RIP Kathy

Kathy Rogers, revered founder of Dallas' Rogers Wildlife Rehab Center, dies

Kathy Rogers, founder of Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

Kathy Rogers

A major figure in Dallas' animal rescue world has died: Kathy Rogers, who rescued and rehabitated thousands of birds in the Dallas area, passed away on April 9. She was 73.

Rogers was founder of The Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, an animal facility at Samuel Farm in Mesquite, which she built into the largest not-for-profit avian rehabilitation center in North Texas. The center provided top notch care for more than 5000 wounded and abandoned birds brought there every year.

Rogers and her wildlife center had followers from around the world who cherished her dedicated service to birds, including some that became famous, such as the sick orphaned barn owl named Pearl that Rogers lovingly brought back to life and re-released into the wild.

Rogers Wildlife Center also figured prominently in a 2022 documentary called Honk - A True Story, about a goose that was abandoned at Turtle Creek.

Rogers was known by her outward beauty, infectious laugh, dry sense of humor, and her generous heart and compassion for all creatures great and small. A lifelong lover of animals, she worked for the Dallas Zoo and consulted at the Dallas Aquarium and Busch Gardens, among many others, before going on to found RWRC in 1989.

RWRC's focus is on birds but Kathy helped other abandoned species that were brought to the center. For animals that could not be released, it was not uncommon for them to end up at Kathy's home as part-time or sometimes permanent companions.

Animals were given charming nicknames such as "Tom and Eddy" the Turkeys, stories that she shared on social media in a touching yet whimsical tone.

For example, about the two unlikely birds that became friends during the pandemic, she wrote:

"Clearly, there is no social distancing with these two best friends. Last September we got a baby Peacock. That is really late for Peacocks. They usually hatch in May. So now we had a lonely baby with no comfort companion. The very next day, Animal Control came in with a baby Turkey. How random was that? We just don't get many baby Turkeys, ever. Of course we put them together. Ever since that day, these two have been inseparable. If one wanders out of the other ones sight, there is mass panic and calling. I just love that once again, two wayward souls in need of love and comfort made their way to our place."Kathy Rogers releases Pearl the barn owl.Kathy Rogers

Volunteers past and present, who'd been inspired by her welcoming nature and commitment, expressed their condolences on Facebook, and the post about her passing drew comments from other rehabbers and bird fans across the U.S.

"Such sad news. I’ve taken birds to you and have followed her on Facebook for years. Her compassion, knowledge, and dedication to saving wild birds and housing those that couldn’t be returned to the wild was unrivaled. She will be missed but her mission will live on. Thank you, Kathy, for all that you did."

"The loss of Kathy is a tremendous loss to the bird world. Her expert care saved many birds that would otherwise have perished."

"The DFW area lost a great resource warrior and I pray her work continues as we need it and especially all the birds that are part of our lives."

"As a fellow licensed wildlife rehabber, I can't begin to express the sadness and huge hole that now fills our community. Kathy was a true pioneer and advocate for all wildlife. What a beautiful legacy she's leaving. Thank you Kathy for helping the thousands of lives critical to our ecosystems a leaving this earth a better place. You will be missed.I came across Kathy and her sanctuary through following Honk the Goose and was so happy that Honk had an amazing home in his latter days."

The team at the wildlife center say they'll continue to operate the facility and provide a resource for animal lovers who find a sick bird, squirrel, turtle, or other fauna in their yard or on city streets.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Benjamin and Harriet Fillmore, and brother Benjamin Fillmore. She is survived by sisters Jeanne Larson and Bitsy Lee, son Patrick Rogers, grandson Ethan Rogers, two nieces, and a nephew. Information about and donations to the Center can be made at: https://rogerswildlife.org.

animals deaths

Park news

New I-35 deck park in southern Dallas moves closer to spring 2026 debut

Courtesy rendering

Renderings for Halperin Park.

A massive deck park spanning Interstate 35E in southern Dallas is set to open in late spring 2026. Called Halperin Park, the five-acre community space has been under construction since 2017 and will be completed in two phases:

Phase One (finishing in late spring) will include the section from Ewing Avenue to Lancaster Avenue and will feature a pavilion, amphitheater, playground area, interactive fountains, a second level overlooking the Dallas Zoo and the highway, and a large event room for every dining and special events.

Phase Two (to be completed over the next five years) will add the park section toward Marsalis Avenue, with an additional pavilion and extra gathering space.

The project is being developed by the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation and built by the Texas Department of Transportation. Funding comes from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, as well as the private Halperin Foundation, which donated $23 million in 2024 and secured naming rights.

In January, the Dallas City Council approved spending up to $8 million to complete Phase One for spring completion.

The public-private initiative will create $1 billion in economy impact over the next five years, according to a study by UNT Dallas.

Rendering of Halperin ParkCourtesy rendering

A park with purpose
Developers say the park aims to integrate the west side of Oak Cliff, which was somewhat segregated with the construction of I-35 in Oak Cliff in the 1960s, leading to low-income communities and generational poverty.

The project started nine years ago, when the Texas Department of transportation planned a reconstruction of I-35 and began gathering neighbors’ feedback. The result was a plan to widen bicycle and pedestrian lanes in the service roads alongside the highway, and to build a deck over the highway between Ewing and Marsalis avenues, adjacent to the Dallas Zoo. (Similar Klyde Warren Park's "deck park" concept.)

While the project faced some skepticism at first, it later gained momentum as private supporters continued to join.

“Forty percent of the Dallas population lives in South Dallas, yet this segment only accounts for 15 percent of the tax base,” says April Allen, President and CEO of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation, citing the opportunity to address the economic equality in the area through the development of the park and all the business it can bring.

Rendering of Halperin Park.Courtesy rendering

Neighborhood pride
For Allen, this project is personal. The Toronto-born executive first moved to Dallas 22 years ago to work at Neiman Marcus, after getting her engineering degree in Canada and her MBA at Harvard. Oak Cliff felt like the right place for her as an intown neighborhood, with a confluency of cultures, local pride and an entrepreneurial spirit, as she describes it. Her first Realtor told her Oak Cliff was “not the right place for her." Instead of choosing a different neighborhood, Allen chose a new Realtor.

She has lived on the same street in North Cliff since, now raising her two kids with her husband, an Oak Cliff native, whom she credits for her further understanding of the neighborhood, its roots and civic dynamics.

Under Allen’s leadership, Halperin Park is focused on a community-first approach that provides support to the neighbors through programs around health and wellness, after-school activities, local food trucks and markets, and educational workshops to help expand homeownership and financial acumen.

To highlight the history and culture of Oak Cliff, they will feature an annual Walk of Fame, lifting up the stories of those who contributed to Oak Cliff history, with the first one happening as part of the inauguration of the park, organizers say.

They will provide their own 24-hour security team to ensure a safe place for families and kids, with clean and well-lit crosswalks.

Given their proximity with the zoo, parking will be available on the East side of the park at the zoo site, with a walkway to the park. They are working on parking options for the West side.

“We want to create a space for community growth and more business in the area," says Allen. "We are already seeing this come to life with projects such as East Dock, and we are excited for future investment that the park will bring."

parks