KATY, Texas – A captain with the Houston Fire Department is raising money for a family and their two dogs, who were involved in a fatal car crash.
Captain George Anderson with Houston Fire Station 90 created a GoFundMe page for Yolanda and Charles Futrell's two dogs, Lucy and Judy, nicknamed "Hope" and "Faith."
Yolanda Futrell was killed on Dec. 26 when prosecutors in Harris County said Gustavo Aybar, 30, slammed into her car while he was speed racing on the Katy Freeway.
Aybar is accused of having a 3-year-old child in the car and possession of marijuana and oxycodone.
Paramedics rushed Charles Futrell to the hospital by LifeFlight with serious injuries.
The Futrell couple also had three dogs in their car; one was killed and the two others, Lucy and Judy, were badly hurt.
"It was real chaotic, there were cars stopped everywhere and debris," said Captain Anderson.
Staff at the North Houston Veterinary Specialists (NHVS) clinic in West Houston provided care for the two dogs and nicknamed them "Hope" and "Faith."
The facility's manager, Suzanne Merritt, said Hope, the Dachshund, was in bad shape when they took her in.
"She had wounds on the abdomen that were pretty serious," she said. "She was the more critical of the two. The boxer was quite shaken up but very friendly."
"I really didn't think she would make it and I'm very pleased that she is making it," said Stephen Virnau, a firefighter with HFD, who was also on the scene of the crash.
Merritt told KPRC 2 the vet bills will be about $10,000. Captain Anderson said he is trying to raise that amount of money through the GoFundMe page.
"I just did what I would want someone to do for me if I was in a similar situation," said Anderson.
"Faith" has been released from the hospital to the Futrell family but Merritt said "Hope" is not well enough to be released.