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    Historic Tree Down

    Historic tree at White Rock Lake Park reduced to pile of mulch — by accident

    Teresa Gubbins
    Feb 4, 2015 | 1:29 pm

    In what one nature lover described as a demoralizing and disheartening move, a 170-year-old tree at White Rock Lake was destroyed by a contractor for the City of Dallas.

    According to a release from the city, the tree was ground into a pile of mulch on January 30 as part of "regular maintenance" by the Dallas Park and Recreation Department "to ensure the safety of park patrons."

    The actual work was done by a contractor the city did not name, but the Dallas Morning Newsidentified it as Crews Service Co., based in Walnut Grove, Missouri.

    Although nature lovers recognize that the tree was in decline, it served as home to a family of great horned owls, including a mated pair.

    The destruction was first noted by nature photographer Ben Sandifer, who posted a photo of the mulched aftermath on Facebook, saying, "It is with a heavy heart that I report the demise of the Texas State Champion Black Willow along Dixon Branch in White Rock Lake Park."

    The tree was listed as "state champion," added to the state's Big Tree Registry in 2011 as the biggest known black willow in Texas, with a circumference of 265 inches. It sustained damage in a storm in October 2014, but the bottom of the trunk survived and showed signs of budding growth.

    According to the city, the contractor, who was onsite removing nine authorized tree stumps, grinded the black willow without proper authorization.

    "The contractor was in the area and thought they were doing the city a favor to take it down while they were there," says city spokesman Jeff Clapper. "It was an unfortunate thing, but the actual tree as it stood was an 8-foot trunk."

    The release says that the city "intends to seek remediation from the contractor" and will implement additional controls that include written permission for the removal of stumps more than 24 inches tall that are not already on an approved list.

    Although nature lovers such as Sandifer recognize that the tree was in decline, it served as home to a family of great horned owls, including a mated pair. Sandifer was able to capture their comings and goings in photos and in a video he posted on YouTube.

    There have been bigger concerns raised by White Rock Lake advocates about the level of respect given to landmark trees by Park Board director Willis Winter and city forester Karen Woodard.

    Naturalist Ted Barker views the downing of the tree as the latest in a situation brewing between Woodard and citizens at White Rock Lake, one that first erupted in November 2013 with what he calls the "Blue X brouhaha," when a number of trees, including this willow, were marked with a mysterious blue X. Woodard initially denied that the X's were marked by the city, but the Park Department eventually admitted that an unamed staffer had marked the trees for removal.

    "The tree has been a matter of contention for a long time," Barker says.

    Woodard was out of the office and not available to comment, but Clapper says that "there's no reason to believe there's any conspiracy. From the level of knowledge we have here, that is not the case."

    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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