Normally I wouldn’t call getting hit by a car a blessing in disguise, but for Rambo the dog, it might just be.

Rambo had been a stray — severely emaciated and festering with parasites — before he was hit by a car on a fateful 4th of July in 2013. Accidents happen, and I wish Rambo had never been a stray to begin with, but the driver who hit him did the right thing: Unable to help the dog herself, she found someone who could, and that’s when a series of events began to unfold, leading Rambo to eventually find his forever home in the midst of utter darkness.

I’m not saying a dog needs to be hit by a car in order to be rescued. I wish Rambo had never been wandered the streets sick and starved in the first place. What I’m saying is there is a bit of a silver lining to this. But first, there was a terrible storm.

Rambo’s injuries were severe. A trip to the vet revealed that in addition to severe head trauma (parts of his skull were exposed and his brain was swelling) and bodily injury, Rambo had heartworms, anemia, and other parasitic infections. Considering the state he was in, Rambo’s prognosis was grim. But instead of giving up on the dog who had already suffered so much, his human friends did their best, and — miraculously — in 72 hours, Rambo was walking, his brain swelling was ceasing, and his vision was intact.

It’s been almost a year since Rambo’s accident, and there’s still a long road ahead for him, but the dog is doing well. As you can imagine, Rambo and his human friend are advocates for adoption and rescue. I know it’s a strange way to look at it, but going through Rambo’s photos, it’s difficult to imagine how the dog’s life might have turned out had he not been hit by the car. Would he have died alone and starving as a stray? Or be euthanized without a name in a shelter?

Here’s Rambo’s Facebook page. If you’d like to help Rambo spread his message of rescue and adoption, check it out — and let him know Dogster sent you.

Read more about rescue on Dogster:

• The Story of Bulletproof Sam, a Victim of Dog Fighting
• Leo the Puppy Mill Rescue Boxer Always Has His Mouth Full
• Rescuing Dogs from Overseas: Three Arguments for and Against

About Liz Acosta: Dogster’s former Cuteness Correspondent, Liz still manages the site’s daily “Awws,” only now she also wrangles Dogster’s social media. That’s why she wants you to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and — her personal favorite — Instagram. See ya there!