Pet of the Week

Wyandotte and her SPCA cat pal can fill a home with double the love

Animal lovers, we need your help: From previous weeks, Bega and Rose are still waiting to be adopted. The good news is that Dylan found a forever home.

This week meet Wyandotte, who came to the SPCA of Texas on November 29 when she was transferred from another shelter. This happy girl is ready to find a permanent place in a new family:

Breed: Domestic shorthair mix

Age: 5 years

Weight: 9 pounds

Personality: Wyandotte came to SPCA of Texas with her friend Dominique, and they are very close. They are requesting to go home together. Wyandotte has beautiful, orange-and-brown tabby stripes. She is a little shy, because she is getting used to shelter life, but she is really sweet once she warms up. And Dominique helps her come out of her shell. In addition to snuggling, Wyandotte likes big, fluffy blankets and watching birds.

Vital stats: Wyandotte has been spayed and microchipped, and she has received all age-appropriate vaccinations.

Come meet Wyandotte today (#136990) 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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