Charity Profile

Dallas sanctuary ensures animals get a second chance at a happy life

Approximately 300 dogs and cats are helped by Operation Kindness every day.

What started as a normal day at the House of Blues became a sweet story of rescue when Clint Phillips and his coworkers discovered three tiny kittens discarded in the recycling bin of the concert venue’s alley.

Staff and musicians alike took turns watching after and bottle-feeding the kittens. After a night of VIP treatment backstage and some help from social media, the kittens were delivered to Mark Cooper of Operation Kindness, the original and largest no-kill animal shelter in North Texas.

With more than 40 years of caring for abused, abandoned, and neglected animals, they knew just what to do and the three siblings were soon on their way to safe and loving homes.

Stories like this one happen every day, and Operation Kindness is committed to being available for every needy animal. More than 80,000 cats and dogs have been saved since Operation Kindness began, and the nonprofit currently cares for approximately 300 cats and dogs on a day-to-day basis, with another 150 in foster homes.

This year alone, more than 4,200 homeless animals have received medical care, shelter, and food from Operation Kindness.

Vote now for Operation Kindness — or any of the other worthy local nonprofits — in the CultureMap Charity Challenge.

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Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty is pleased to support the outstanding work of Operation Kindness.

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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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