Erik Estrada -- Ponch Pulls Puppies At Shelter

Former "CHiPs" star Erik Estrada is still protecting and serving ... except now he's doing it for a pair of adorable dogs ... and his daughter who refused to take no for an answer.

The owner of Wylder's Holistic Pet Center & Rescue in Studio City, CA tells TMZ ... Ponch's teenage daughter stopped in this week and instantly fell in love with two terrier mixes. We're told she quickly phoned pops, and talked him into paying for the adoption.

Erik loved the pups so much, he actually wanted to adopt THREE other dogs, but his wife talked him down to just the dos ... which they named Nike and Shadow.

While filling out the paperwork ... Erik was bitten by the generosity bug, and made a separate donation of $1,000 to the shelter.