Animal News

Head of Dallas-based animal nonprofit SPCA of Texas steps down immediately

Karen Froehlich

There's been a shakeup at the SPCA of Texas. According to a release, President and CEO Karen Froehlich has stepped down from her post, effective immediately.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank Karen for her contributions to the SPCA of Texas,” says Hiren Patel, Chair of the SPCA of Texas Board of Directors, in a statement. “We respect Karen’s decision and thank her for her seven years of service to our organization. She is passionate about protecting and caring for vulnerable animals, and we’re certain she will continue that good work into the future.”

Froehlich had been president and CEO since 2019, first appointed on an interim basis to replace previous president/CEO James Bias, who also left the position abruptly, funny how that goes.

The Board of Directors has named Don Lindsley, SPCA of Texas VP of Finance, as interim President and CEO. He joined the SPCA of Texas in July 2013 and has been responsible for finance, risk management, facilities, and information technology.

Meanwhile, the board will conduct an executive search to replace Froehlich.

“We will seek a talented and respected individual with both passion for animal welfare and demonstrated leadership in managing a nonprofit similar in scale and scope to our organization,” Patel says. “While the board is motivated to fill this critical role, we are committed to a thorough and transparent process to find an exceptional candidate who is best suited to support and amplify the mission of SPCA of Texas.”

In 2022, the SPCA of Texas cared for more than 6,000 animals, found homes for 3,100 dogs and cats through adoption, and transferred more than 2,000 animals to shelters across the country.

Last year, the nonprofit’s animal cruelty investigations unit saved more than 1,300 animals from dangerous or abusive situations.

However, the agency has received negative attention since it withdrew from its agreement to support the Dallas Police Department's animal cruelty unit in September 2022.

city-news-roundup animals

Turkey Day news

Dallas eats up top-5 rank on list of best cities for Thanksgiving

Photo courtesy of Razzoo's

undefined

Dallas is sitting at the head of the table as one of the best places in the country to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, a new study has revealed.

Dallas ranked No. 5 out of 100 of the largest U.S. cities in WalletHub's annual "Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving" report, published November 12. The city made a huge leap over its 2023 ranking as No. 17, and remains the highest-ranking Texas city.

The study analyzed each city based on 18 metrics to determine the best places for Thanksgiving, such as the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the number of volunteer opportunities, the average weather forecast, and more. The metrics were then organized into five overall categories to determine the rankings.

The category that Dallas ranked the highest in was the number of celebrations and traditions (No. 2), and the average weather forecast during the holiday period (No. 9), while the lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility (No. 82). Other categories that determined Dallas' overall ranking were affordability (No. 60), and a "giving thanks" rank (No. 26).

Dallas restaurants are getting prepared for their big Turkey Day feasts, and CultureMap has rounded up a thorough list of all of the local restaurants hosting holiday feasts, from brunch to dinner.

"The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

By Thanksgiving on November 28, Dallas will be fully decked for the December holidays. Dallasites who will have extended family in town during Thanksgiving weekend can take in of all the marvelous Christmas lights brightening the city. Dallas-Fort Worth goes all out for the most wonderful time of year.

Across North Texas, three Dallas-area cities also made big improvements from their 2023 rankings. Irving moved up 10 spots to claim No. 19 this year, and Garland jumped up 21 spots on the list as No. 34. Arlington made the biggest improvement in the region, moving from No. 78 last year to No. 55 this year.

Meanwhile, Plano and Fort Worth slipped in the rankings, falling into No. 44 and No. 45 in 2024, respectively. Plano previously ranked No. 38 in 2023, and Fort Worth was No. 36.

San Diego, California (No. 1) topped the overall list of best places to go for Thanksgiving this year, followed by its Golden State neighbors San Francisco (No. 3) and San Jose (No. 4). Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2) rounds out the top five.

dallas fort worth thanksgiving wallethub rankings