.

A rep for the SF Zoo tells TMZ, the red-haired Francois' langur monkey will forever be named Romo -- after Giants' closing pitcher Sergio Romo ... who struck out Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera to clinch the WS Sunday night.

Romo (the monkey) rose to fame during the NLCS -- when the Giants went on a 3-game winning streak right after its birth.

Fans claimed Romo's miraculous birth was responsible for the Giants' wins -- and demanded the zoo name the "Lucky Langur" after a current Giants player.

The zoo's rep says they settled on the name because the monkey shares Sergio's "playful spirit."

Ya can't blame a deer for wanting to work its tan on a ritzy Hawaiian beach ... and do some body surfing -- but it's gotta learn to keep the noise down. Rich folk have sensitive ears.

Halloween ain't just for kids and sluts ... just ask actress Angelique Cabral's poor dog -- which, like millions of other pets -- has a bad case of costume-shame.

As the world is well aware, Olympian McKayla Maroney isn't impressed by much, but we may have finally found something that she actually does appreciate ... an exotic bird.

While the cheetah exhibit at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay elicited her trademark bored smirk on Thursday, the 16-year-old gold medal winning gymnast showed some positive emotion and appeared generally excited with an African Ground Hornbill perched on her arm.

She's so fowl.

The tribe has spoken -- and the adorable 12-legged man's best friend walked away with the win in our Doggie Dress Up Photo Contest... scoring the $250 bones and some great gifts from TMZ!

The awww-inducing puppy pictures poured into the TMZ newsroom for our Doggie Dress Up Contest and one thing's for sure ... there is nothing cuter than a dog publicly humiliated for our enjoyment!

Be sure to check back on Monday to vote for which costumed canine should score the $250 prize and some great gifts from TMZ!

In their opening statements, lawyers for Lynne Spears and the conservatorship told the jury ... Sam tried to look like a savior to Britney and would stoop so low as to emotionally torture her.

Michael Vick has finally said squarely ... his family does indeed have a dog.

There's been a lot of controversy over whether Vick -- who served hard time for brutally killing multiple dogs, should own one again.

Vick says, "I understand the strong emotions by some people about our family's decision to care for a pet. As a father, it is important to make sure my children develop a healthy relationship with animals."

Fact: Wayne Newton owns wallabies ... several of them.

Fact: Wallabies are indigenous to Australia and are rarely found in the U.S.

Fact: Cops were called to the area near Wayne's Las Vegas mansion Tuesday morning after getting reports of a wild wallaby running loose in the neighborhood.

Fact: The wallaby was apprehended and returned to its owner.

Fact: Clark County Animal Control SWEARS the owner of the wallaby is NOT Wayne Newton.

So, in conclusion ... Animal Control wants us to believe that someone else other than Wayne Newton owns a frickin' WALLABY ... in the middle of the Nevada desert.

Smells like walla-B.S. to us.

Johnny Lewis murdered his landlady and then fell to his death -- but he also viciously took the life of the landlady's cat by beating it to death and DISMEMBERING it in the process ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ broke the story that Lewis -- who appeared on "Sons of Anarchy" -- seemed to be on PCP or meth, because he had exhibited superhuman strength as he fought two neighbors immediately after committing murder.

Law enforcement sources tell us Lewis went wild on landlady Catherine Davis' cat ... kicking and beating the life out of the animal and "tearing it apart." Law enforcement tells us Lewis did NOT use a weapon, but rather his bare hands and feet.

Lewis is the only suspect in the murder and cat killing. We're told cops are confident -- Lewis was the culprit.

Supermodel Maggie Rizer says United Airlines killed her dog -- and then lied about it.

Maggie says she was flying from NYC to San Fran two weeks ago and brought her 2-year-old Golden Retriever along. Maggie says Bea and her other dog were crated in the underbelly of the plane.

According to Maggie, the plane was delayed for two hours and the plane got so hot the pilot told the passengers to open their air vents. She believes the cargo area wasn't ventilated and the hot air caused her dog to die of heat stroke.

And it gets worse. Maggie says United coldly told her after the plane landed that one of her dogs was dead and then lied to her -- saying they sent the dog to the vet for a necropsy (to determine cause of death) but that never happened. The dead dog was just sitting in the crate.

Maggie says, "I am so saddened by the complete lack of competence, honesty and compassion that United has shown." Nevertheless, she is not planning to sue. FYI, the liability limitations would not make a lawsuit worth her time.

A horseback rider claims he was nearly killed while riding a horse on Dennis Quaid's equestrian estate, and he's suing the actor over his life-threatening injuries.

70-year-old Lester Wood claims Quaid gave him permission to use a trail on the actor's property to ride a horse to a nearby park in the exclusive Pacific Palisades area of L.A.

Wood said in an interview with the Palisadian-Post newspaper, the sprinkler system next to Quaid's trail suddenly activated, spooking the horse which reared up and fell on top of him.

Next thing Wood knew he was in critical condition at a nearby hospital with a concussion, fractured scapula, torn aorta, multiple pulmonary emboli, broken ribs, a nicked liver, a tear in his bladder, fractured lumbar discs, a shattered pelvis, internal bleeding, and a torn miniscus in his knee.

Wood says he was not wearing a helmet and was looking down at his watch at the time of the accident.

All told, Wood says the accident cost nearly $500,000 in medical bills -- and he blames Quaid -- who no longer owns the estate -- for what he believes is a flawed trail design.

"The Program" star Andrew Bryniarski has finally reunited with his 25 beloved puppies -- after animal cruelty charges against the actor were dropped yesterday, TMZ has learned.

TMZ broke the story ... Santa Monica police arrested Bryniarski last weekend, claiming he had left 25 starving dogs unattended in a mobile home that smelled like urine.

But yesterday, the charges were dropped because the dogs all checked out "healthy and happy" ... as Bryniarski had insisted from the beginning, claiming he was raising the dogs for adoption.

Bryniarski picked up his dogs moments ago at the Santa Monica Animal Shelter, where they had been staying since his arrest, and the emotional reunion was all caught on tape.

"The Program" star Andrew Bryniarski is vindicated -- days after the actor was busted for animal cruelty, the charges have been dropped ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Santa Monica City Attorney decided to let the case go ... because the 25 dogs they found in Bryniarski's RV all checked out "healthy and happy."

TMZ broke the story ... Bryniarski -- aka psycho linebacker Lattimer from the '93 movie -- was arrested last week for animal cruelty when police found the pomeranian pups unattended in the RV.

Andrew always insisted he was merely running a mobile adoption center for the dogs ... and said they were in good health and well fed.

Now, he plans to reunite with the dogs as soon as the shelter opens this morning -- and tells us he will continue operating the adoption agency from his RV ... just not in Santa Monica.

Andrew also says he thinks the case hurt his acting career, and he's considering legal action against Santa Monica.

"The Program" star Andrew Bryniarski let TMZ inside his RV to show the world ... his mobile home is well-stocked to care for 25 dogs -- but the problem is he's trying to prove it 4 days too late.

We broke the story ... Santa Monica cops arrested Andrew and his pregnant girlfriend over the weekend for animal cruelty -- claiming his RV contained 25 starving dogs ... with no sign of food or water ... and the place stunk of urine.

But Andrew invited a TMZ camera into the RV on Wednesday in an effort to show us cops had it all wrong -- and in the video the place is stocked with water, food, and other pet care essentials.

Our camera guy also swears the RV does NOT smell like pee.

Of course, Andrew was arrested Saturday night ... so it's entirely possible he cleaned the RV and bought a bunch of supplies after the fact.

Andrew insists he's legit ... telling us he purchased the RV from a local dog rescue to launch a mobile adoption center, and -- for what it's worth -- the rescue confirmed his story when we called.