ohmidog!

It’s an unscientific poll, and it’s designed to sell T-shirts, but we’re going to report its findings, anwyay:

Seventy-six percent of respondents say “the most normal member of their family” is the dog.

“The Most Normal Family Member“ poll was conducted online by the Social Beat Research Group (SBRG), and was commissioned by Joel Jenkins  for his Internet company, www.tmarktees.com, which is selling the T-shirt seen above.

Still, marketing gimmick though it may be, the overwhelming choice of the family dog as “most normal” might say something, while not scientific, at least significant.

As Jenkins put it:  “Not only do these results reinforce the belief that pets, and especially dogs, are bona fide family members, but they’re also considered to be stabilizing forces of normalcy within the family unit.”

Coming in second in the poll was ”Me,” but it was a distant second, with only 12 percent considering themselves more normal than their dogs. (Some of those votes could have come from people without pets, Jenkins pointed out in a press release.)

The online poll is now open to the general public.  To take the poll and  see the latest results, visit www.tmarktees.com

And if you do buy the T-shirt, take comfort in the fact that a portion of the proceeds will be going to Best Friends Animal Society.

(Image courtesy of tmarktees.com)

Professional dog walkers in San Francisco would need to acquire permits, and possibly face limits on how many dogs they can walk at a time, under legislation being considered by the Board of Supervisors.

For years, city officials have been considering regulating the dog-walking industry, mainly because of concerns about people walking too many dogs and failing to adequately control or clean up after them, the San Francisco Examiner reports.

New regulations on the industry, proposed by Supervisor Scott Wiener, were heard yesterday by a committee of the Board of Supervisors.

The legislation calls for, among other things, limiting to seven the number of dogs that one dogwalker could walk at a time.

Some dog walkers say that would prohibit them from making a good living.

Under Wiener’s proposal, a permit would cost $250 for the first year and $100 a year after that. Violations of the law would result in fines of up to $500.

The full board of supervisors is expected to vote on the legislation as early as January.

The regulations would go into effect in October, 2012.

Unwanted and tossed out of her Chicago home a few days ago, Isis, an abused shepherd terrier mix, is now in demand.

The Chicago Tribune reports that at least a dozen callers have made inquiries to the city’s office of Animal Care & Control about fostering or adopting her.

The dog’s owners kicked her out Saturday because they were moving to a new apartment that didn’t allow pets.

But Isis ended up back at the family’s new apartment in East Garfield Park, two blocks away from their old one, scratching at the door.

Neighbors say the shepherd terrier mix paced the sidewalk outside of the new home, howling and barking in the cold for hours. Police said, during that time, several youths tried to beat the dog with broomsticks and baseball bats.

Police charged the dog’s owner, Lashon Johnson, who told officers she no longer wanted the dog, with misdemeanor animal cruelty.

Animal control officials said Isis did not suffer life-threatening injuries. While uncertain when she would become available for adoption, they pointed out that there are dozens of other dogs in the shelter in need of homes.