The Funniest Live TV Interruptions Caused By Pets

One thing is certain when it comes to live TV: you can always expect the unexpected. No matter how much planning went into a broadcast, the format can lead to humorous mishaps or interruptions that derail an entire program. Adding animals into the mix has always been a recipe for adorable awkwardness, whether it is late-night shows using visits from shelters to inject unpredictable humor into a segment or a newscaster taking to the petting zoo at the local fair.

The most laugh-out-loud live TV interruptions are the ones that catch people completely off guard. From an excited dog trying to get a meteorologist to play with it to a cat sprinting across a baseball field to the cheers of the crowd, pets have created memorable and hilarious on-screen appearances that have been shared online many times over. Such candid moments have brought a smile to the faces of millions. 

The pandemic forced many people to work from home, and the news industry was no exception. Broadcasts in the 2020s saw anchors, weather forecasters, and correspondents continuing to keep viewers updated from the comfort of their homes. For those doubling as pet parents, this meant more time with their furry friends. Yet curious companions can't always pick up on signals; sometimes, their need for attention trumps their caretaker's duties.

Enter Brody, a golden retriever that continually cracked up the entire Fox 13 Tampa Bay team. Pet parent and chief meteorologist Paul Dellegatto introduced viewers to Brody when the playful pooch began to interrupt his weather forecasts. One notable appearance from the canine saw him mucking up Dellegatto's computer, only to get excited and stare out a window, making the camera zoom back and show the entire home setup. Dellegatto's love for the enthusiastic pup is apparent in all of his appearances, and those with a keen eye will also notice a picture of the golden retriever framed on the meteorologist's desk.

When weather reporters go outdoors, there is also a chance that things will go differently than planned. One broadcaster working for the Russian news station Mir got a surprise interruption when speaking with a newscaster back at the studio. The big fluffy mic caught the eye of a dog that decided it was its new favorite toy. The large pooch claimed its bounty from the shocked woman and took off with the prize, prompting the correspondent to give chase.

Not one to let an unexpected encounter ruin a segment, the broadcaster petted the proud canine in the aftermath, with the camera zooming in on the mic, which was a little worse for wear with slobber and bite marks. While this gave the reporter back at the studio a good laugh, this was not the first time the Russian news station went viral for an unexpected guest. In another segment, a news reporter was startled when a black Lab decided it wanted to check out all of the excitement and popped up from behind the desk.

Reporting on the appearances of a cougar in the area, one Fox 13 correspondent in Mississippi accidentally gave a housecat the spotlight and instant online stardom. Reporter Scott Madaus did not realize as he was telling of a large wild feline sighting that a cat had walked into the back of his shot in the field he was referring to. The combination of seeing a little kitty on the screen with the text under it reading "Large cat spotted" was just too adorably silly for the internet to pass up spreading around.

Credit goes to the cameraperson for making this such a memeable interaction with an inquisitive feline. As Madaus pointed toward the calico cat, the camera zoomed in right as the reported said, "That's not it, that looks like a house cat," adding a cinematic flair. The memorable moment may take online users back to 2007 when you could not go on social media without someone using the dramatic chipmunk to react to a post; the timing of it all was that perfect.

Many pet owners have faced the bright face of a dog who wants them to throw a ball, and sometimes, the excitement of the retrieval can outweigh the need to be a good pooch. This attentiveness is true of the aptly named Rookie, who was a bit too ready to prove himself and interrupted a game in Buffalo at Sahlen Field as a result. It is hard to blame the excited golden retriever, as after being away from the job for months because of the pandemic, he was overjoyed to get to work once more.

Rookie, who normally acts as the official bat dog of Trenton Thunder, was quick to take to social media with his cute puppy regrets. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Rookie shared a picture with Cavan Biggio, who he interrupted at-bat, with the caption, "I want to apologize to my fren Cavan Biggio, for running out on the field last night during his at bat in the @BuffaloBisons game. I was just so excited to be retrieving bats again. I hope Cavan and @BlueJays are not mad at me.#sorry."

Rookie's interruption was viewed almost a million times on X, with fans defending the pup's action. One user pointed out, "Rookie did nothing wrong, I'd like to see where in the MiLB rulebook it specifically says a dog can't visit the pitcher's mound to make a friend."

In searching for the right dog for you, adopting from a shelter can be a rewarding experience, giving a loving canine in need of a forever home a chance instead of seeking a breeder. However, meteorologist Mike Sobel got a bit more than he bargained for when the large pooch he brought to help promote the Edmonton Humane Society on Global News got overly excited. The 1-year-old Ripple, a shepherd-mastiff cross, really wanted to play with Sobel.

Spending much of his appearance trying to bite through his leash, Ripple got to play with his new friend after finally freeing himself. The clip went viral, and there was a lot of love for the playful pup. His appearance also proved successful in finding him a new family, with a couple welcoming Ripple into their home along with their Great Dane. Speaking to Global News, one of the pet parents shared, "We fell in love with him as soon as we saw him."

Cats make seemingly perfect companions for researchers. Their calm natures are ideal for companionship without the demands that come with a dog, which could pull one away from one's studies. Famed Scottish author and historian Walter Scott spoke of his love of his feline companions throughout his works. Illustrations of Scott also show him working away, accompanied by his beloved kitty. Reformer and statistician Florence Nightingale, mostly known as the founder of modern nursing, was renowned for her love of cats, having welcomed 60 into her home during her lifetime.

The fact that many scholars favor cats was on full display during an interview with one Polish historian. Not missing a beat, he casually continued to speak as an orange tabby climbed onto his shoulders to perch around his head. Whether this curious kitty was trying to help out his caretaker by whispering answers in his ear or letting him know it was close to feeding time is unknown. Still, it is an adorably funny live TV moment that captured a sincere interaction between a man and his loving feline.

"Hello, this is dog. Are you there, cat?" During one broadcast on The Weather Channel, two pets showed up to say hello in a hilarious interspecies introduction, proving once again that reporting from home is certain to make for some memorable live TV moments with pets that need attention. The first to make his presence known was an adorable miniature schnauzer named Astro, as his owner, Jacqui Jeras, introduced him to the audience. Not to be outdone, fellow correspondent Chris Warren showed his furry co-worker, Lulu, standing proudly in front of the camera.

The brief meeting of two adorable pets was a memorable moment for both meteorologists, as you can tell from the footage just how much they love their furry friends. Unfortunately, this would be the only on-air appearance by the cute cat/dog duo, though hopefully, the pair kept in touch.

While cats love their dairy, many are lactose intolerant and should not be left to indulge. Yet, we can't blame the famous online kitty Tiger for sneaking in a snack while his owner was working. During one of his video sermons, the former Dean of Canterbury, Robert Willis, did not notice his cat partaking of his morning tea by continually dipping his paws in the milk. Tiger managed to go a whole four minutes of living his best cat life before moving on.

Tiger is just one of the animals who stayed at Canterbury Cathedral, joined by his feline brother Leo, various pigs and turkeys, and one rooster named Russell Crow. Still, the mischievous milk thief is certainly the most well-known. Besides helping himself to morning tea, Tiger was also caught stealing a pancake during one of Dean Willis's morning prayers. In another instance, Leo decided the best place to escape the summer heat was under the garb of his pious pet parent. Willis retired in 2022 prior to his death in 2024, but his antics with his cats will live on online.

While some news stations bring in the occasional guest pet, Storm the Weather Dog at Global News has become a spokesperson for good deeds in his community and a staple of on-air mischief. Chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell takes Storm to charity and educational events, where the mini goldendoodle is always happy to say hi to his fans and teach them about the weather. However, his antics in the studio have made for many humorous moments. He has interrupted Farnell for a treat during a weather forecast and walked over a green screen to make it look like he was going on an epic adventure.

One video of the little floof stands above the rest. Everyone with a dog has likely experienced moments when they can be a bit gross, and during one broadcast, Storm popped up to say hello to a couple of newscasters only to cough up his treat on their desk. Yet, there is so much love for Storm at the Global News studio, with the dog becoming a permanent fixture, that those involved just had to laugh at the oddly-timed hack. His continual hijinks have made Storm a celebrity pup in his hometown of Toronto.

When it comes to dogs interrupting soccer games — football if you live outside of North America — there is no shortage of examples. The allure may come from the giant field, people running, and the bouncy ball that becomes irresistible for a playful doggo. There are so many instances like this (such as footage of a pooch taking to the field for belly rubs or another running into the field only to evade players and crew for seven minutes straight) that it is difficult to pick just a single video, with each offering its own kind of adorable silliness.

One dog in Mexico came into a match in a big way, only to run off with the ball. During a game in the country's second-division soccer league between Alebrijes Oaxaca and Dorados, a pooch entered the stadium in the match's final minutes, getting his teeth on the ball and evading an official with a rope trying to wrangle him in. While the dog got in a few good sprints with the ball before being captured, he certainly made an impression on the audience and announcers. In the video's description, the Guardian reported that Alebrijes had confirmed the dog was safe after its escapade, describing it as "our new best friend."

It's hard to beat the excitement of having a puppy run up to you looking for attention. If it is not their wiggly butts attached to their wobbly legs, then it is the smiles on their faces as they look up for affection. FOX 5's Bob Barnard faced just such a pleasant (if unexpected) encounter while walking around a neighborhood and helping clean ice off of windshields during a comedic broadcast about the cold weather in the area.

The report soon turned into a game of playing chase with an excitable dog after a lone puppy bounded over to Barnard. After grabbing the cute puppy and having it squirm in his arms, the reporter's own excitement only grew, and the segment got derailed by the laughter of the studio crew. When the owner appeared, Barnard shared some kind words with her, and he also got to find out the adventurous little pup's name: Pierogi. For those not in the know, pierogi are popular dumplings from Central and Eastern Europe — a perfect name for a little dog practically bursting with energy.

A pet needing to wear an Elizabethan collar can bring up mixed feelings in an owner. On the one hand, you may feel bad for your furry companion having to adjust while they heal, but on the other hand, it can be cute and funny to see them try to adapt to life in the "cone of shame." Thankfully, for fashion-forward pet parents, there are plenty of options for protective wear, and one person interviewed on live TV showed off his choice to the world when his cat walked into frame during a live TV segment.

TMZ's Michael Babcock joined the crew at Fox 13 for an interview from his home when a little bit of yellow peaked out from the corner of his screen. Seeing the confusion on the anchor's face, Babcock pointed out it was his flowery feline, Blue, who had recently gotten a cut and needed to don the decorative cone while recovering. Blue seemed to love the spotlight; after getting laughs for his initial performance, he showed up on the other side of the couch, letting out a triumphant meow.

Founded in 1946, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra has become world-renowned. The group has performed across Europe, Asia, and South America to the joy of classical music fans. Yet during one live outside performance in Turkey, it ended up performing for an unexpected audience member who took to the stage.

In what has to be one of the most epic entrances of all time, the orchestra played a quieter piece of music as a dog entered stage right. As the music began to pick up, the doggo made its way to center stage, eliciting applause from the audience. After looking around and trying to figure out the best course of action, the adorable pup decided to lay down at the feet of a violinist to enjoy the rest of the number.

It is not just dogs that appreciate the classical arts. In another viral video, a cat joined a performance in Istanbul, rubbing against various surfaces, playing with a musician's dress, and even joining the conductor on his podium. While these were certainly different approaches to appreciating the music, both were hilarious and endearing.