Pets

Dogs on Skid Row are being fed fentanyl, bred for money, and otherwise abused and neglected, and politicians are doing nothing about ... so says an animal rights activist.

Joey Tuccio -- an advocate for and rescuer of animals, who works with the nonprofit Starts With One Today -- stopped by "TMZ Live" to shine a light on dogs living on Los Angeles' notorious Skid Row ... a collection of streets in downtown where many homeless people live.

Tuccio says there are about 100 dogs living in the area ... and, while he doesn't want to see people's pets taken away, he's concerned about the dogs he's seen, which he says some people are using as guinea pigs to test fentanyl.

A cute little pooch got caught up in a fatal police involved shooting in California and miraculously survived, according to new dramatic video.

In fact, the doggie was an eyewitness to the brutal violence that claimed the life of Joanna Lopez, who was killed by police while holding a bystander at knifepoint in Fresno.

The Fresno PD recently released body-worn camera footage, which captured every moment of the shocking April 10 incident.

Alabama Barker's newest family member truly is a barker in every sense ... 'cause not only is he taking on the last name -- but, he's a dog whose bark is almost certainly worse than his bite.

The daughter of Travis Barker shared a video to Instagram Sunday ... where she held her tiny puppy pal on her shoulder.

It's a quick clip ... but, ya gotta see the size of this little guy -- it's clear he's pretty new on this earth as well as new to Alabama.

Haley Joel Osment's trying not to draw too much attention these days ... stepping out in an incognito ensemble in his first appearance since he used a slur while being arrested in Mammoth.

The actor took his dogs for a walk around the block Wednesday ... dark sunglasses covering his eyes and a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap pulled low over his eyes.

He added a maroon polo, a gray jacket and black pants ... looking like any other normie out for a stroll instead of one of the biggest child stars of all time.

"Barehand" and "clean-up" took on whole new meanings at one Minor League Baseball stadium over the weekend ... as a team staffer had to scoop up a bat dog's poop -- with no gloves on!!

It all happened at Atrium Health Ballpark on Sunday ... when the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers were taking on the Carolina Mudcats.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Cannon Ballers' de facto mascot had a bathroom emergency just feet away from home plate ... and a stadium employee was unfortunately given the unenviable assignment of getting it out of the dirt.

There's a lot to celebrate in the Ohtani household ... 'cause Shohei's famous pooch, Decoy, has made another trip around the sun ... and the Dodgers superstar commemorated the big birthday with an adorable tribute!!

The three-time MVP -- who has quite the stuffed trophy case -- gave his four-legged friend some hardware of his own ... by gifting him a "Most Valuable Dog" plaque.

Decoy also got flowers and a number two balloon for his little pawty. We didn't see any treats ... but with Ohtani's $700 million contract, we're sure he was able to splurge a bit.

From leashes to limelight, stars and their scene-stealing sidekicks are always serving paws and applause -- and TMZ's got the ultimate reel to prove it!

We’ve rounded up the wildest tail-wagging moments -- from Glenn Close’s pup causing pure NYC chaos to a pooch at LAX sniffing out Mel Gibson and literally barking in for a TMZ exclusive.

Sydney Sweeney had the cutest Met Gala date last night -- her furry new friend, Sully Bear! While the "Euphoria" star's German Shepherd puppy did not climb the stairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art himself, he did surprise fans with an appearance after the grand ball for a stroll in the bustling streets of New York City.

Check out our clip ... SS is a proud dog mom as she smiles for cameras while making her way outside the star-studded Carlyle Hotel with Sully in her arms.

She gracefully steps through the thrilled crowd so she can take her good boy for a walk ... but the timing couldn't have been worse. The moment she places her pooch on the pavement, the crowd frantically rushes towards the Carlyle, screaming for Hailey Bieber, an eyewitness tells TMZ.

Ever get that creepy feeling like someone’s lurking and watching you? Well, Kesha definitely had that vibe while taking a stroll through her neighborhood ...

Turns out, the whole weird setup was for a photoshoot for her new song, "Boy Crazy" -- so, no need to worry, it was just Kesha taking her cat for a stroll in a stroller while a shirtless guy in a jockstrap watched from behind.

Obviously, it was a wild and weirdly brilliant creative direction, executed to perfection. Kesha slayed in a burgundy 'fit, while the shirtless dude in the background nailed his creepy stalker look like a pro.

Kyle Richards says there's more to her dramatic confrontation with a woman on the street ... 'cause Kyle claims she only went after her because she was dragging her dog across the street -- something cameras didn't quite capture.

We caught up with the reality television star outside the Beverly Hilton Hotel Monday night ... and, we had to ask her about her intense argument with a dog walker earlier this month.

ICYMI ... photogs caught Kyle running up to a woman and getting in her face about the way she was treating her dogs -- which set the woman off and nearly led to a full-on fistfight.

12:36 PM PT -- KTLA reports Alejandro Acosta Oliveros has been released on bail.

A suspected serial cat-killer was busted in Southern California this week for animal cruelty after he was caught on video trying to grab a cat, cops say.

Footage shared by the Santa Ana Police Department on Wednesday allegedly shows 45-year-old Alejandro Acosta Oliveros scooping up a cat between two cars in Orange County -- and his arrest follows several reports of cats being abused and killed.

Cops say Oliveros was positively ID’d by multiple victims and witnesses, and he was charged after officers found evidence of the crimes at his Santa Ana home.

Rachel Zegler's crowdsourcing help for her sick dog ... explaining that two different veterinarians she's been to have done nothing for him -- so, she's going to the amateur pet doctors on social media instead.

The actress took to her Instagram story Sunday morning ... telling her 2.5 million followers that her pup, Lenny, is in a bad state -- and, she's at her wits end trying to help him.

Zegler says she's been to the vet multiple times over the last few days ... but, her dog is still experiencing bad stomach issues and no appetite.

Police just released body cam video from the Gene Hackman death case ... and you see officers searching his New Mexico home before ultimately finding his and his wife's bodies ... with one of their live dogs lying next to Betsy Arakawa.

TMZ obtained the footage Tuesday and you see cops scouring the Santa Fe home in search of Gene and Betsy.

Police find Betsy's body first -- she's on the floor near a locked exterior door, with one of their dogs by her side ... and Gene's body is later found near the kitchen.

Cesar Millan says "Game of Thrones" fans need to pump the brakes before trying to adopt their own dire wolf ... 'cause there are a lot of dogs that have been around for years -- and, people still struggle with the mighty chihuahua.

We chatted with the canine pro about George R.R. Martin revealing to the world that a biotech company had brought the Ice Age-era predators back from extinction.

While they may look cute and lovable, Millan warns people need to exercise caution ... after all, these were major apex predators.

The Cleveland Browns are mourning the loss of a beloved member of the organization this week ... with the team announcing its office dog, Moose, has passed away at 10 years old.

"We already miss your presence around the building, buddy 🧡" the team said on social media ... paying tribute with some photos of the chocolate lab over the years.

Moose stayed at the Browns facility in Berea, Ohio 24/7 ... and kept employees company by boosting morale during their work days.

Sydney Sweeney's ex-fiancé Jonathan Davino is no longer engaged to the actress and their wedding's been called off ... but at least he's got her dog to keep him company.

Jonathan was spotted Tuesday for the first time since the news broke that the couple's been separated since January ... and he was walking her dog around the Bel Air mansion where they were supposed to live happily ever after.

Sydney's ex was all business as he fulfilled his duties at Sydney's property, which is getting some new construction.