Animal News

East Texas man gets 6 years in penitentiary for cruelty to animals

James Henry Eubanks of Wills Point gets arrested.

SPCA

A Wills Point man who pleaded guilty to animal cruelty is headed for the penitentiary: James Henry Eubanks, who was arrested in January after leaving dogs out in the cold to die, was sentenced to six years in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison on September 6 after pleading guilty to Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

According to a release from the SPCA, the sentence was handed down in the 294th District Court of Van Zandt County by Judge Chris Martin on July 11. Eubanks was transferred to the TCDJ system on September 6.

Eubanks was arrested on January 19, 2024, and taken into custody where he was booked into the Van Zandt County Jail and charged with Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals.

This followed an investigation by the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office who removed 10 cruelly treated dogs, three of which were deceased, from a property near Wills Point. The temperature at the time was 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mugshot of James Henry Eubanks, arrested for leaving dogs out in freezing weather. SPCA

A total of 10 Pitbull-type dogs were confined to the property. Six of the dogs were confined to kennels; three of those were dead.

The four remaining dogs were running loose on the property and were attempting to find a windbreak from the freezing wind. Investigators could not find any food and all water was frozen solid.

It was determined by the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit that the dogs in this case were deprived of food, water, shelter, and care. According to the Texas Penal Code 42.092 (Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals), a person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly tortures an animal or in a cruel manner kills or causes serious bodily injury to an animal. An offense of this nature is a felony of the third degree.

The SPCA of Texas became involved after receiving a complaint from a concerned citizen about dogs suffering in the cold with possible deceased dogs on scene.

“Animal crimes are notoriously known to yield weak punishments, so getting a sentence of 6 years in prison is a tremendous win for the SPCA of Texas and Van Zandt County,” said SPCA of Texas Chief Investigator, Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit Courtney Burns, CAWA. “This case represents a successful team effort and I want to thank the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance on scene and the District Attorney’s Office for working so hard to get this conviction and sentence.

“We also are thankful that a concerned citizen came forward and reported what they witnessed happening to these animals. I cannot stress enough how important it is for the public to file a complaint if they suspect animal cruelty is occurring,” Burns said.

animals

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

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happy go lucky plano

Dallas neighbor dazzles on new list of happiest cities in America