For the Animals

Dallas animal shelter forges first-of-its-kind alliance with neighborhood social network

To improve communication with residents and pet owners, Dallas' Animal Services Department has formed a partnership with neighborhood social network Nextdoor. The shelter joins the Dallas Police Department, which has been partnered with Nextdoor since November 2012.

Dallas Animal Services will use Nextdoor to share safety reminders, information on animal resources and updates on adoption events. This is the first alliance of its kind in the nation for Nextdoor.

"They're our first animal services partnership, and they're leading the way for the United States," says Robbie Turner, senior city strategist at Nextdoor.

Founded in 2011, Nextdoor is a San Francisco-based social network that focuses on neighborhood issues. Dallas is one of its top 10 cities in terms of presence, with participation in 6 percent of Dallas' approximately 601,000 households.

Each Dallas neighborhood has its own Nextdoor website, accessible only to residents of that area. It hasn't yet drawn the following of social media giant Facebook, but it's proven useful in for-sale ads, advice on vendors, crime watch and pet notices, which are more relevant than Facebook because of Nextdoor's target on neighborhoods. If you see a dog on your street and post it to Facebook, that's often a too-wide swath of people who don't live nearby.

"That's true across the country, that lost and found pets have been one of the most popular uses," Turner says. "That's why we love the fact that DAS is using Nextdoor, because it fits right in with what our members are already talking about."

More help for lost pets
Meanwhile, a new website has been created that shares crucial advice for people who've lost or found a pet. Called Lost Pets Dallas, it offers guides for four groups: those who've lost a dog, found a dog, lost a cat or found a cat.

Some pets respond to the age-old technique of standing outside and calling your their name, but others, particularly cats, require specific techniques, says Rebecca Poling, a spokesperson from Dallas Companion Animal Project, the nonprofit group that created the site.

"There are a couple of organizations that try to do lost pets nationwide, but it doesn't really work," she says. "The most successful lost-pet efforts are at the community level."

She calls Lost Pets Dallas a one-stop for anyone who has lost or found an animal. "If you've lost your pet, you want to go to the shelter every day and see if it turns up, but it's not all you do," she says. "You have to let the neighbors know, you have to put up signs that get the attention of passersby."

She credits Nextdoor with doing a better job of reuniting pets than "almost anything that's happened" lately.

"A lot of what we're offering on this website is for people on Nextdoor who are trying to reunite pets and people who are trying to find their cats," she says. "The return rate on cats is really low, less than 50 percent. If you're trying to find a cat, you have to work through a process. You start with a trap, you look close by; people are usually looking in the wrong places."

The shelter still advises those with animal issues to call 311 or 214-670-3111, or 911 in an emergency, and to visit Dallascityhall.com. DAS also has a lost-and-found coordinator at 214-670-9501 or DASlost@dallascityhall.com.

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grad school rankings

12 DFW universities boast best graduate programs of 2026, says U.S. News

SMU Facebook

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A dozen Dallas-Fort Worth universities are earning new national acclaim in a just-released report of the best graduate schools in the U.S. for 2026.

U.S. News & World Report annually publishes its national "Best Graduate Schools" rankings in early April, which comprehensively rank graduate programs across business, education, engineering, law, health, and many others.

New for the 2026 edition, the publication updated its rankings across 12 health disciplines — only physician assistant and social work were excluded — and "the first full refresh" of doctoral science programs since 2022. U.S. News also revived its Master's in Fine Arts rankings for the first time since 2020.

"We know a graduate degree is a major commitment,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor of Education at U.S. News. “That is why we are dedicated to methodologies that thoroughly examine a wide range of factors, from research excellence to career success. These rankings are a powerful tool for prospective students, offering clarity and confidence as they approach their most critical educational choice."

This is how the 12 local schools ranked, statewide and nationally, and how they compared with last year's national ranking:

The University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson

Jindal School of Management – No. 2 best graduate business school in Texas; No. 23 nationally (up from No. 31 last year)
Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science – No. 6 best graduate engineering school in Texas; No. 89 nationally (down from No. 85 last year)

UT Dallas' audiology program tied for No. 2 nationally this year, its speech-language pathology program tied for 13th best, and its health care management program tied for No. 68. In the doctoral science rankings, UT Dallas' statistics program tied for No. 66 nationally, the earth sciences program tied for No. 89, the mathematics program tied for No. 106, the physics program tied for No. 113, and the chemistry program tied for No. 118 nationally. The university also boasts the 55th best public affairs program.

Southern Methodist University

Cox School of Business – No. 4 best graduate business school in Texas; No. 26 nationally (down from No. 34 last year)
Dedman School of Law – No. 4 best law school in Texas; No. 42 nationally (up from No. 43 last year)
Lyle School of Engineering – No. 11 best graduate engineering school in Texas; No. 153 nationally (up from No. 160 last year)
Simmons School of Education and Human Development – No. 3 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 47 nationally (up from No. 49 last year)

SMU's clinical psychology program tied for No. 109 nationally this year. In the doctoral science rankings, the university's statistics program tied for No. 66 nationally, the earth sciences program tied for No. 89, the mathematics program tied for No. 114, the physics program tied for No. 130, and the chemistry program tied for No. 135. SMU's graduate fine arts program tied for No. 133 nationally.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Tier 1 – Best research medical schools in U.S.

UT Southwestern's physical therapy program tied for No. 57 nationally, and the clinical psychology program tied for No. 141. In the doctoral science rankings, the university's biological sciences program tied for No. 16 nationally, and the chemistry program ranked No. 67.

University of North Texas in Dallas

College of Law – No. 9 best law school in Texas; No. 159 nationally (up from No. 163 last year)

UNT Dallas' public affairs program tied for No. 157 best in the U.S.

University of North Texas in Denton

College of Education – No. 9 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 126 nationally (down from No. 114 last year)
College of Engineering – No. 10 best graduate engineering school in Texas; tied for No. 134 nationally (down from No. 136 last year)

UNT's rehabilitation counseling program ranked as the 15th best in the U.S. this year, the audiology program tied for No. 56, the pharmacy program ranked as No. 92, and the university's speech-language pathology program tied for No. 104 nationally. In the doctoral science rankings, UNT's mathematics program tied for No. 139 nationally, the chemistry program tied for No. 150, and the physics program tied for No. 165. The university's public affairs program is the 72nd best in the nation, and its graduate fine arts program ranked No. 75 nationwide.

Texas Christian University in Fort Worth

Neeley School of Business – No. 6 best graduate business school in Texas; No. 60 nationally (down from No. 43 last year)
College of Education – No. 6 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 104 nationally (up from No. 114 last year)

TCU's nurse anesthesia program tied for No. 9 best in the U.S. this year, its speech-language pathology program tied for No. 67, and its occupational therapy program tied for No. 150. In the doctoral science rankings, TCU's chemistry program tied for No. 171 nationally. The university's graduate fine arts program tied for No. 169 nationally.

University of Texas at Arlington

College of Education – No. 13 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 171 nationally (up from No. 173 last year)
College of Engineering – No. 4 best graduate engineering school in Texas; No. 71 nationally (up from No. 81 last year)
Department of Graduate Nursing – No. 3 best master's nursing program in Texas; No. 50 nationally (up from No. 56 last year)

UT Arlington's health care management program tied for No. 81 nationally. In the doctoral science rankings, the physics program tied for No. 113 nationally, the earth sciences program tied for No. 132, the mathematics program tied for No. 139, and the chemistry program tied for No. 150 nationally. UT Arlington's public affairs program tied for No. 120 nationally.

Dallas Baptist University

Bush College of Education – No. 16 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 216 nationally (down from No. 215 last year)

Abilene Christian University in Addison

No. 18 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 227 nationally (up from No. 228 last year)

University of North Texas Health in Fort Worth (formerly The University of North Texas Health Science Center)
The clinical psychology program at UNT Health Fort Worth tied for No. 100 nationally in 2026, and its health care management program tied for No. 68. The public health program ranked 102nd best nationally, and the physical therapy program tied for No. 161.

Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth
The nurse anesthesia program at Texas Wesleyan University tied for 78th best nationally.

Texas Woman's University in Denton
TWU tied for the 15th best occupational therapy program in the nation, its physical therapy program ranked 25th best in the U.S., and its health care management program tied as the 81st best nationwide. The university's speech-language pathology program tied for No. 165 nationally. TWU's graduate fine arts program tied for No. 143 nationally.

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