Steven worked with a nearby addiction treatment center which would bring patients over to the shelter a few times a week to interact with the animals. They would often walk the different dogs and get to know them.
To him, Sandy was special and stood out from all the others. She was a bit timid, but showed a lot of affection as she got to know him. She had a calm demeanor about her and didn't bark a lot and seemed very gentle. Steve would sometimes come to the shelter by himself just to visit this special dog. He had to install a fence and get rid of some of the poison ivy in his yard in order to adopt her. She settled right into her home life with him. Steve and Sandy love to take walks together on the trails of nearby Unicoi State Park. The hound in her loves to ferret out delicious new smells.
For a guy who originally didn't think he needed a dog or a pet, Stevens sure changed his mind. "She just settled so nicely into the home and my heart," he said. "I love watching her play with her favorite toy -- a little stuffed pig." She was only five and a half months old when he brought her home but was really easy to train and, although she has teething issues, sticks to only chewing on her toyes, not his shoes.
Steven has lived alone and says it is really great coming home to the love and affection of Sandy. click photos below for bigger pics
