(CNN) - Taco is home for the holidays.
The black, white and tan hound was just one of thousands of dogs displaced after this year’s devastating Atlantic hurricane season.
His journey brought Taco from Texas to a new family in Washington, DC. He was a victim of Hurricane Harvey.
"For him, it meant being displaced, it meant not being able to be with his family, or losing his family, or potentially even never having a family,” said Colleen Learch with the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation. “What this rescue means for him is that he has a chance of having a really good life in a fabulous home."
Taco’s new mom, Alexandra Puritz, loves her new buddy.
"He's just so funny,” she said. “He just does strange little things that make me laugh and he's a great companion."
Major natural disasters can drastically increase the number of animals in need.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says that during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, an estimated 250,000 dogs and cats were displaced or died.
After Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, many animal rescue groups went in to get animals and take them to safer places.
"It's amazing to see how resilient dogs are. How special they are. How much they can add to your life,” Puritz said.
With the holidays around the corner, rescue groups feel the timing couldn't be better.
"The holiday seasons are often about having fun and bonding, and why not pass that along to a pet and start that new relationship with your pet during the holidays," Learch said.
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