Stevie was rescued from a backyard in South Carolina (along with another dog named Wonder), where he had been chained up, likely for all eight years of his life. He was taken in by the Lancaster County SPCA, who works closely with other rescues, including Diamonds in the Ruff in New York. When Diamonds in the Ruff learned about Stevie, they immediately knew they had to make him a member of their rescue family.
When Stevie first arrived in the care of Diamonds in the Ruff, it was clear that he had a lot going on. In addition to being blind, Stevie was also dealing with fleas, worms and missing fur. Eventually, they also realized he had an old corn cob stuck in his intestines, and he had to undergo surgery to have it removed. On top of all of his medical issues, his foster family also had to be patient with him as he adjusted to life inside with a loving family.
“He slept most of the way [home], but would start growling and barking every so often in his crate,” Erin Boyd, Stevie’s foster mom, told The Dodo. “We knew he was just protecting himself. When we got home, we brought the crate inside, and he would not come out. We were extra careful, knowing he could not see and us not knowing him yet.”
As Stevie began to heal both physically and emotionally, he started to come out of his shell, and it wasn’t long before he’d transformed into the biggest mush of a dog. His foster family loved watching him experience so many firsts — including getting his very own bed for the first time.
Stevie’s foster family knew that he had likely never had a soft dog bed to sleep on before, so they made sure to give him one. As soon as he felt how soft it was with his paws, he was so excited and immediately started jumping for joy.
Now, every time Stevie comes across a dog bed, he has to do his little jumping routine. He’s just so thrilled to have something that’s meant to make him cozy and comfortable, and has to show everyone how happy he is every single time.
“He jumps, will sometimes chew on a toy a little bit and then passes out,” Boyd said.
Despite being blind, Stevie has adjusted extremely well to his foster home, and everyone is so impressed with just how far he’s come.
“He’s so smart,” Boyd said. “He learned very quickly how to navigate through my house. He can find his way from the backyard, through the garage and up the three steps into the house. He knows to wait for a treat in the kitchen when he comes in, and he knows to jump on my small round, ottoman to get onto my bed. He sleeps a lot, but loves to snuggle, go for walks, chew on squeaky toys and give kisses!”
Stevie is currently up for adoption, and he’s looking for a local family who recognizes and appreciates just how special he really is. He needs a home with no other pets, ideally with someone who is home a lot and can give him all of the attention he missed out on during his first eight years.
“[Someone] that will just spend time snuggled up on the couch with him, take him on walks, let him soak up the sun and give him lots of love,” Boyd said.
Stevie has been through a lot, but now that he has his comfy dog beds and lots of humans to love him, he knows everything is going to be just fine.
