Pet of the Week

Fall in puppy love with ready-to-adopt Venice the heartbreaker

We are happy to report that former SPCA pet of the week Wyoming has been adopted. This week, meet Venice, a 1-year-old pit bull mix.

If you are looking for love, then your search is over. Venice is a gorgeous 44-pound pup who is sure to make your heart melt, with her red velvet coat, warm caramel eyes and butterscotch nose.

When she’s not breaking hearts with those good looks, Venice is running around the dog park, bouncing after squeaky toys, or playing tug-of-war or fetch. She is heartworm positive, but her treatments are free to her new family at an area VCA animal hospital once she is adopted.

This sweet girl was transferred to the SPCA of Texas from the Humane Society of Central Texas on April 19 so she could find her forever home. Venice was already on the Humane Society’s adoption floor, but she came to the SPCA of Texas so more space could be made available for the dogs and cats affected by the explosion in West, Texas.

Venice also is a VIP (very important pet) because she has been waiting for her new, loving family for more than 30 days, so she has a special lower adoption price.

Come meet Venice (#114105) 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.

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

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Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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