Stevie was rescued (together with another dog named Wonder) from a South Carolina backyard, where he had been chained for the most of his eight years.

The Lancaster County SPCA, which works with other rescue organizations including Diamonds in the Ruff in New York, raised him. When Diamonds in the Ruff found out about Stevie, they knew he had to join their rescue family.

It was clear when Stevie first arrived to Diamonds in the Ruff that he had a lot on his plate. Stevie was not only blind, but also infested with fleas, worms, and had lost all of his fur.

He had an old corn cob lodged in his intestines, which required surgery to remove. His foster family had to be patient with him as he acclimated to living inside with a loving family, in addition to dealing with his medical issues.

Stevie’s foster mother, Erin Boyd, told The Dodo, “He slept the most of the journey [home], but would start growling and barking every now and then in his box.” “We concluded he was only trying to keep himself safe.” When we got home, we carried the box inside, but he wouldn’t let us out. We were extra cautious since he couldn’t see us and we didn’t know who he was.”

As he began to heal physically and psychologically, Stevie began to emerge from his shell, and it wasn’t long until he’d transformed into the largest mush of a dog. His foster family liked witnessing him go through so many firsts, including sleeping in his own bed for the first time.

Stevie’s foster family realized he had likely never slept on a comfortable dog bed before, so they made sure he got one. He was overjoyed when he touched the softness of it with his paws and immediately began jumping for pleasure.

When Stevie comes upon a dog bed, he suddenly has to do his little jumping dance. He’s just glad to have something that’s meant to make him feel lovely and comfortable, and he feels compelled to show off how happy he is all of the time.