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    The Year in Review

    It wasn't all bad: Our favorite Dallas moments of 2014

    CultureMap Staff
    Jan 4, 2015 | 10:11 am
    paper straws
    In another move to help the environment, Snappy Salads swapped out plastic straws for paper ones. Baby steps, Dallas.
    Photo courtesy of Aardvark

    We’re in a reflective mood here at CultureMap. Dallas had some ups and downs in 2014, but the city continues to surprise us in ways that make us proud to call it home. These are some of our favorite moments from the last year:

    Dallas welcomes young people with a plan
    “This has been a great year for the young entrepreneur. Dallas has been inundated with great ideas, and we are willing to take chances on those who have them. It’s encouraging to live in a city that supports people in their quests to create something new that, in most cases, makes some aspect of our lives just a little bit easier. Oh, and Pecan Lodge opening on Main Street in Deep Ellum was pretty sweet.” — Diana Oates

    Alamo Drafthouse becomes more than just the best place to see a movie
    “Keeping in the tradition of their forebears, Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson has been known for its out-of-the-box movie programming since it opened in August 2013. But when a real-life crisis hit the movie industry — Sony Pictures’ getting hacked and then threatened by North Korea if it released the Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy The Interview — our local Alamo was at the forefront in not backing down to terrorists.

    “First they spoke of their desire to show the film despite the threats; then they arranged to show a similar satire, Team America: World Police, in its stead. Thanks in part to a petition Alamo backed, The Interview ultimately was released to independent theaters, and Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson made the most of it, with a slew of showings and a special themed-menu. Although championing a low-brow comedy may seem strange on the surface, Alamo helped to make sure a precedent of censorship was not set, thereby allowing filmmakers to continue taking risks in the future.” — Alex Bentley

    Dallas gets slightly more environmental
    “We’re a long way from Austin, but baby steps. Struck by the horrors of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a ‘swirling collection of debris particles and trash’ adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Snappy Salads banished plastic straws. In October, the Dallas salad chain began using slightly more expensive paper straws. In March, Dallas passed a new ordinance requiring a 5-cent fee on single-use bags, effective January 1, 2015. An outright ban would have been better, but something is better than nothing.” — Teresa Gubbins

    The Texas Rangers gave us a history lesson
    “I suppose I could talk about the Dallas Cowboys’ renaissance this year behind record breakers DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant. I could mention that FC Dallas returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and how forward Tesho Akindele won the MLS Rookie of the Year. Instead, my favorite moment of 2014 was the collapse of the Texas Rangers. They finished the season at 67-95 — their worst record since 2000, which is perfect, because it made me feel young again.

    “I grew up on the early 2000s, when the Rangers were abjectly terrible, and I loved them regardless, with little hope that one day that faith would pay off. And, then, it happened. Being a Rangers fan was no longer MLB leprosy. The Rangers were exciting and successful and good. They had a bevy of All-Stars and deep playoff runs with vindicating victories. It was something that I, and many others, began taking for granted almost as soon as it happened. We bitched about losing the play-in to Baltimore in 2012 and the tie-breaker to Tampa in 2013 as if we, as fans, were owed something.

    “By bottoming out, the Rangers reminded everyone that those early departures to the post-season weren’t that bad. No, it could be so. Much. Worse. I won’t say it made me happy, but it was a refreshing callback to the days of Chan Ho Park and Alex Rodriguez’s bloated contracts, inept pitching and an offensive strategy that consisted mostly of hitting home runs and praying. It restored an appreciation for what the Rangers have done the last six years — and hope that it can get better.” — Jonathan Rienstra

    Dallas Art Fair brings the city to life
    “The plethora of activities around last year’s Dallas Art Fair was the best time of the year for me — from the Eye Ball, where the local art and fashion worlds finally got up close and personal with artist Tony Tasset’s ocular sculpture, to the double whammy two-man show of Richard Phillips and Julian Schnabel at the Dallas Contemporary. During that week it was really evident that our city is being taken seriously as a destination for the arts — and the vibe is so exhilarating it’s almost easy to imagine what it could be like to have that energy and anticipation in Dallas year-round.” — Kendall Morgan

    TCU football shows it belongs on the national stage
    “TCU’s rise to national prominence and a near-berth in the first College Football Playoff validated the Big 12’s decision to invite the Horned Frogs back into the world of big-time college football three years ago. Being on the field the day the Horned Frogs clinched a part of the Big 12 crown was like a New Year’s Eve party.

    “Trevone Boykin flirted with a Heisman Trophy run, head coach Gary Patterson reminded the country why he’s one of the game’s best head coaches and the Horned Frogs crushed Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl to send a message to College Football Playoff selection committee — you made a mistake not taking us.” — Matthew Postins

    Having a sanctuary is a good investment
    “Most days I get up in the morning and walk around my neighborhood as part of my daily routine. It’s a form of exercise, of course, but it’s also an opportunity for me to scope out my neighbors’ yards for landscaping ideas, see what’s on the market and watch the new construction progress.

    “The latter is a fairly recent phenomenon; mine is one of the hottest neighborhoods in Dallas right now, so it’s a hotbed of building activity. Yes, some homes are being torn down to make way for those dreadful cookie-cutter houses you see in the ’burbs. But existing homes are also being renovated, some with additions that more adequately meet the needs of modern families yet still fit within the scale of the neighborhood.

    “Why do I like to watch all of this play out? Because it reminds me that I made a good investment. More than seven years ago, I sunk nearly all of my pennies into a 1950s ranch and turned it into my sanctuary. Now, as I watch the activity buzzing around me, and I read the reports about Dallas’ being one of the top — and still affordable — housing markets in the country, I know I settled in the right place.” — Jennifer Chininis

    In another move to help the environment, Snappy Salads swapped out plastic straws for paper ones. Baby steps, Dallas.

    paper straws
      
    Photo courtesy of Aardvark
    In another move to help the environment, Snappy Salads swapped out plastic straws for paper ones. Baby steps, Dallas.
    unspecified
    news/city-life

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    Animal News

    Advocates find false info being fed to Texas legislators on pet store law

    Teresa Gubbins
    May 8, 2025 | 10:30 am
    Puppy mill dogs do not have a great life.
    Puppy mill dogs do not have a great life.
    undefined

    A national pet store chain has been implicated in a dishonest campaign to try and influence Texas lawmakers on an upcoming bill making its way through the legislature.

    The pet store chain is Petland, and they're engaged in a battle against The Ethical Pet Sale Bill (SB 1652 / HB 3458), which would encourage pet stores to stop selling at-risk animals from puppy mills and support shelters and rescue groups instead.

    The Ethical Pet Sale bill has support from rescue and animal groups across Texas, who are all grappling with a glut of animals on the streets and in overcrowded shelters. That pet overpopulation problem gets even worse when pet stores import more animals from puppy mills in states like Missouri and Ohio.

    If Texas passes the bill, it will join a growing number of states and cities who've already passed similar laws including Dallas, Austin, Bryan, College Station, El Paso, Euless, Fort Worth, Houston, New Braunfels, Pasadena, San Antonio, The Colony, Sherman, and Waco.

    Most reputable pet store chains such as PetSmart and PetCo do not sell cats and dogs. Petland does. The company operates 84 stores in the U.S., and fights bills like this by hiring lobbyists to discourage legislators from supporting these bills.

    Phony list
    In this case, a two-page summary was distributed to some Texas state senators listing reasons why they should oppose SB ("The evidence from other states, especially California, demonstrates that these types of bans do more harm than good"), plus a list of organizations that are opposed.

    Most of the organizations opposed to the bill profit directly from animals, such as Petland and Puppy Dreams, a North Texas chain that also sells animals.

    But the list also had surprising names including PetSmart, PetCo, and Pet Supplies Plus — the three largest pet store chains who all have a history of supporting adoption of shelter animals.

    Their presence on the list caught the eye of animal advocacy groups such as Texas Humane Legislation Network and Humane World For Animals, who've worked with the big three in the past.

    "We became aware of Petland Inc.’s lobbyist apparently sharing the attached document with legislators, claiming the listed pet and pet product industry leaders are opposing this legislation," said a spokesperson from Humane World of Animals (HWA). "We checked in with contacts at Petco, Petsmart, and the American Pet Products Association, and all of them deny opposing this legislation or giving Petland permission to list them on this opposition letter. It’s very possible others listed in this letter also did not give their permission to be included — we only connected with the those listed above at this stage."

    CultureMap also contacted the three major pet store chains and received similar responses that they had not been consulted nor did they issue a rejection of the bill, although none wanted to be quoted.

    The misrepresentation is concerning because it muddies the water with false information at a time when the bill is still under consideration:

    HB 3458 — the version going through the Texas House — passed a House Committee with a 10-1 vote and has been moved up the chain towards passage.

    SB 1652 — the version going through the Senate — still needs to get through the Senate Committee, Calendars, and a floor vote.

    "By creating a false narrative about the position of the above industry leaders, this letter has the potential to sway lawmakers at a critical juncture in the legislation’s journey," the HWA spokesperson says.

    Two Petland stores in the Dallas area — in Frisco and Tyler — have been the subject of undercover investigations. Petland Webster recently settled a lawsuit with several families that the store allegedly sold sick puppies to, and several lawsuits have been filed against Petland Woodlands in Texas, claiming the store sold sick puppies. One pet owner told the House Committee that he'd spent $20,000 on medical care of a puppy he bought at a pet store.

    "Banning the retail sale of puppies and kittens is a common-sense solution to protect both animals and Texas consumers," said Dean Senator Judith Zaffirini of Laredo, who filed the bill. "My SB 1652 would help reduce pet overpopulation, promote responsible breeding practices and prevent families from unknowingly purchasing sick animals. With varying local ordinances in place and further action at the city level now restricted, it is important for the state to provide a clear and consistent approach that prioritizes both animal welfare and consumer protection."

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