For the Love of Dogs

Humane Society of Flower Mound throws doggone good party at Fido Fest

Fido Fest in Flower Mound includes costume contests.
Courtesy photo
Did these dogs at Fido Fest 2012 realize that the big guy was not a dog?
Courtesy photo

The Humane Society of Flower Mound has devised a fun way to raise funds with Fido Fest, taking place November 2 at Westchester Park at 3999 Churchill Dr. in Flower Mound. The annual event has become tradition among dog-lovers in the Flower Mound area because of the wide range of activities it offers.

Formed in 1997, the Humane Society of Flower Mound is not connected to the city's shelter but is instead a foster-based organization for dogs and cats. The group is probably best known for its exhaustive work in 2012 helping to rehabilitate 52 dogs that were dumped on the side of the road in Denton County by what was suspected to be an illegal dog breeder.

"Our group is well-organized and has many dedicated volunteers," says spokeswoman Karen Schram. "People here have a lot of respect for their animals."

The event opens with a 10 am dog walk before moving into a day of games, concessions and contests. A highlight is the Frisbee demonstration by the Dallas Dog & Disc Club.

"They're a group who've trained dogs to do all kinds of things with Frisbees," Schram says. "They also pull dogs out of the audience and show them how to get started with a Frisbee, too."

There are costume contests, a presentation by the Flower Mound Police K-9 team, and booths offering microchipping and portraits for the holidays.

"There's one booth called 'May I Pet Your Dog?' that offers a valuable service," Schram says. "They teach children about how to approach a dog. It tells you how to read the signs so that you know when it's okay or not okay to pet a dog. There's also a booth called 'Ask a Trainer,' where you can talk to them about behavioral problems."

A demonstration on agility will show dogs jumping through tunnels and obstacles, which has become an increasingly popular way for people to bond with their pets.

Tickets are available at the website. "It's just a potpourri of things for people to come and do to spend the day with their furry friends," Schram says.

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happy go lucky plano

Dallas neighbor dazzles on new list of happiest cities in America

Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

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A new happiness study has ranked Plano one of the happiest cities in America this year, and it once again landed on top as the happiest city in Texas.

Plano has moved up on the list and ranks as the 16th happiest U.S. city in 2026. Last year, it was 17th.

WalletHub determined the happiest cities in America based on 29 relevant metrics based on "positive-psychology research" across three main categories: emotional and physical wellbeing, income and employment, and community and environment. As with most WalletHub studies, it compared the 182 most populous U.S. cities.

Fremont, California claimed the top spot as the happiest city nationwide for another year. Bismark, North Dakota and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectfully, rounded out the top three.

Here's how WalletHub ranked Plano across the three key dimensions:

No. 15 – Emotional and physical wellbeing
No. 22 – Community and environment
No. 72 – Income and employment

Plano and its residents have continued improving their city year after year, whether its through opening new bakeries and restaurants, inviting fun pop-ups for locals, or having a strong job market.

Plano's happiness far outshines the rest of North Texas; according to WalletHub, Irving is the 70th happiest city in the country, the third-happiest in Texas, and the second-happiest city in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro. Garland ranked farther behind as No. 92 nationally, and more DFW cities ranked even lower: Grand Prairie (No. 106), Dallas (No. 111), Fort Worth (No. 113), and Arlington (No. 119).

The report additionally found that Dallasites spend the third-most amount of time at work in the nation. The city ranked No. 180 in the national analysis of U.S. cities with the "fewest work hours."

WalletHub also emphasized that money doesn't buy happiness — after a certain point.

"For decades, researchers have explored the science of happiness and identified several core factors, including mental well-being, physical health, strong social ties, job satisfaction, and financial stability," the report said. "Still, income has its limits — studies show that earning more than $75,000 a year does not lead to greater happiness."

Six-figure earners in Plano aren't necessarily as happy as those who don't make as much, as a separate financial study from SmartAsset revealed these big earners are only taking home about $72,653 after taxes and adjusted for the cost of living.

This is how other Texas cities ranked in the report:

No. 39 – Austin
No. 128 – Houston
No. 135 – Lubbock
No. 137 – El Paso
No. 140 – Laredo
No. 143 – Amarillo
No. 150 – Brownsville
No. 154 – San Antonio
No. 155 – Corpus Christi

wallethub plano reports