Paramedic adopts puppy that survived Hurricane Harvey
"Honestly, I fell in love with her," Lester Hernandez told ABC News.
— -- A paramedic has rescued a stray puppy that survived Hurricane Harvey.
Lester Hernandez, 29, of Las Vegas adopted the 8-month-old collie mix named Houston, from the city of Houston, days after he had been working in the area post-storm.
"I wanted to give her a home," Hernandez told ABC News. "Honestly, I fell in love with her. There are people still without homes and animals without homes in Texas and in Florida, so there's still a lot that needs to be done. I'm just reminding people that it's not over."
Hernandez said met the pup outside the George R. Brown Convention Center, where he was assisting 9,000 evacuees.
Houston the puppy followed an evacuee to the shelter before transit police officer Dell Valderas volunteered to take the dog home, feed her and clean her up on Aug. 29.
Earlier that night, Valderas said that Hernandez approached her outside the convention center and told her he wanted the dog.
"I said, 'If you're serious, I will keep her for you," Valderas told ABC News. "He said, 'Let me talk to my wife.' He came back 10 minutes later and said, 'She said yes.'"
She added, "He had this look in his eyes like it was love at first sight."
Valderas took care for Houston for a week and returned her to Hernandez, who took the dog back to Las Vegas.
Houston has gotten used to her name and is happy in her new home with the Hernandez family, Valderas said.
