Phypers claims in a statement to PEOPLE that Richards "never has wanted knowledge or wanted to give her permission to any type of care for the animals"

Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers found some more mud to sling ... Denise says she caught her estranged husband red-handed stealing her laptop.

A ctress Denise Richards was seen with what looked like a black eye and a scrape under her chin earlier this week, just days after a tense visit to her estranged husband Aaron Phypers' home ended with police involvement.