Short Story: Chip came to our home a couple of weeks after our previous foster had been adopted. Chip was small for his age and gender, but was very sweet with our current dog. Very quickly we noticed that there was something wrong with Chip when he could not catch his breath after playing in the yard or running up the stairs. We took him to the vet who agreed with our observations. We were immediately sent to the emergency vet who diagnosed Chip with bilateral pleural effusions, aka fluid around both of his lungs. After further testing, it was determined that Chip also had issues with his heart that were not treatable. The heartbreaking decision was made to let Chip go. I was there by his side the whole journey, even to the end. Although Chip was only in my life for one week, I will never forget the love and peace he brought to our home.

Before : I don't know much about where Chip was from, but I do know he was a lurcher and was probably used for field trials.

In foster: Chip was quiet, but very loving. He would lay in the dog bed with my current dog and snuggle at night. He would play in the yard and liked to go for short walks in the neighborhood.

Milestones: Chip liked to play with toys and go for walks. He was a master at stairs and learned how to sit very quickly.

Funny or emotional moments: Chip LOVED his belly band! He would search for where we had put the belly band if he was not wearing it.

Short Story: Knuckles came to us shortly after we had tragically lost our prior foster dog to untreatable lung and heart issues. We were hesitant to take another foster dog since we were heartbroken over the last foster dog, but we felt we could honor the last foster dog by opening our hearts and home again. We were told HGA was receiving a batch of dogs from Australia and we would take one from the batch. I was at work on the day the group arrived in Des Moines so my husband picked-up Knuckles and another dog from the group to bring back to Cedar Rapids. My husband messaged me that Knuckles was a BIG boy, but seeing how our last foster dog only weighed 55lbs, I thought any male greyhound was going to seem huge. When I got home from work that night and opened the door to a 95lbs needle nose, I knew my husband was not lying!

Before: Knuckles was an okay racer at the tracks in Australia, but seemed to enjoy socializing over racing.

In foster: Knuckles was always very calm, loving, and quiet when we fostered him. He enjoyed playing with toys and going for walks. He got along wonderfully with our resident dog and would try to get our dog to play with him in the backyard.

Milestones:  We were able to teach Knuckles how to sit, down, and stay within the first couple of weeks of him living in our home. He was able to master the stairs within three days. We were not about to carry a 95lbs dog up and down a flight of stairs every time he had to potty! He loved to go for walks and was very calm on the leash, even when there were bunnies in sight.

Funny or emotional moments: Knuckles cannot control his tongue and it often would escape his mouth creating a funny derp moment. He also had no clue of how large he is and thinks he is a lap dog.

Adoption Day: My husband and I had both agreed that we would only foster and not adopt any of the dogs we fostered. After Knuckles had been in our home for only a few weeks, it was evident he was the perfect fit and would be staying with us forever. My husband's birthday was coming up and he said, "if you have not bought me a birthday gift yet, you can just give me Knuckles". That sealed the deal and we completed our adoption paperwork the next day! He has now been in our home for a little over a year and a half. He and I together have become a therapy pet team through an organization named Pet Partners. We visit our local hospital to bring joy to those visiting and working in the hospital.

Short Story: Chunk was an easy foster! He fit right in with our two greys, and just wanted to hang out, snuggle, and go on walks.

Funny or emotional moments: From the moment his mom met him, she knew he was perfect. He’s now super spoiled and his family is obsessed with him. They still send us updates about him. They even looked into his past, and found photos of him when he was just a puppy!

Adoption Day: July 13, 2025 - Chunk was officially adopted and taken to Minnesota to live with his adoptive parents and new sister (River)