Animal News

SPCA appoints ex-Dallas City Council member Chris Luna as president-CEO

New boss at SPCA: Chris Luna

Courtesy photo

The SPCA in Dallas has a new boss: J. Christopher “Chris” Luna has been appointed President & CEO of the nonprofit animal organization, replacing Karen Froehlich, who resigned in February 2023.

According to a release, Luna, who was on the Dallas City Council during the 90s, was selected after an "extensive national search."

He most recently worked at T-Mobile for 18 years, but has no experience in the animal shelter realm.

He served on the Dallas City Council for three terms for District 2, including serving as deputy mayor pro tem. He's currently on the boards of The Dallas Foundation and The Dallas Theater Center; is a past board member of the Parkland Health & Hospital System, Dallas Zoo, and Richardson Chamber of Commerce; a past president of the Garland Housing Finance Corporation, past chair of the Shared Housing Center, past president of the Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation and past president of The Dallas Assembly.

He earned accounting and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, and worked at law firms in Dallas; he also clerked for Chief Judge Robert C. McGuire, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas.

As President & CEO, Luna will lead 153 employees and 992 volunteers.

The SPCA is a shelter that takes in and adopts out animals, but is not a city shelter like Dallas Animal Services and is therefore not required to take in all animals.

Froehlich left abruptly in February after three years in the post. She replaced previous president/CEO James Bias, who also left the position abruptly.

Luna is a native Texan and has called Dallas home for over 35years. He lives in the Dallas area with his husband, Kent Mecklenburg, and Bacio, their senior doggy daughter.

"Chris is an inspiring and innovative leader with deep experience and a proven track record in expanding organizational reach and impact leading to increased operational excellence," says SPCA of Texas Board Chair, Hiren Patel in a statement. “The Board search committee worked diligently for the last nine months to find the right candidate and we are confident that Chris will guide the SPCA of Texas into a bright future.”

animals

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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