Pets

Samuel L. Jackson has a twin -- if the definition of "twin" is a black dog wearing the same hat and glasses as SLJ. Yep, that -- and some lip-syncing -- is all it takes.

Justin Bieber's hamster PAC -- the one he gave away to a random screaming fan less than three months ago -- is now spinning in that great hamster wheel in the sky ... in other words, he's dead.

TMZ broke the story ... Bieber unloaded the pet on an unsuspecting teenage girl in Atlanta last December ... cage and everything ... following his Jingle Ball concert. He told her, "That's all you ... you gotta take care of PAC."

The girl -- 18-year-old Tori McClure -- promised to take good care of the rodent ... and she actually did ... until the poor bastard kicked the bucket this week.

Tori tells TMZ, the hamster started to lose its hair two weeks ago so she took it to the vet over the weekend, but it was too little, too late.

We did some rodent research ... hamster hair loss can be caused by a variety of ailments, including chronic renal failure or a low protein diet ... it's unclear exactly what was eating PAC.

Tori says she buried PAC by a tree in her backyard, telling TMZ, "It's very peaceful there."

Unlike a Bieber concert.

Internet sensation Grumpy Cat got swarmed at the South by Southwest festival, and to prove just how big a star she's become -- she peed all over a certain human celeb we all know!

In case you doubted how pampered Grumpy Cat really was this week in Texas ... TMZ has obtained photographic evidence of her lavish lifestyle ... replete with limo rides and king-sized beds.

The limo pic might be the best -- but you gotta see GC curled up on her very own king-sized bed ... it's ridiculous.

TMZ broke the story ... Grumps has been living the life in Austin this week where she's been shooting Friskies commercials -- endless steak dinners, bottled water, constant fluffing ... and raking in a 5-figure paycheck for all her hard work.

1st class plane tickets ... endless filet mignon ... her own king-sized bed ... 5-figure paychecks ... and that's just a tiny glimpse into the ridiculous life of the Internet sensation known as Grumpy Cat.

The cat's manager -- yes, she has one -- tells TMZ, the famous feline is in Austin, TX this week to shoot commercials for Friskies (the cat's sponsor) and to appear at the SXSW Interactive festival.

Grumpy flew first class ... and she's been living it up ... with her own, full-time assistant to brush her, an endless supply of Friskies as well as other treats, bottled water and her very own room at a four-diamond hotel ... king-sized bed included.

And to get around Austin ... Grumpy has her own chauffeur.

Gives a whole new meaning to Aristocats.

Michael Vick's new dog is the WORST possible breed for a convicted dog killer ... and that's from the official organization that breeds the dog.

The American Belgian Malinois Club and Rescue tells TMZ, the group is very concerned that Vick is allowed to own ANY dog, but the Belgian Malinois is especially problematic. The breed is highly trainable and they could easily become dangerous if they land in the wrong hands.

Vick, as you know, ended up training pit bulls to fight and kill.

Belgian Malinois -- which are frequently used by the military and police -- have the same fighting potential as pit bulls.

Although the organization thinks dogs should be off-limits in the Vick household, they believe a more docile pooch -- like a lab -- would be way more appropriate.

NeNe Leakes flagged down a Beverly Hills cop today ... after accidentally locking her dog in her car ... TMZ has learned.

The "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star left her keys in the vehicle and couldn't figure out how to get the door open. The resourceful cop did the trick, and fido was free!

The dog was never in real danger ... it's pretty cold in Bev Hills today.

In case you're interested, it appears the dog in distress was a yorkie named Playa.

Your key, Miss Leakes.

Michael Vick made a bizarre choice when he picked out his new puppy ... 'cause the convicted dog fighter's new poochie is one of the TOUGHEST breeds around ... one that's used by the Navy SEALS.

Vick was spotted out at a dog training class at a PetSmart in New Jersey recently ... where he's been working with his new pet ... a Belgian Malinois.

FYI -- the Belgian Malinois have a great reputation as a military working dog ... and according to reports, the Navy SEALS who killed Bin Laden had a BM with them at the time of the raid.

According to CrossingBroad.com, the dog is a female named "Angel."

"Destiny's Child" singer Kelly Rowland's never faced a more difficult choice! Babies or puppies -- which takes the crown of cuteness??? It's about to get all adorable up in this piece.

An award-winning TV and film director was killed in a gruesome shark attack off the coast of New Zealand today ... as authorities grabbed guns and opened fire on the animals.

46-year-old Adam Strange -- who's directed a whole bunch of international commercials for companies like Pepsi and Firestone -- was swimming at a popular NZ beach when a Great White pulled him underwater. According to local reports, at least 3 other sharks were drawn to the attack.

Local police jumped in a small boat and raced over to the scene ... joined by a helicopter. The cops fired at least 20 shots at the sharks, but it was too late.

One shark was reportedly killed in the gunfire ... and its body -- measuring 14-feet long -- washed up on shore a short time later.

As for Strange -- authorities were able to recover his body after the attack.

It's clear from the photos ... Paisley couldn't be happier with Bun Bun's undying presence.

Why does this sound so familiar?

Tareq Salahi is finally moving on ... dog-wise, at least. Dog sources tell TMZ ... the famed White House crasher has replaced his beloved Doberman Pinscher with ... another Dobie.

You'll recall ... Tareq formerly shared a Doberman named Rio with ex-wife Michaele ... that is, before she turned into a Journey-banging groupie and left him. Rio got super depressed soon after ... and later died of a broken heart ... at least that's Tareq's story.

And get this -- we're told the first thing the 1-year-old doggie replacement did was run over to Rio's grave and pay tribute to the fallen pooch.

As for a name ... it's between either Bruno or Bravo.

It was Melanie Griffith to the rescue in L.A. ... when the actress and her husband rolled into an animal rescue center a few weeks ago and adopted 2 puppies that had been abandoned and abused ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell us ... Melanie and Antonio Banderas stopped by the Ace of Hearts organization roughly 3 weeks ago, after two of their dogs passed away ... and wanted to bring a couple of new puppies into their homes.

We're told Mel and Antonio had worked with Ace of Hearts in the past ... and are strong supporters of adopting rescues.

According to our sources, Melanie and Antonio fell in love with 2 shepherd lab mixes -- who happened to be brother and sister ... and immediately took them into their family.

Gotta love a story with a happy ending.

73-year-old Oscar-nominated actor James Cromwell was arrested this morning at the University of Wisconsin -- after bursting into a board meeting ... claiming the school tortures cats in the name of science.

Cromwell was arrested with PETA spokesman Jeremy Beckham, who accompanied Cromwell on the protest ambush.

PETA posted video of the protest ... in which Cromwell and Beckham burst into a UW System Board of Regents meeting, shouting and holding signs showing a cat with metal implanted in its head at a UW-Madison lab.

PETA has claimed 30 cats a year at UW-Madison are starved, deafened, and decapitated for brain research that hasn't accomplished its goals of improving human hearing. The university denies the accusations.

During the protest, Cromwell shouted, "This is not science. This is cruel!" Beckham then went limp and dropped to the floor in front of the regents, holding the cat torture sign over his head.

The regents were obviously taken aback by the sudden distraction, but no one responded to Cromwell or Beckham.

A University spokesperson said police showed up shortly after and dragged Beckham out of the room. Cromwell was escorted out in handcuffs. The meeting immediately resumed.

The UW spokesperson said both men were taken to a nearby jail and are expected to be charged with disorderly conduct.

The director of the UW–Madison Research Animal Resources Center released a statement following the protest, saying, "Today's events are just another attempt by outside activists to draw attention to a cause. They have attacked and distorted this research -- which has very real benefits for people who are deaf -- from every angle imaginable."

The director added, "Exhaustive independent investigation by the USDA, which regulates the use of animals in research, concluded that PETA's allegations are baseless."

Baltimore Ravens stars Joe Flacco and Ed Reed dominated on the field to win the Super Bowl -- but somehow they got upstaged by livestock! In Harvey's mind, anyway.

Justin Bieber decided to give his bad luck Ferarri a rest yesterday afternoon and went horseback riding with a few friends in North Hollywood.

Just in 2013 alone, Bieber's white Ferrari was at the center of a paparazzo's death, bottomed out at the Four Seasons parking lot and got pulled over for tinted windows ... all while people other than Bieber were driving.