Pet of the Week

Handsome Oscar the cat can't wait to find his new family

Former featured pets Domino and Wyoming are still waiting for their forever homes. This week, meet Oscar, a 3-year-old domestic long hair mix.

This 10-pound hunk has a beautiful brown tabby coat and bright green eyes. But he doesn’t let those good looks go to his head; he has a very sweet disposition.

Oscar loves to have his head and chin scratched, and this curious guy likes to spend his days looking out the window, lying in the sun or curling up in a nice bed.

Oscar was surrendered to the SPCA on April 15 because his previous owners no longer had time to care for him. He has been neutered, FIV/FeLV tested (he is negative), microchipped and vaccinated. Plus he is litter box trained. And, because Oscar has been waiting for his new family for more than 30 days, he is a VIP (very important pet) with a special, lower adoption price.

Come meet Oscar today at the SPCA of Texas’ Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center in Dallas at 2400 Lone Star Dr., near I-30 and Hampton Road. The center is open seven days a week, noon-6 pm.

Regular adoption fees are $95-$125 for puppies 0-6 months, $75-$95 for adult dogs 6 months or older, $50 for senior dogs 7 years or older, $50 for VIP dogs, $95 for kittens, $75 for adult cats, $50 for senior cats 7 years and older, and $50 for VIP cats.

The adoption fee includes spay/neuter surgery, age-appropriate vaccinations, heartworm test for dogs 6 months and older, initial heartworm preventative for dogs, feline leukemia test for cats 4 months and older, microchip, rabies tag, and free leash or cat carrier. Call 214-742-SPCA (7722) or visit the SPCA website for more information.

unspecified

Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

Topgolf Facebook

undefined

Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

dance clubs fun cities nightlife parties recreation wallethub