If you want a "selfie" at the Kentucky Derby, ya better leave your selfie stick at home -- because Churchill Downs has officially BANNED everyone's favorite phone accessory.

It's a pretty big moment for professional sports -- since selfie sticks are super popular right now ... and seem to have a presence at major events all over the world ... from concerts to Super Bowl media day.

As for why Churchill Downs banned the item, reps say the move was in the best interest of both the fans and the horses ... this according to The Courier-Journal.

Animal shelters should keep Grammy winning singer Duffy and Daisy Fuentes on speed dial ... because together they're a one-two dog saving punch.

Our doggie sources say Duffy caught wind through an online dog forum that Bronx -- an adorable American Bulldog -- had one hour to live before an Orange County adoption center put him down ... so she stepped up and slipped $1,000 to L.A. shelter, Ace of Hearts to save him.

That's when Daisy got involved. We're told she was looking to foster a pooch and fell in love when she met Bronx at Ace of Hearts. Bronx is now shacking up with Daisy ... who's covering all the costs to get him ready for adoption -- and that includes potty training.

Such good girls ... yes you are.

Dog the Bounty Hunter is so into dogs, he allegedly tried to buy one off a fugitive ... while his cohorts were kicking in the guy's front door to haul his ass off to jail ... but Dog's lawyer says the fugitive is lying about him wanting to buying the pooch.

Dog's latest catch, James Hawkins tells TMZ ... he was arrested earlier this month at his Texas home, and as he was cuffed he claims Dog immediately locked eyes with his great dane -- and whipped out $1,000 cash to take it away.

Hawkins was pissed, and told Dog to lay off Duke -- a 7-year-old, 200 lb. pooch. He says Duke doesn't need to be rescued by DBH or anyone else.

Dog's lawyer, Marty Singer, tells TMZ his client NEVER tried to buy Duke ... never offered him a cent for the animal.

Hawkins -- who was wanted for failing to pay bond on a previous arrest -- is considering suing Dog for trespassing ... and forcing him to sign release papers for the reality show.

Meanwhile, Hawkins' fam didn't seem offended -- they all posed for pics with Beth Chapman while Dog was busting dear ole dad.

Justin Bieber's bodyguard has been in a heated standoff with photogs and cops ... but he's just been given a tough new detail ... babying Bieb's 8 oz. puppy.

Biebs isn't playing around when it comes to Esther -- the same adorable little Silky Terrier he wined and dined at Mastro's in Bev Hills on Sunday ... it looks like he's put his top dog, Michael Arana, on the job.

The good news ... if Arana can handle himself against a gaggle of Miami cops or some unruly London paps like he did in 2013, he can more than handle picking up Esther's doodie.

No shame in taking care of the lil' doggie, as long as he's not getting paid in kibble.

Justin Bieber has a new dog ... which has got to be worrisome for the pooch.

Bieber took the puppy for a fancy dinner at Mastro's Sunday night in Bev Hills. It's unclear why the restaurant let the terrier in.

Bieber Instagrammed the photo Sunday night ... showing the snuggly lil pup wrapped in Bieber's tatted arm. Her name is Esther ... reason unknown.

This is where history is both useful and alarming. You'll recall Biebs famously gave away his pet hamster to a fan a few years back (it died a few months later) and abandoned a pet monkey at a German animal shelter.

Good luck, Esther.

In honor of National Puppy Day, check out 15 of the most pampered pooches in all of Hollywood. Just try not to get too jealous!

When Guess model Cynthia Kirchner jets off around the world ... her trusted travel companion is always with her -- even though she's a dog!

No, seriously ... Bella has more stamps on her PASSPORT than you do. #depressed

Mally Mall is a little slow on the uptake ... he's giving Justin Bieber yet another animal he can abandon.

The famed producer was leaving Supperclub in Hollywood Friday night when our photog asked if JB will be the beneficiary of yet another animal in Mall's exotic menagerie. Mally was vague ... he'll be giving Justin a "feline" in Vegas Sunday for his never-ending birthday, but the feline family is large.

You'll recall ... Mally Mall gave Justin a monkey 2 years ago. Justin abandoned the monkey at a German animal shelter.

And who can forget the cute lil hamster Justin pawned off on a fan. The critter died a week later.

It'd be a lot smarter just to get Bieber 2 tickets to "Cats."

Sam Simon's cherished 3-year-old dog is heartsick over his owner's death, but there's already a new owner who is doing everything he can to ease the blow.

Tyson Kilmer, one of Sam's close friends who is also a dog trainer, tells us shortly after Sam was diagnosed, he called with a request -- love and cherish his Italian mastiff after he died.

Tyson gladly obliged, especially because of his history with Columbo. He trained the pooch for aggression issues when he was a pup.

Tyson had a plan he put into motion months before Sam died. Columbo spent time at Tyson's home so the permanent move wouldn't be too jarring.

We're told Columbo is adjusting well, but misses his dad. Kilmer took one of Sam's favorite hooded sweatshirts and laid it on Columbo's bed ... which the dog snuggles up with at night.

Good news ... Columbo has a girlfriend ... a pit bull named Kasha Fierce.

The biggest adjustment for Columbo ... moving from Pacific Palisades to Sherman Oaks ... woof.

James Van Der Beek adopted an adorable dog at an L.A. pound this week, which sounds fantastic for everyone except the woman who also had her heart set on the pooch.

Kristin Halvorsen tells us she saw the Chihuahua mix Sunday at a charity event called Woofstock. Kristin fell in love with the mutt and was told to come back on Tuesday to seal the deal. Problem was ... James was also at the event and told the very same thing.

They both returned to the shelter at the same time and were shocked that there was competition for the animal. The shelter people told them the policy ... when more than one person wanted the same dog, each would be told to write down a bid and submit it. Highest bidder gets the dog.

Kristin wrote down $300, but James bid higher, though we don't know how much, and he got the dog.

Kristin tells us she dissolved into tears, which is a little weird because she posed with James and his kids after she lost.

David Charvet's feud with his neighbor, the creator of "The Bachelor," has just made its way through the court, and the neighbor scored a victory ... but we found out the real culprits may be canines.

TMZ broke the story ... David called the cops last fall on his neighbor Mike Fleiss after Fleiss planted a speaker on his property and directed it at David and wife Brooke Burke's house, blaring sounds of nonstop barking dogs. Fleiss was charged with disturbing the peace.

A little digging on our part has revealed that David and Brooke's two German Shepherds -- Velvet and Thunder -- have had a history of running loose in Malibu's exclusive Serra Retreat.

Last July a neighbor reported to Animal Control that the two dogs were running loose and charged a home owner. Last February, Animal Control received yet another complaint that the dogs were off leash and aggressive toward another neighbor.

One neighbor wrote an email to Animal Control saying, "This SOB Charvet's dogs are a threat to my children." And we're told multiple neighbors have complained the dogs barked incessantly.

As for Charvet's feud with Fleiss, on Thursday a judge dismissed Charvet's request for a restraining order. Also on Thursday, a judge heard Fleiss' disturbing the peace case and agreed to dismiss it outright in May, provided he stays clear of Charvet until then.

With the news that her boyfriend Chris Brown fathered a now 9-month-old baby girl, Karrueche Tran decided to blow off a little steam Tuesday afternoon by taking her dog Athena for a walk in L.A.

Karrueche got the pup as a Christmas gift from Chris and we're guessing if she had her way ... he'd be fixed too.

If you thought Vernon Davis was a beast ... WAIT'LL YOU SEE WHAT HIS NEW DOG CAN DO!!!!

The SF 49ers tight end just bought an adorable Belgian Malinois for his family -- and is in the process of training it to serve as a home protection dog.

It's cute. It's friendly. It will rip your arm out of the socket if you screw with it.

Vernon's training the dog with his pal Jas Leverette at Cali K-9 Solutions -- who's been training police dogs, protection dogs and your friendly neighborhood pets for years.

Leverette tells us Vernon's been working with the dogs at the facility for a while (including the one in the video above) -- and has a natural talent for it.

"Vernon just has a way with the animals. He could be a trainer if he wanted to."

Leverette says Vernon had been looking for a new dog for a while ... and fell in love with the Belgian Malinois because of its temperament and "disposition to be a great protector."

"In this area, there's a lot of home invasions. It's an epidemic," Leverette says ... "This dog offers protection for his family."

L.A.'s famous car chases just got put to shame -- by a couple of wild and crazy llamas on the loose in Arizona.

The suspects were wandering around the Sun City retirement community outside Phoenix -- and they managed to hold their would-be-captors at bay for about 45 minutes. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Department even had to get involved.

The llamas -- one black, one white, and unarmed -- were eventually rounded up ... actually lassoed ... live on television.

The Pam Anderson/Rick Salomon war over his beloved Rottweiler Bumblebee is almost over -- the dog's been found, but has not been reunited with Rick and his daughters just yet.

According to our sources, Salomon's daughter Tyson and ex-wife E.G. found the dog at a Malibu pet hospital, where he has been boarded for the past five days. Pam previously booted Tyson and the dog from her Malibu home after TMZ posted a story about Rick filing for annulment. Pam had previously claimed Bumblebee was at the groomer, but that turned out to be false.

We're told E.G. and Tyson were not allowed to take Bumblebee home from the hospital because only Rick is the registered owner. Problem is ... Rick is currently working in Las Vegas.

We're told Rick should be back Tuesday night to go collect his dog.

As for why noted animal activist Pam would seemingly use the dog as a pawn in her battle with Rick -- we reached out to Pam for comment ... so far, no word back.

Pam Anderson claims the ruckus over the allegedly "missing" dog Bumblebee is all for nothing ... but Rick Salomon's family is crying foul -- and Rick's daughter got into a standoff at Pam's house.

After a rough day that included her husband filing for annulment, Anderson went out in Bev Hills ... and told our photog the family pooch was fine, and simply at the groomer. She laughed off the idea she was holding the pup hostage.

But sources close to Salomon tell TMZ the family went to the groomer Thursday ... and came up with no pooch. Rick's fam claims Pam is lying about Bumblebee's whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Rick's daughter Tyson had her own issues. Law enforcement sources tell us L.A. County Sheriff's deputies had to go out to Pam's house Thursday night when Pam refused to let Tyson in to grab some of her stuff. We're told Pam never caved ... turning Tyson and deputies away.

Bottom line ... looks like Rick and her girls will have to sue to get anything out of the house.