NEW YORK — June 15, 2025
In a touching twist to her recent travels, Fox News anchor Dana Perino has brought home more than just memories from Africa — she brought home a life.
During a humanitarian visit to rural Kenya earlier this year, Perino and her husband Peter McMahon came across a severely malnourished stray dog outside a village school. The dog, trembling and barely able to walk, had been surviving on scraps for weeks.
“I wasn’t planning to bring home a pet,” Perino told Global Living. “But the moment he looked at me with those eyes — I knew we weren’t leaving without him.”
The couple arranged for immediate veterinary care and, after a brief quarantine and travel clearance process, the dog — now named Kiboko (Swahili for “hippo,” a tongue-in-cheek nod to his small size and big personality) — was flown to their Manhattan apartment.
And that’s where the story takes an even more delightful turn.
According to Perino, Kiboko quickly adapted to city life, and within weeks began displaying a shockingly human-like behavior: he mimics voice commands… by “talking back.”
“He doesn’t just bark — he tries to say words,” Perino laughed. “You say ‘hello’ and he howls back something that sounds eerily close. Guests are blown away every time.”
Even Peter McMahon, known for his dry British wit, calls Kiboko “the most intelligent dog I’ve ever met — and I’ve met diplomats.”
Kiboko now lives what fans are calling a “First Dog lifestyle” — with plush bedding, gourmet meals, a dog-friendly balcony garden, and even a weekly visit from a vocal coach (yes, really).
Dana has since hinted at writing a children’s book inspired by the dog’s journey, with early drafts reportedly titled “Kiboko Finds His Voice.”
“He went from starving and abandoned… to loved and listened to,” she said. “And somehow, he’s helping us find our own voice, too.”
While Perino remains busy with her Fox News duties, she says no moment of the day compares to coming home to Kiboko — a little dog with a big bark and a story that reminds us that rescue goes both ways.