Rumors

Swish! In the Windy City and beyond, it’s getting “brick” out there—and we’re not talking about foul free throws. That’s why Chicago Bulls center Jalen Smith is laying down three-pointers for dog guardians in a new PETA campaign: Play nice, keep your dogs courtside, and never leave them out in the cold.

peta.org

In PETA’s new video, Smith passes the ball to the MVP of his family’s team: his adopted canine companion, Phoenix. Whether he’s at home or at the arena, Phoenix—a “magnet for affection”—is always kept safe and warm inside.

peta.org

That sequence was a scene from one of the more unusual promotions within an NBA arena this season: the Wizards’ first Hoops & Hounds night. If you need further proof that Americans go gaga for their dogs, then the evening should serve as Exhibit One. At prices of $50 for each human ticket and $10 for each dog, fans were invited to bring their pups and watch the game from seats in a corner of the upper deck. Team officials said they hosted nearly 140 dogs, selling out the dog ticket allotment. A portion of the proceeds will go to a local nonprofit called the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation. The canines ranged in size from a 5-pound Chihuahua to a 100-pound, well-behaved Rottweiler from Oxon Hill, Md., named Nalah. “She’s super smart, just a sweetheart of a dog, and when we heard about this, we had to come, because we want to take our dog everywhere,” said Nalah’s owner, Hilton George. “She’s part of the family.”

New York Times

DiVincenzo told The Post that their plans after basketball include opening their own haven for rescue dogs, a project the couple has discussed for “the past six or seven years.” They’ve taken steps of trying to identify land to house the dogs and “are slowly learning about foundations and rescues that do things the right way.”

New York Post

Activists who have disrupted three Minnesota Timberwolves games in two NBA arenas over the past two weeks are demanding that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor relinquish his role as governor and contribute $11.3 million to various entities on behalf of animal welfare. The activists, members of the organization Direct Action Everywhere, are targeting Taylor for his ownership of Rembrandt Farms, a large-scale factory farm that produces tens of millions of eggs each year. Rembrandt's facility experienced an outbreak of bird influenza in March.

ESPN

Animal rights activists who have disrupted three Minnesota Timberwolves games in two NBA arenas over the past two weeks demand that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor relinquish his role as governor and contribute $11.3 million to various entities on behalf of animal welfare. The activists, members of animal rights organization Direct Action Everywhere, are targeting Taylor for his ownership of Rembrandt Farms, a large-scale factory farm that produces tens of millions of eggs each year.

ESPN

Direct Action Everywhere, an animal rights activist organization responsible for two previous fan protests at Timberwolves games, identified the protestor as Sasha Zemmel. Zemmel was wearing a "fake ref uniform (that) had 5.3 displayed on the back," according to USA TODAY Sports Network’s Damichael Cole, who said "that’s in reference to the 5.3 million chickens killed that protestors from the group have talked about."

USA Today Sports

Harley has a long road to recovery. It will be about six to eight weeks before she is back on her feet and healed up. “Thank you, thank you very much for helping me with my dog and really saving my dog,” said Flor.

FOX8

Wrapped up in those lawsuits and arbitration—some of which were settled—were several allegations about the bones of rare animals being smuggled for Jody Allen. The FDA reportedly collected and destroyed 78 pounds of Allen’s giraffe bones. And then there were the penguin parts. In a memo, a security officer noted that they were able to make sure “the penguin bones that JA picked up in Antarctica were boxed and put on the plane without being scanned at customs.” Jody Allen emailed her nanny looking for a penguin skull that went missing during the return from Antarctica; a friend apparently wanted to make jewelry from it. Deposed during the lawsuit, Jody Allen refused to say whether she took the bones or trespassed into a protected penguin nesting area. Even security guards with special forces training needed protection from these billionaires. What chance did the penguins stand?

TrueHoop

Alex Raskin: The @NBA has announced a multi-year partnership with @canadagoose, a clothing company that has angered animal rights activists by using coyote fur and goose feathers in its jackets. pic.twitter.com/gST0Rwg0q3

Twitter

Our sources tell us the two quickly bonded over animal rights advocacy ... something that both are very passionate about (Kanter recently opened up about switching to a vegan diet).

TMZ.com

On Tuesday, the NBA scored a lot of points with fans of animal rescue. During Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets, the broadcast cut to 28 dogs and two kittens and their fosters filling virtual courtside seats, with an announcement that they were all “100% adoptable and 100% adorable” and a link to learn more about adopting them. The pets are being fostered by families around the country for Best Friends Animal Society and the nonprofit’s rescue partners.

Today

Jamal Crawford: They treat animals with more respect in this country than they do black lives...

Twitter

In Texas, owning exotic animals such as zebras and kangaroos is legal. Texas residents, according to the state health and safety codes, need a permit for "dangerous wild animals," such as lions, tigers, cougars, leopards and cheetahs, among others. The Texas Animal Health Commission, in an email to ESPN, explained that there are only regulations for moving zebras into Texas from another state, requiring the zebras to have a certificate of veterinary inspection and a permit.

ESPN