When 10-year-old Rambo and his buddy Diesel arrived at the Humane Society of Monroe County, both dogs were in rough shape. Their former family could no longer care for them, and the pups were underweight and in need of serious attention.
Diesel bounced back quickly and was soon adopted. But Rambo, the older of the two, seemed like a very different case.
He walked slowly, wobbled with every step, and looked like a fragile senior in need of a quiet, loving hospice home. Shelter staff assumed his time was limited — and he needed a family who could make his final chapter peaceful and full of love.
Morgan, a staff member at the shelter, found herself unable to say goodbye to Rambo each night. So she made a heartfelt decision: she’d bring him home to give him the comfort and care he needed for his final days.
But then, Rambo revealed his secret.
“Every once in a while, we get a dog that completely deceives us,” the shelter wrote on Facebook. “This time, it was Rambo. He’s a 10-year-old ‘feeble old man’ who could hardly walk — or so we thought. Turns out, Rambo is a big, fat fibber!”
As soon as he got settled into his new home, Rambo dropped the act. The “frail” senior suddenly had energy to spare. He ran, played fetch, chased toys, and even managed to hop a short fence — just to prove he could.
“He conned us all, even the vet,” said Jackie Monteer, the shelter’s director. “He likes to play ball, run (even if it’s a little wobbly), and has the spirit of a dog half his age.”
While he might not have been the gentle hospice case everyone expected, Rambo turned out to be something even better: a spunky, playful dog with a zest for life.
Morgan and the shelter staff couldn’t be happier to have been “fooled.”
“The joy this dog brings is immeasurable,” Monteer said. “He loves life, and we love him. We couldn't be happier for Rambo — or more grateful to Morgan for giving this lovable faker the home he deserves.”
