Pet of the Week

Adoptable Gazpacho the hound mix needs to know people can be nice

Attention, animal lovers: Jill, Mia and Macaroni are still waiting for their forever homes. This week meet Gazpacho, who came to the SPCA of Texas on July 23 when he was rescued from cruelty.

He was living a hard life in a place with 221 other animals, but now he is happy, healthy and ready to find the perfect home.

Breed: Hound mix

Age: 2 years

Weight: 50 pounds

Personality: Gazpacho is looking for a special family to adopt him. He’s very shy, probably because of his history. You can tell that he wants so badly to be loved on by humans. He will wag his tail and get as close as he can, but sometimes he backs away a little because he’s just not sure. He’s hoping that the person or family who adopts him will be patient, providing him with plenty of love while he gains confidence and learns that people can be nice.

Right now, he’s in a pod with his friend Garrett, which helps Gazpacho learn how to be more social. He’d love to go on walks with you so you can bond, but because he’s still so shy, he’ll need a little time before you should let him off of the leash to run around. He’d also love to learn to be crate trained, because it would be great for him to have a safe place for when he’s feeling a little overwhelmed.

He’s such a great dog. He just knows his perfect family is out there.

Vital stats: Gazpacho has been neutered and microchipped, and he received all age-appropriate vaccinations.

Come meet Gazpacho today (#134310) 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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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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