WWE and the circus are quite alike as they're both traveling shows, showcase brave performers willing to pull off acrobatic stunts, and have implemented animals into their programming. Though over the years, WWE has featured those cute and creepy critters much less often, although the few exceptions are sure to leave lasting memories in the minds of millions of fans worldwide.
Animals have also played a large role in making some legendary gimmicks work, whether it be Jake "The Snake" Roberts or Koko B. Ware. These helpful creatures have also shown up in gimmick matches or during one-off segments to further a storyline. Here's a look at 11 times WWE featured animal semi-employees in their pro wrestling product.
11 Hunter Hearst Helmsley Is Sent To The Hog Pen
At the 1995 In Your House: Seasons Beatings event, Hunter Hearst Helmsley battled Henry O. Godwinn in an Arkansas Hog Pen match, with Godwinn's buddy Hillbilly Jim as the special guest referee. Helmsley took a serious beating but was able to come out the victor when he threw a charging Godwinn overhead and into a hog pen with real live hogs moving about.
The victorious Triple H was then Gorilla Press Slammed into the mud of the hog pen, which may have been filled up with another brown substance considering the hogs had to go to the bathroom somewhere during that night in Arkansas.
10 The Undertaker Comes Down The Aisle At WrestleMania IX With A Vulture
Although this vulture's time on camera was extremely limited, he still had his own WrestleMania moment alongside the legendary Undertaker. Much like "The Demon of Death Valley" The Undertaker, a vulture is a symbol of death.
At WrestleMania IX, the ominous bird was wheeled out with The Undertaker for the latter's battle against the monstrous Giant González. The bird didn't interfere at all in the match even when González was making "The Deadman" pass out with a rag doused with chloroform. The Undertaker would win that match by disqualification and increase the streak to 3-0, but a little help from his bird friend would have been nice.
9 Chris Jericho, Triple H's Favorite Bulldog, & A Limousine
While "Y2J" Chris Jericho was the WWE Undisputed Champion, he was also Stephanie McMahon's personal dog walker for Triple H's favorite bulldog, Lucy.
At this time in WWE history, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H were going through a brutal divorce. Out of spite for her soon-to-be former husband, Stephanie lied to a judge and gained Lucy in the process, falsely claiming that Triple H mistreated the dog. After Lucy took a dump in Stephanie's office, she sent Y2J out to walk the dog while she cleaned up. Big mistake!
Y2J thought he was too good to be a common dog walker, so he tied Lucy to one of the doors of the limousine and then seemingly forgot about it when he told the limo driver to go fetch him some air fresheners for Stephanie's stinky office.
Triple H would be livid when he found out his favorite bulldog was stuck underneath the limo.
8 Jake "The Snake" Roberts Was Born-Again With A Snake Named Revelations
In early 1996, Jake "The Snake" Roberts returned to the WWE with a new persona as a born-again Christian, citing his real-life battles with drug addiction as a reason for him to change his ways and make good with the lord above. Along with Roberts' change in character, a new component was a very large and intimidating albino Burmese python named Revelations.
Revelations the Snake was a biblical reference to the Book of Revelation, the final book of the Christian bible. Although Roberts didn't find the same success he did during his initial run with the company, in a way, he helped usher in Austin 3:16 after losing to "The Texas Rattlesnake" during the finals of the 1996 King of the Ring.
7 Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat Brings Out A Different Reptile To Neutralize Jack "The Snake" Roberts & Damien
During the 1980s, Jack "The Snake" Roberts would terrorize wrestlers with his Burmese python named Damien. However, on the October 4, 1986, edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat was able to strike back against Roberts' scary snake with a monstrous reptile of his own.
On that night, Steamboat introduced a "komodo dragon" into the equation to fend off Roberts' python. "The Dragon" was also able to defeat Roberts that night, gaining a measure of revenge against the snake-wielding villain who had dropped Steamboat's head onto exposed concrete which rendered him unconscious during an earlier bout in the year.
Even though the animal was referred to as a "komodo dragon" on television, it was actually a small crocodile.
6 The Boogeyman Literally Eats Worms!
Any match or storyline that involved The Boogeyman also included the consumption of worms, whether it be The Boogeyman having a snack or him force-feeding another unfortunate victim a squirming pile of nightcrawlers.
Worms would be the only creatures officially sanctioned to die in WWE as they'd fry up by The Boogeyman's stomach acid. However, their sacrifices will not be in vain as they helped ad another serious element of weird to an already wacky gimmick.
5 Big Boss Man Kidnaps Al Snows' Chihuahua Named Pepper And Then Feeds It To Him
How awful! At the tail's end of the summer of 1999, the dastardly Big Boss Man made Al Snow eat his own dog (in the storyline, not in real life, thankfully). Snow had recently discarded his ever-popular Head sidekick in favor of a cute chihuahua named Pepper only for it to fall victim to police brutality.
Snow would later gain a measure of revenge at Unforgiven 1999 when he defeated Big Boss Man in a Kennel from Hell match. Dogs were also involved in this match, but they were way too vicious and were not at all lovable like the late Pepper.
4 The Islanders Kidnap The British Bulldogs' Bulldog Matilda
The British Bulldogs were a technically gifted duo of brawlers with a mascot that lived up to their namesake. A villainous tag team called The Islanders put their loveable K9 mascot in peril when they dognapped Matilda.
The British Bulldogs were able to get their pet back but weren't able to topple The Islanders in a six-man tag match at WrestleMania IV.
Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid of The British Bulldogs had initially introduced Matilda to the WWE Universe in 1987. Matilda remained with the team until the end of their final WWE run, which concluded in late 1988.
3 Koko B. Ware's Career Soars To New Heights With Frankie The Parrot
The charismatic and colorful Koko B. Ware would dazzle WWE crowds alongside his pet macaw, Frankie. Koko took the fight to the biggest and toughest stars WWE had to offer, bringing Frankie along for the ride!
Koko B. Ware made his official WWE debut with his "Birdman" gimmick in September 1986. He soon became a fan favorite and picked up big wins over the likes of Harley Race and Nikolai Volkoff. In 2009, former rival The Honky Tonk Man inducted Koko B. Ware into the WWE Hall of Fame, confirming the Birdman left a mark on the industry.
2 Jake "The Snake" Roberts Feeds Randy Savage To His Cobra
Fortunately for The Macho Man, the king cobra that bit him had all its venom removed. But unfortunately for him, he was also being bitten by a very powerful snake. In a 1991 episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling, Jake Roberts verbally provoked Randy Savage, calling out his manhood and saying he was "a gutless yellow stinkin' coward."
Savage's pride got the best of him as he attempted to enter the ring to confront Roberts who would end up giving him a devastating clothesline onto the ring apron. After a quick beatdown, Savage ended up tangled in the ropes and Roberts introduced a cobra into the equation. The cobra ended up sinking its jaws into Savage's arm in what would become an iconic moment in the history of professional wrestling.
1 Santina Marella Becomes The Undisputed Miss WrestleMania Title-Holder In Front Of A Bunch Of Pigs
The pigs in this match were much smaller than the ones in the previously-mentioned Helmsley-Godwinn match.
By 2009, Santino had begun to wear women's clothing, claiming to be the twin sister of the former WWE Intercontinental Champion. During this time, he captured the title of Miss WrestleMania after winning a battle royal at WrestleMania XXV. He was later involved in a handicap hog pen match against Vickie and Chavo Guerrero at Extreme Rules 2009.
We'd also like to send a quick shout out to Jake "The Snake" Roberts' reticulated python named Lucifer and his Burmese python named Damien, and don't forget Torrie Wilson's Maltese named Chloe or René Duprée's French poodle named Fifi!