ohmidog!

     If you’ve got a mystery mutt — like this one, named Fergus — here’s your chance to unravel a piece of his or her identity.
     Here’s how it works.
     Send in a photo of your mutt, along with your best guess as to what breeds he or she might be made up of, his or her name, where he or she came from, and why you want to know what he or she is a mix of — all in 100 words or less.
     A winner will be chosen based on the photo, the essay, and the capricious whims of our panel of anonymous, non-purebred judges.
    At that point, we’ll arrange for the test (a $125 value) to be administered by Baltimore veterinarian Johnny Slaughter, who will draw the blood at your home (he’s a mobile veterinarian). That will also be at no charge to the contest winner. The contest is limited to Maryland residents.
     When the results come in from Mars Veterinary, makers of the new Wisdom Panel Mixed Breed Analysis, we’ll report them here.

By sending in a photo of your dog, you are consenting to it, and your comments, possibly appearing on the ohmidog! website.

Send all entries to muttsblog@verizon.net, with the words “mutts contest” in the subject line.

If you win, you — like the owners of Fergus — will finally know what your mutt’s made up of; in Fergus’ case, in case you’re wondering, it’s Great Pyrenees, English Setter, Dalmatian, Doberman and Jack Russell Terrrier.

(This is a re-post of an earlier item … Deadline for entries is Nov. 30)

(Photo: Wisdompanel.com)

Despite an army of goofily advancing golden retrievers pups, this family cat seems to be taking the new arrivals in stride — and letting them know who’s boss.

Texas officials have begun making arrests in an investigation into what authorities describe as one of the largest dogfighting rings in the country.

Eight people were arrested and 187 dogs were seized Friday — all part of what was called a sophisticated dogfighting ring involving a network of bettors and fight organizers throughout eastern Texas.

According to the New York Times, 55 people were indicted after an undercover investigation that lasted 17 months. Officials said the network’s dogfights drew crowds of up to 100 people, who placed tens of thousands of dollars in wagers on a single fight.

“This was a large-scale, highly organized operation,” said Lisa Block, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

It was not uncommon for a gambler to put $500 to $1,000 down on the matches, which took place several times a month in secluded parts of Harris County, law enforcement officials said.

Ring members invited only people they knew to the fights, but undercover agents from the state police infiltrated the group to gather evidence and even managed to videotape some of the matches, officials said. The investigation started after troopers received a tip from someone in another state about the fights.

Most of the dogs seized were pit bull mixes.

During raids to seize the animals, state troopers also found firearms, marijuana, cocaine and stolen property, the authorities said. But the indictments charged the defendants only with engaging in dogfights, a felony that carries up to two years in prison, or misdemeanor charges of being a spectator at a dogfight, which carries up to a year in jail, the Times reported.