Karen Froehlich, president and CEO of the SPCA of Texas, resigned Wednesday in the wake of some controversial decisions she has made over the last several months related to Dallas animal welfare issues.
“We respect Karen’s decision [to step down] and thank her for her seven years of service to our organization,” said Hiren Patel, the chair of the SPCA of Texas board of directors. “She is passionate about protecting and caring for vulnerable animals, and we’re certain she will continue that good work into the future.”
The SPCA of Texas appointed Don Lindsley, SPCA of Texas vice president of finance, to serve as interim president and CEO while the board of directors conducts an executive search to fill the role.
Controversy has swirled around the organization following some of Froehlich’s recent executive decisions, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
In September, she told the Dallas Police Department that the SPCA could no longer perform forensic work for investigations of animal cruelty cases. In January, the SPCA closed down the organization’s low-cost veterinary clinic that had been in operation for 17 years in South Dallas.
One longtime philanthropist and benefactor of the SPCA, Jan Rees-Jones, had requested that her name be removed from the SPCA of Texas website and promotional materials.
“At the request of the donor, the name of our facility at 2400 Lone Star Drive will now be known as the Dallas Animal Care Center. We will no longer refer to the building internally or externally as JRJ. We are working to accommodate the donor’s request quickly and respectfully,” an internal email published by The Dallas Morning News reads.
Stacey Kivowitz, another longtime SPCA donor and former SPCA of Texas board member, reportedly told The Dallas Morning News that she had been troubled about the direction that the SPCA of Texas was headed under Froehlich’s leadership.
Kivowitz said Froelich’s resignation was a “huge asset to the four-legged citizens of the city of Dallas.”
She added, “This organization needs to get back on its feet to fulfill its lifesaving mission,” per The Dallas Morning News.
Ed Jamison, CEO of Operation Kindness and a former director of Dallas Animal Services, told Local Today that change can be hard and that there are still many good people in the SPCA of Texas.
“Animal protection is at its greatest when everyone pulls together in real collaboration,” Jamison said, per Local Today.
The Dallas Express reached out to the SPCA of Texas for comment or additional information but did not receive a response by the publication deadline.
