Animal News

Dallas' animal shelter hits milestone not achieved since pandemic

Husky at Dallas Animal Services

DAS

There's good news about Dallas' animal shelter: They are having a good month in January. According to a release, Dallas Animal Services (DAS) is on track to reach a 90 percent live release rate for January — a significant milestone not seen since October 2020.

"Live release rate" is a term used by animal shelters that describes how many animals "got out alive" either by adoption, fostering, or being returned to their original owner. A live release rate of 90 percent or above puts a shelter in the "no-kill" zone, meaning few animals have been euthanized.

According to a releasem the shelter is at a current 91 percent live release rate for cats and dogs. Fiscal year to date (October 1–present), DAS stands at an overall 87.5 percent live release rate for cats and dogs — also outstanding.

At the same time, DAS is at 130 percent capacity, meaning it has more animals than it can comfortably hold. As of January 22, 400 dogs were sharing 283 kennels. That figure does not account for 24 kennels not in use due to flooring repairs in progress.

“Our staff, volunteers and advocates have been working tirelessly to save lives. While we may not yet be at the point where sustaining a 90 percent live release rate consistently month-to-month is possible, it would truly be a huge morale boost to achieve this milestone for the month of January,” says Mary Martin, Assistant Director of DAS.

It's a huge milestone following the pandemic when many people adopted pets, then abandoned them in the return to "normalcy."

“The support we’ve received from all levels of the community, from individual Dallas residents to our partner organizations, is outstanding,” said Paul Ramon, Director of DAS. “We truly wouldn’t be here without our supporters like Operation Kindness and others. Today, we are asking those who have not yet gotten involved, to take that leap and join the fight in saving lives.”

The shelter’s current biggest need is for temporary fosters. Housing an adult dog for a week or more can greatly improve the pet’s chances for adoption and opens up a kennel for the 50–75 dogs that arrive daily at DAS.

Everyone should chip in and foster a pet, and can do so by going to the shelter during operating hours or by signing up at BeDallas90.org.

animals

Unhappy holidays

Porch pirates pilfer nearly $2B worth of Texas packages, study shows

Porch Pirate Person in Glasses Steals Packages

Getty Images

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’Tis the season for porch pirates. If past trends are an indicator, the Grinch will swipe close to $2 billion worth of packages delivered to Texas households this year, with many of those thefts happening ahead of the holiday season.

An analysis of FBI and survey data by ecommerce marketing company Omnisend shows porch pirates stole more than $1.8 billion worth of packages from Texans’ porches last year. Porch pirates hit nearly one-third of the state’s households in 2024, according to the analysis.

Omnisend’s analysis reveals these statistics about porch piracy in Texas:

30.1 million residential package thefts in 2024.
An average household loss of $169 per year.
An annual average of 2.9 package thefts per household.

“Most stolen items are cheap on their own, but add them up, and retailers and consumers are facing an enormous bill,” says Omnisend.

Another data analysis, this one from The Action Network sports betting platform, unwraps different figures regarding porch piracy in Texas.

The platform’s 2025 Porch Pirate Index ranks Texas as the state with the highest volume of residential thefts, based on 2023-24 FBI data.

Researchers at The Action Network uncovered 26,293 reports of personal property thefts at Texas residences during that period. The network’s survey data indicates 5 percent of Texas residents had a package stolen in the three months before the pre-holiday survey.

The Porch Pirate Index calculates a 25.8 percent risk of a Texas household being victimized by porch pirates, putting it in the No. 5 spot among states with the highest risk of porch piracy.

The Action Network included online-search volume for terms like “package stolen” and “porch pirates.” Sustained spikes in these searches suggest that “people are actively looking for guidance after something has happened. Search trends serve as an early warning system, revealing emerging-risk areas well before annual crime statistics are released,” the network says.

Tips to avoid being a victim
So, how do you prevent porch pirates from snatching packages that end up on your porch? Omnisend, The Action Network and Amazon offer these eight tips:

Closely monitor deliveries and quickly retrieve packages.
Schedule deliveries for times when you’ll be home.
Use delivery lockers or in-store pickup when possible.
Ask delivery services to hide packages in out-of-sight spots outside your home.
Install a visible doorbell camera or security camera.
Coordinate deliveries with neighbors or building managers if you’ll be away from your home when packages are supposed to arrive.
Request that delivery services hold your packages if you can’t be home when they’re scheduled to come.
Illuminate the path to your doorstep and keep porch lights on.

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