What’s a girl to do when she loves dogs but her parents won’t let her have one?

For Hallee Fuqua, the answer was to start volunteering at the local animal shelter. Even though her parents said she had to graduate from Oklahoma State University before adopting a dog, she could still spend all her free time around plenty of pups.

She volunteered at the Humane Society of Stillwater while she was away from home at school. But she had no idea the rollercoaster of emotions that would follow from this.

Hallee bonded with one special dog, Rambo, whose tough exterior wasn’t the full picture.

Hallee noticed this Plott Hound mix while she was volunteering, and he was different from the other dogs in a lot of ways. When she would visit the Humane Society, most of the other dogs liked to run and play when she took them on walks. But Rambo just wanted to cuddle and be affectionate with her.

Jackie Ross-Guerrero, the director of the Stillwater Humane Society points out that Rambo was a particularly hard dog to get adopted. He looks a bit like a Pitbull, and he is a pretty big adult dog. Most people want to adopt small puppies, not dogs that seems like they could be aggressive, especially with the name Rambo. But underneath that tough exterior, he was just a sweet dog who wanted to be loved and shower his people in affection.

Hallee’s mom realized how much her daughter loved Rambo.

During her time volunteering, Hallee would send home pictures and videos of Rambo to her parents. Eventually, Hallee’s parents saw that she truly loved this dog, and they even started feeling a special connection to this pup. Hallee’s mom Jessica said,

“I just knew he belonged here. I’ve said ‘No’ long enough. I think he belongs in our family.”

Because of this connection, Hallee’s parents realized that it was time to backtrack on their no-dog-until-graduation rule and adopt this dog as a surprise for their devoted daughter.

When Hallee learned that her favorite dog had been adopted, she was heartbroken.

The adoption was kept a secret from Hallee for a few weeks, because her parents wanted to surprise her when she got home to Seiling. But she found out early that someone had adopted Rambo. Fearing that she would never see him again, she was heartbroken.

But this wasn’t the end for Hallee and Rambo. When she went home, she had a special surprise waiting for her.

A little bit before Christmas, Hallee’s mom told her to open the front door.

Because Hallee was so upset about saying ‘goodbye’ to Rambo, her parents decided to give her an early Christmas surprise. Putting cute antlers on Rambo, they held him outside while Hallee’s mom told her to open the door. And, they got it all on video.

Hallee’s reaction to this surprise shows just how much she truly loves this dog.

When she opens the door, you can see her look of shock and surprise. And then she starts to cry. She comes out to meet Rambo and the dog, remembering her and all the fun they had, runs up to her. True to form, Rambo cuddles her while she cries and cries from happiness.

Watching this video, you can see how special the bond between Hallee and Rambo truly is. They instantly click when they meet again, and they are both overjoyed.

Shelter animals are full of love and devotion.

Rambo is doing great at his new home now. He spends all his time around his family and loves to follow them around. Hallee’s parents say that they filmed her reaction because they wanted to raise awareness of how special shelter dogs are, and they included a link in the video to donate to the Humane Society of Stillwater.

There are so many shelter animals who are filled with love and affection waiting to be adopted. According to the ASPCA, about 6.5 million animals enter into shelters every year, compared to the 3.2 million animals who are adopted every year. If you are looking for a new pet, you might want to follow Hallee’s lead and adopt a shelter dog or cat who will love you with all their heart.

Watch the video below for her priceless reaction!

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Source: ASPCA, Lance Fuqua, Stillwater News Press