In Flour Bluff two people were found dead in a house that had been set ablaze earlier this month. The deaths were ruled to be a murder suicide, but their dog survived the fire. In a heartfelt moment on March 19, 2013 one of the Corpus Christi firefighters that helped to save the dogs life was reunited with Hobo. Lester Garza, a firefighter, said "firefighters that entered the house found him under the bed, unconscious, he was still gasping for breath."
Lester says that it was about two weeks ago when they were called to a fire on Military Drive in Flour Bluff. Once Hobo was pulled from the burning house Lester gave him oxygen for 15 minutes. He said "he calmed down soon after and tried to go back inside his house but they wouldn't let him back in." The dogs owners found dead inside. Investigators say that 81-year old Charles Delong shot and killed 49-year old Cheryl Delong before he set the home on fire.
Remembering that day Lester said "he had nothing to do with what was going on that day he just happened to be victim of circumstances. And deserves to live." He went on to say "our job as firefighters is to help everybody, man or canine, either way." Cheryl Martinez from People Assisting Animal Control doesn't agree with Lester’s statement saying "they didn't have to do that, they didn't have to go through that trouble to work on him and they did, and that really means a lot that they would work to save this dog." The reality is that firefighters don’t actually have to try and save the animals, but many do. Its one of many things that make firefighters brave and wonderful people.
Hobo has spent the last two weeks at animal control recovering from smoke inhalation but is now with PAAC. Cheryl says that if the families of the murder suicide victims don’t come forward to claim Hobo that they will find him a permanent home. She said "Hobo's not going to be a hobo anymore, he's gonna get a loving family for the rest of his life." Lester is happy to know that Cheryl is working to help Hobo and said "I was hoping he didn't become just a number and they put him down. I was hoping that someone would take him. I hope somebody does take him."
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