A woman who was getting a puppy for the first time thought she was getting a Chihuahua, but he kept getting bigger.
Madison Austin brought Henry the rescue dog home to her New York City apartment with her husband in April 2026, and he has been full of surprises ever since. Austin told Newsweek, “We adopted Henry very early on in the pandemic.” “We wanted a dog that would fit in a small apartment.”
When Austin first saw Henry online, he seemed like the perfect person. The owner said, “They said he was a 4-pound male Chihuahua.” “But from the first time we saw him, we thought, ‘Wow, his paws are really big!'”
Madison Austin and Henry, the “chihuahua.”
Madison Austin hugs Henry the “Chihuahua” on the left, and the dog sleeps in his bed on the right.
Today, a lot of Americans like Chihuahuas. Just Answer, an expert marketplace, looked at more than 114,000 conversations between pet owners and vets in 2025 to find out which dog breeds were the most popular in the country. Chihuahuas won.
But Henry wasn’t just any Chihuahua. Austin and her husband finally agreed that he was probably more of a Chihuahua mix after spending a few weeks together. She said, “We still thought he was at least part-Chihuahua.” “I remember asking my husband if his ears would ever stand up.”
Then something happened that completely disproved the idea that Henry was part Chihuahua. The dog grew very quickly and very big.
A Vet’s Opinion
Senior Rescue Dog Has Heart breaking Reaction Every Time Woman Puts Shoes On Senior Rescue Dog Has Heart breaking Reaction Every Time Woman Puts Shoes On Man Sees Photo of Returned Dog ‘Trying To Escape’ Shelter—Knows What To Do Man Sees Photo of Returned Dog ‘Trying To Escape’ Shelter—Knows What To Do Dog Adopted As Puppy, Then 14 Years Later Shelter Gets Unexpected Call Dog Adopted As Puppy, Then 14 Years Later Shelter Gets Unexpected Call More Related Stories Austin said, “He started gaining 2 or 3 pounds a week, and then it went up to 5 pounds a week.” “Our vet had to tell us, ‘Sorry to break it to you, but this dog is definitely not a Chihuahua!’ within two months.”
Austin was shocked by the news because he had been getting ready for life with a Chihuahua. “We bought an expensive electronic pee pad because we thought we could train him on it. That didn’t go very well! We ended up spending a lot more money on dog food than we had planned, of course!”
The couple eventually moved to a bigger house and had two girls. That worked out well for Henry because the dog was now very big. The dog that they had said was a 4-pound puppy when they first got him now weighed 95 pounds.
What Kind of Dog Henry Is
It’s not a big secret what kind of dog he is either. It became very clear that Henry was not a Chihuahua mix but a Labrador retriever as he grew and thrived.
Austin had originally signed up to adopt a dog, but after so many happy years with Henry, she wouldn’t trade him for any Chihuahua in the world. Austin said, “We thought we wanted a small puppy because of how we live, but we’re so happy he turned out to be so big.” “We have so much fun with him, and he has a heart of gold.” He was definitely meant to be ours.
Henry the Labrador is now
Henry’s dog loves snacks, hikes, and lots of cuddles. When Henry isn’t showing off his amazing tricks, he loves to play with his two human sisters, which is his second favorite thing in the whole world.
Austin posts stories and updates about Henry on Instagram all the time. She wants his trip to send a message about how important it is to give every kind of rescue dog a chance. Austin said, “Sometimes we don’t even know what we need until it finds us.” “I know for sure that Henry was meant to be ours, and I can’t imagine life without him in our family.”
