A five-year-old blind dog called Stevie, who lost both of his eyes, has found a loving new home after learning to navigate life thanks to the help of Battersea’s dedicated Foster Carers.
Stevie arrived at Battersea’s London centre as a stray with one eye already missing. Upon being checked over by Battersea’s expert Clinic team, the charity’s vets noticed that he had glaucoma, an eye condition which is caused by fluid building up behind the eye and causing pressure. After determining this was causing Stevie considerable discomfort, the team made the decision to remove his second eye to ensure he could live life to the fullest.
Following his operation, Stevie was continually bumping into things which meant he was becoming quite worried of the world around him. Thankfully, Battersea’s dedicated Foster Carers Amy and Jack sprang into action and offered to take Stevie home with them to help him adapt to his new lifestyle in a home environment.
Stevie's Foster Carers worked hard to ensure their home was safe for him by removing any obstacles and sharp-edged furniture, as well as giving him plenty of scent and voice signals during play and training. He soon grew in confidence and adjusted to home life in record time, loving nothing more than wriggling himself onto his Foster Carers’ laps for plenty of cuddles and fuss.
Talking about their experience fostering Stevie, Amy and Jack said: “While with us, Stevie transformed from a nervous dog to such a happy and confident character. Once he had developed an understanding of our home, he was strutting around like he owned the place! He was such a good boy and we made so many special memories with him.
“As we travel frequently and have lots of social plans, we cannot commit to a dog permanently, but being a Foster Carer at Battersea has given us the opportunity to spend time with dogs and meet so many sweet souls who need a second chance. Battersea provides everything from training to food, bedding and poo bags! It’s been so rewarding to see the dogs we’ve fostered grow in confidence and go off to their new homes - I would recommend becoming a Foster Carer to anyone.”
After being cared for by Battersea’s Foster Carers for almost two months, Stevie was ready to find a new home and was swept up by his loving new owner, who said: “Stevie has settled in amazingly well which is a credit to the care and dedication of the lovely people at Battersea. He is such a charismatic, friendly dog who loves to explore new places and will run around without a worry. He’s got such a loveable personality and a talent for meeting new people and making new friends. Thank you to Battersea and Stevie’s Foster Carers for supporting him with their love and care; he is a true gift and I love him to pieces.”
Battersea is looking for more Foster Carers who live in London, as well as near its centres in Windsor and Brands Hatch and Community locations in Basingstoke, Ashford and Guildford to help the charity be there for every dog and cat. With costs, training and support taken care of by Battersea, fostering is an ideal way to enrich your life with the love of an animal and improving the lives of dogs and cats. Battersea’s Fostering and Communities work has been made possible through the generous support of the People’s Postcode Lottery.
If you have room in your heart and home for a Battersea foster animal, please visit: https://www.battersea.org.uk/support-us/fostering
For further information, images or interviews please contact press@battersea.org.uk
Notes to editors
- At Battersea we offer our love and expert care to dogs and cats who need us by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals at our centres, and by sharing our knowledge and resources with rescue organisations around the world. We do this because we want to help every dog and cat, everywhere.
- In 2022 Battersea directly cared for 2,278 dogs and 2,253 cats at our three centres. We also helped thousands more through our Communities programme, campaigning work, supporting other rescue centres and animal welfare advocates, and sharing knowledge and advice with pet owners.
- We’re reliant on the generosity of the public to continue to fund our vital work helping dogs and cats and the people who care for them. To donate to Battersea, visit: https://donate.battersea.org.uk
- In addition to the site in South West London, Battersea also has two other centres based at Old Windsor, Berkshire and Brands Hatch, Kent.
- To find out more visit our website or follow Battersea on Twitter @battersea_ , Instagram @battersea or facebook.com/Battersea